Author: Anna Stewart

We as consumers are living in the age of analysis paralysis, where there are too many options available to make a decision. The distance between the supplier and the distributor is becoming increasingly large, to the point where we do not know where our goods come from. So with all of the goods in front of us having a similar level of ambiguity, it is no wonder we find it difficult make a choice. It can be overwhelming and exhausting, but there are factors to take into consideration that can help narrow our shopping options. Clothes are worn on average…

It is commonly thought that creating an eco-friendly home or operating on clean tech is a task for the 1%. Solar panel installations, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps are all revolutionary energy saving investments that will ultimately give you a huge return on your monthly energy bill and certainly deserve recognition. But, if you’re looking to start with minor adjustments in your daily life in order to go green or may not be able to afford those large investments, here are some of the most reasonable and innovative gadgets in green technology currently on the market! Helios Smart…

Imagine a world with only bleach white coral reefs, no coastal birds, and floods that could take your feet right out from under you. This is a world not so far in the future if the destruction of mangroves escalates any further. Mangroves are some of the most important intertidal habitats that exist. You’ve most likely stared right at one, not realizing even the surface of its importance. You probably even thought to yourself that they look like strange stilt plants that could just walk right off. But in fact, they haven’t been walking anywhere, humans have been purposefully removing…

What did you have for breakfast this morning? A cup of coffee? Avocado on toast? Berries and yogurt? Some honey nut cereal by chance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you consumed a product pollinated by bees, the hard-working insect that allows you to stay hard at work. Bees are essential for our food sources at multiple levels. Not only do they directly pollinate certain foods such as fruits and vegetables, but they also pollinate flowers and other vegetation which is then consumed by the animals that some of us later eat (BBC). Some WILD stats for…

Just after our excited chat about the new Ed Sheeran album, Sophia taught me that Python is more than just the name of a venomous tropical snake and that I should have paid more attention in seventh grade Powerpoint class. This seventeen-year-old computer whizz from East Brunswick, New Jersey could probably write groundbreaking code in her sleep and still wake up with a smile on her face ready to greet the day and make changes in her community and the world. She sees promise in a world with advanced technology and she wants to figure out how to use that technology for…

Join us in celebration of March 3rd, World Wildlife Day! The UN urges us to “Listen to the Young Voices,” because they are the ones who face a world with the possibility of a vast reduction in wildlife due to the actions of their ancestors. They’ve grown up singing about the wolf crying to the blue corn moon and the grinning bobcat, but may soon face a planet where those lyrics will be the only way to remember them. But the young voices are also what give us hope. Hope that amongst the perils of wildlife conservation, there are individuals…

It looks like these feral cats wandered into the right place when they chose to take up residence in the scaffolding of PS 223Q in Queens, New York. Students had observed the furry felines roaming around school buildings and became fearful that they might become homeless if the scaffolding were to come down, so they took action. Humane societies and animal shelters usually encourage residents of places with harsh winters to be active about helping their local stray and feral cats because shelter in those conditions is hard to come by. In case you were wondering, there is a difference…

On Friday, February 3rd, the USDA removed all animal welfare reports from its website, without any warning and without a firm statement declaring how long the documents will remain absent. These reports are usually fully accessible to the public, and are used to document the treatment of animals in captive facilities like labs, zoos and shelters, so that the public can be aware of those operating outside of the Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act stipulations. The statement reads: “Going forward, APHIS will remove from its website inspection reports, regulatory correspondence, research facility annual reports, and enforcement records that have…

For some, Valentine’s Day is about giving out candy grams in class, or handing a rose to a crush, but for René Jameson it is about sending love to the elderly folks in her community who may have not gotten a valentine in years. Each year, in her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut, she makes over 200 handmade cards and personally delivers them to the senior community. This is just one of the many impactful projects she spearheads every year, as she takes her seat on the Roots & Shoots U.S. Roots & Shoots Youth Council USA (RSYC) for the third year in…

While most 9-year-olds might have been wishing for a new bike or hoping to have a play date with their next-door neighbor, Kye Masino was dreaming up revolutionary change. This change came in the form of his service organization, KYE-YAC, based out of Hot Springs, Arkansas, led by youth for the benefit of youth. Now, at age 18, Kye has not taken a moment of pause, as he takes his seat on the Roots & Shoots U.S. Roots & Shoots Youth Council USA for the third year in a row. Over those years he has probably lost count of all…