Tag Archives: inspire

Green America Rolls Out Handy Chocolate Scorecard

Share this idea!

Pin2
Facebook0

2shares

Lindt. Nestle. Hershey. Divine. Godivia. Alter Eco. Equal Exchange.

You have plenty of luscious options when selecting chocolate treats. With that wide selection is a rich opportunity to wield your spending power and reward firms that support environmental responsibility and fair labor practices for farmers.

Maybe you’re browsing for Halloween. Or you’re on the prowl for a scrumptious personal indulgence.

Green America, a nonprofit organization that focuses on economic action for social justice and environmental sustainability, encourages choosing wisely when buying chocolate. Especially if it involves links with child labor. And deforestation.

“It is an ideal product for voting with our dollars,” says Todd Larsen, executive co-director of Consumer and Corporate Engagement for Green America. “We can choose to purchase from brands that are working to build farmer income, address child labor, and promote ecological farming practices.”

Green America’s Chocolate Scorecard

Green America’s fresh ranking of chocolate companies features report-card grades, with emphasis on labor and environmental factors.

The scorecard is designed as a valuable resource for discriminating shoppers who appreciate information about ethical sourcing practices in products they purchase.

Green America Chocolate Scorecard. Source: GreenAmerica.org

Labor certifications, including Fairtrade, IMO Fair for Life, and UTZ, were factored into each brand’s ranking. (See more certifications and what they mean on Green America’s website.) Other factors, including efforts to support farmers — especially in West Africa — rounded out the scores.

“… we are not only looking at how much certified cocoa a major chocolate company has, we are also looking to see if the company has innovative programs and projects in place to address some of the other underlying issues of child labor in cocoa and if the company is working to address deforestation,” Green America’s website states.

Focusing on eliminating farmer poverty interconnects with and assists in resolving other social and environmental issues, according to Charlotte Tate, labor justice manager at Green America.

Harvesting cacao. Image: Adobe Stock

Examples of chocolate companies’ noteworthy programs and practices include:

Divine: 44 percent ownership by a farmers cooperative in Ghana
Alter Eco: investing in agroforestry, which integrates cacao with other crops for a healthy and diverse ecosystem, and offers additional produce and revenue for farmers
Endangered Species: donates 10 percent of profits to animals, habitat, and humanity

The Rankings

Firms leading the pack with grade A rankings include

Alter Eco
Divine
Equal Exchange
Endangered Species
Shaman
Theo Chocolate
Tony’s Chocolonely

Check out your favorite chocolate’s ranking in Green America’s scorecard. Photo by Pete Wright on Unsplash

Green America points out it did not include every chocolate company in its rankings, and notes that many of the A-rated firms are members of Green America’s Green Business Network of “socially and environmentally responsible businesses.”

Mars, Nestle, Hershey, and Lindt earned middle rankings.

Godiva received an F.

Green America’s website features a separate page offering extra information about the scores, including Godiva’s.

“Godiva has stated on its website that it has a goal of sourcing 100 percent sustainable cocoa by 2020. It has not indicated which certifications it is sourcing from, what progress it is making with this goal, or what additional steps it is taking to address child labor and farmer income. While its competitors publish annual reports on their progress, Godiva only reports minimal information on its website.”

Earth911 emailed a Godiva spokeswoman about its Green America grade, and she issued a quick reply.

“GODIVA condemns forced labor or any practice that exploits, endangers, or harms people, especially children. We do not own farms and purchase our cocoa through third parties, which puts us at a distinct disadvantage on scorecards such as these that don’t allow for an accurate representation of our longstanding commitment to people and planet. We ensure ethical sourcing through agreements with our suppliers to comply with our GODIVA Code of Conduct, which explicitly prohibits the use of forced and child labor.”

Let chocolate manufacturers know that you support environmental responsibility and fair labor practices. Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

Speaking Out

While thoughtfully directing your dollars is a powerful tool to support preferred products, perhaps you’ll want to add fuel to your position.

Write a note directly to the firms you’re supporting or avoiding, explaining why you decided to purchase — or not purchase — their products.

Another route is signing a petition, such as Green America’s request to Godiva: “… share your progress with the public through a corporate responsibility report on your website that makes your progress on farmer income, child labor, and environmental protection fully transparent.”

Feature image by Security from Pixabay 

You Might Also Like…

Shopping Your Environmental and Social Values

This article is the first in a six-part series focused …Gemma AlexanderJune 21, 2019

How to Find Ethical Jewelry

No one wants to adorn themselves with environmental destruction and …Gemma AlexanderFebruary 5, 2019

3 Reasons to Avoid Mass-Manufactured Chocolate

When you find a chocolate brand you like, it’s hard …Jenna CyprusFebruary 24, 2017

earth911

Continued: 

Green America Rolls Out Handy Chocolate Scorecard

Posted in ALPHA, eco-friendly, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, Landmark, LG, ONA, PUR, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green America Rolls Out Handy Chocolate Scorecard

Green Preschools: An Early Start for Sustainable Living

Share this idea!

Pin0
Facebook0

0shares

Young children’s minds are like sponges. They absorb just about everything — good and bad. Often, they pick up on things around them that we adults don’t even notice. Input from the world around them shapes young children’s lives, who they become as adults, and how they live.

Teaching a Healthy Lifestyle & Embracing Nature

That concept is reflected in Dawn Maxwell’s goal to run a preschool “… focused on living a healthy life, embracing nature and letting kids have fun.” Maxwell, a mother of four, said, “I just thought it would work. Their minds are so observant.” The Green House in Oklahoma City uses all-natural cleaners, rags instead of paper towels, eco-friendly toys, and serves only vegan, organic, gluten-free food. Whatever food is left over is recycled or composted. Dawn also teaches her students — who range in age from 3 to 6 — how to garden.

David Centola, whose daughter Clara attended The Green House, said he chose the school after exploring several other options. Ultimately, Centola picked The Green House because of its focus on teaching children about the environment. (Editor’s note, August 2019: It appears that The Green House preschool in Oklahoma City is no longer in business, but the nature-based preschool movement continues to grow.)

Growth of Nature-Based Preschools

Maxwell isn’t the only educator who believes in the benefits of learning sustainable lifestyle habits early. According to the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Natural Start Alliance, “The first nature-based preschool in the United States opened in 1966.” By 2012, there were more than 150 nature-based preschools across the country.

Some schools are taking basic steps towards a more environmentally friendly approach, while others have their entire curriculum based around nature. For example, Sunflower Preschool in Boulder, Colorado, teaches children about recycling, composting, and gardening. The outdoor curriculum at the school “honors the natural environment” and the staff encourages “a sense of wonder in the natural world” as well as active play and a child-directed classroom to stimulate development.

Do Parents Find the Difference Worth the Expense?

Peter J. Pizzolongo, a representative for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, says that the driving force behind the trend of nature-based education is the parents. “If it is something that families value, then they’re going to seek that out. … Largely, the movement within the school is recycling, reuse and alternate use, and cutting back on a lot of using of plastics and things that are thrown away.”

With the change in focus comes a slight change in price among most of the nature-based preschools. But, for the parents who are passionate about the nature-focused practices of these preschools, the difference is worth the cost.

It is never too early to start cultivating good habits and practices in children, especially since they will someday be the stewards of the planet. Teaching them how to take care of it now will eventually lead to a cleaner, greener planet.

Editor’s note: Originally published on September 16, 2014, this article was updated in August 2019.

 

You Might Also Like…

Green Earth Book Awards Celebrate Best Environmentalist Children’s Books

The Green Earth Book Awards by Nature Generation are intended …Gemma AlexanderMay 24, 2019

The Importance of Kids Being in Nature
Once upon a time, kids of any age returning from …Alison LuedersMay 21, 2019

Raising Kids Who Take Action: Value of Teamwork Skills
Some kids understand the benefits of working harmoniously with others …Jenna CyprusNovember 22, 2018

earth911

Source: 

Green Preschools: An Early Start for Sustainable Living

Posted in ALPHA, eco-friendly, FF, G & F, GE, Landmark, LG, Mop, ONA, organic, PUR, Radius, Ultima, Uncategorized, wind energy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green Preschools: An Early Start for Sustainable Living

Broke Is the New Green

Share this idea!

Pin0
Facebook0

0shares

Planet-friendly products are getting easier to find, but they’re still too expensive for most people to buy.

If you can’t afford fair trade coffee, organic cotton towels, and reclaimed wood tables, environmentalism can seem like a cause you can’t join. It’s good to shop your values, but the truth is, you can’t shop your way to sustainability. If you’re too broke to shop green, there’s a pretty good chance that you are already living that way.

Housing

Housing ties with transportation as Americans’ biggest direct carbon impacts, making fantasies of off-grid homesteading or net-zero efficiency hard to resist. At least, they would be if they weren’t so expensive.

As inspiring as these sorts of homes are, it takes 15 to 20 years for a net-zero house to offset the carbon emissions from its own construction. Which means that energy retrofits to an old house are not only much cheaper than moving to a new one, they are just as green.

Density, meaning both the size of your home or the number of people you squeeze into it, lowers per capita emissions more than almost any other housing change. Besides reduced per capita energy consumption, the benefits cascade into reduced transportation emissions and consumer waste.

In fact, the U.S. could achieve half of its climate targets if everyone got a roommate.

Transportation

Feel guilty because you can’t afford a Prius? Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s true that about 80 percent of a vehicle’s emissions result from driving it rather than manufacturing it. But the exact math on whether it’s greener to buy an efficient new car is not clear cut.

Replacing your 1970s Buick that gets 8 mpg with a 1990s Honda might be greener than buying a new electric vehicle (unless it’s a recycled EV). Next time your old car is in the shop, you can feel extra virtuous.

Walking, biking, and taking public transportation are all greener than driving, no matter what kind of car you own.

Shopping Less

Four-fifths of the impacts that can be attributed to consumers are not direct impacts, but are secondary impacts, the environmental effects of producing the stuff we buy.

If your tight budget has you thinking twice before you head to the register, you are eliminating waste before it’s produced. That’s called precycling, and it’s the greenest consumer choice you can make.

When you really do need to buy stuff, a new organic cotton T-shirt is undoubtedly better than a new one made from conventional cotton. But life cycle analysis shows that by far the most important factor is the number of times consumers wear a garment before throwing it out. Buying second-hand is almost as good as not buying at all, because it extends the life of the product.

Cooking More

Forget fancy dinners at the latest organic, locavore restaurant. Even fast food is more expensive than cooking at home.

What you might not know is that cooking at home produces fewer greenhouse gases than eating the same meal at a restaurant. Plus, you have more influence over your own ingredient choices and food waste at home. Suddenly, making beans and rice starts to look like environmental activism.

Feature image courtesy of  1820796 from Pixabay 

 

You Might Also Like…

7 Laundry Hacks That Save Time, Money and the Planet

Laundry is a drain on the modern green household. It …Jennifer TuohyDecember 6, 2017

4 Ways Reducing and Reusing Can Save You Money
When most people think about reducing and reusing, they mainly …Anna JohanssonDecember 1, 2017

Rethinking Stuff: 4 Questions for Conscious Consumption
One of the most important aspects of an eco-friendly life …Madeleine SomervilleNovember 20, 2014

earth911

Source article – 

Broke Is the New Green

Posted in ALPHA, Aroma, Cascade, eco-friendly, Everyone, FF, G & F, GE, horticulture, LAI, LG, Mop, ONA, organic, PUR, Radius, Smith's, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Broke Is the New Green

Green Earth Book Awards Celebrate Best Environmentalist Children’s Books

Share this idea!

Share

Pin

The Green Earth Book Awards by Nature Generation are intended to draw attention to quality environmental-themed books for youth that often miss out on the mainstream book buzz that helps readers find them. But once discovered, these authors and illustrators inspire youth to grow a deeper appreciation, respect, and responsibility for their natural environment.

The winners and runners-up reflect a range of stories and nonfiction for picture book, middle grade, and young adult reading levels. Green Earth Book Award winners are indispensable reads for any budding environmentalist (and adults might learn something from reading them, too).

Image: The Nature Generation

Picture Book

Winner

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs: The Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe (Chronicle Books) In The Brilliant Deep, readers will find out how a coral reef forms and learn about the people who are working to save and rebuild the world’s coral reefs.

Honors

Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends, by Heidi E. Y. Stemple, illustrated by Clover Robin (The Quarto Group/Seagrass Press) Counting Birds introduces kids to the idea of bird counts and bird watches through the story of Frank Chapman, who founded the first annual bird count.

Salamander Sky, by Katy Farber, illustrated by Meg Sodano (Green Writers Press) Amphibians around the world are in trouble, and this picture book engages children in their plight. It  introduces kids to spotted salamanders and the perilous nighttime migration they take each spring. Salamander Sky features a mother and daughter who go out on a rainy night to help the salamanders cross the road safely.  

Children’s Fiction

Winner

The Flooded Earth, by Mardi McConnochie (Pajama Press) Dystopian fiction has dominated middle-grade reading for a while now, but The Flooded Earth gives it a cli-fi twist. Born decades after a devastating flood changed the face of the earth, twins Will and Annalie set out in their family’s small sailboat searching for their father. Along the way, they will be challenged by pirates, the authorities, and the sea itself.

Honor

Ellie’s Strand: Exploring the Edge of the Pacific, by M.L. Herring and Judith L. Li, illustrated by M.L. Herring (Oregon State University Press) Part of a series, Ellie’s Strand follows Ellie and Ricky as they travel to the Oregon coast to help with a one-day beach clean-up. They are hoping to find a Japanese glass float, but instead discover more important natural treasures, and evidence of the need for a much bigger clean-up – of the ocean itself.

Children’s Nonfiction

Winner

Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle, by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Bill Slavin (Kids Can Press) Trash Revolution introduces kids to the concept of material life cycles. It gives examples of how we can make greener choices by using life cycle analysis for typical contents of a school backpack.

Honor

Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night, by Rob Laidlaw (Pajama Press) Children’s books about animals tend to fall into two (rather gendered) camps: those that emphasize cuteness, and those that sensationalize grossness or scariness. Treatment of bats has often fallen in the second camp, which hasn’t really helped the bats. Bat Citizens makes the flying mammals charismatic without banking on old, creepy stereotypes. It’s also packed with accurate ecological information about bats importance and the young “bat citizens” who are engaged in conservation efforts around the world.

Young Adult Fiction

Winner

Dry, by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman, illustrated by Jay Shaw (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) Dry starts out in a familiar world where California is experiencing a long period of drought. One day water stops coming out of the tap entirely. Tedious conservation measures suddenly give way to a struggle for survival and a teen is forced to make life and death decisions for herself and her brother.

Honor

Orphaned, by Eliot Schrefer (Scholastic) The fourth book in the Ape Quartet, Orphaned gives readers a gorilla’s view of prehistory. It’s written in verse and set thousands of years in the past. Orphaned tells the story of an orphaned ape and an orphaned human who learn to help each other survive.

Beyond the Sixth Extinction: A Post-Apocalyptic Pop-Up, by Shawn Sheehy, illustrated Jordi Solano (Candlewick Press) A real conversation starter, this pop-up book looks at the aftermath of the current sixth global extinction. The artist envisions a flourishing ecosystem centered around fictional creatures that could evolve from existing organisms.

If you’re looking for more great eco-reads for your kids, check out the Green Earth Book Awards short list, and check out Earth911’s summer reading list.

You Might Also Like…

Stop the Summer Reading Slide With Eco-Themed Kids’ Books

Summer is a time for playing outside and enjoying the …Gemma AlexanderMay 10, 2019

Family Movies for Earth Day and Every Day

Earth Day is great for raising awareness, but it isn’t …Gemma AlexanderApril 16, 2019

5 Children’s Books That Expertly Teach About the Environment
We all know that reading to our children every night …Leigh GarofalowDecember 14, 2018

earth911

Read article here: 

Green Earth Book Awards Celebrate Best Environmentalist Children’s Books

Posted in alo, Chronicle Books, Citizen, FF, GE, horticulture, LAI, LG, ONA, PUR, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green Earth Book Awards Celebrate Best Environmentalist Children’s Books

Earth911 Podcast, April 1, 2019: Green Myths, Falsehoods, and Greenwashing

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

“cookieName”:”wBounce”,”isAggressive”:false,”isSitewide”:true,”hesitation”:””,”openAnimation”:false,”exitAnimation”:false,”timer”:””,”sensitivity”:””,”cookieExpire”:”30″,”cookieDomain”:””,”autoFire”:””,”isAnalyticsEnabled”:true

earth911

Continued: 

Earth911 Podcast, April 1, 2019: Green Myths, Falsehoods, and Greenwashing

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Earth911 Podcast, April 1, 2019: Green Myths, Falsehoods, and Greenwashing

Green Giving: 5 Nonprofits Clobbering Climate Change

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

“cookieName”:”wBounce”,”isAggressive”:false,”isSitewide”:true,”hesitation”:””,”openAnimation”:false,”exitAnimation”:false,”timer”:””,”sensitivity”:””,”cookieExpire”:”30″,”cookieDomain”:””,”autoFire”:””,”isAnalyticsEnabled”:true

earth911

See original article here:

Green Giving: 5 Nonprofits Clobbering Climate Change

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green Giving: 5 Nonprofits Clobbering Climate Change

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 23, 2018: Beth Porter, Author of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

“cookieName”:”wBounce”,”isAggressive”:false,”isSitewide”:true,”hesitation”:””,”openAnimation”:false,”exitAnimation”:false,”timer”:””,”sensitivity”:””,”cookieExpire”:”30″,”cookieDomain”:””,”autoFire”:””,”isAnalyticsEnabled”:true

earth911

Source: 

Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 23, 2018: Beth Porter, Author of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Earth911 Podcast, Nov. 23, 2018: Beth Porter, Author of Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine

Survey Results: Solar Panels on Your Home?

earth911

Continue at source:  

Survey Results: Solar Panels on Your Home?

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, solar, solar panels, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Survey Results: Solar Panels on Your Home?

Earth911 Quiz #33: Choose Top Renewable Energy Users

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

“cookieName”:”wBounce”,”isAggressive”:false,”isSitewide”:true,”hesitation”:””,”openAnimation”:false,”exitAnimation”:false,”timer”:””,”sensitivity”:””,”cookieExpire”:”30″,”cookieDomain”:””,”autoFire”:””,”isAnalyticsEnabled”:true

earth911

Source:  

Earth911 Quiz #33: Choose Top Renewable Energy Users

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Earth911 Quiz #33: Choose Top Renewable Energy Users

3 Tips for Green Finger Painting Fun

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

“cookieName”:”wBounce”,”isAggressive”:false,”isSitewide”:true,”hesitation”:””,”openAnimation”:false,”exitAnimation”:false,”timer”:””,”sensitivity”:””,”cookieExpire”:”30″,”cookieDomain”:””,”autoFire”:””,”isAnalyticsEnabled”:true

earth911

Read more – 

3 Tips for Green Finger Painting Fun

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Tips for Green Finger Painting Fun