Much-needed activism is in full swing in the U.S. On March 10th, Native Americans held a rally in Washington “for their rights — civil, treaty, and human” and against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Although Scott Pruitt (now head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) came out doubting basic climate science, people are mobilizing for action on climate change and to protect science including a March for Science and the People’s Climate Movement next month.
All the sustainable ladies: 10 women who will inspire you
In celebration of International Women’s Day, this article tells the stories of women taking on environmental and social issues and changing society for the better. One example is Lise Kingo, executive director at the United Nations (U.N.) Global Compact who gets companies to commit to cleaning up their operations and to being more sustainable. Another is Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Canadian Inuit activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, who documents how the Inuit people are being impacted by global warming and works to protect their rights and culture. By Vaidehi Shah on On Eco-Business.
You’re about to see a big change to the sell-by dates on food
You know those different “sell by” phrases on food that are confusing and contribute to food waste in the U.S.? Looks like the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the two largest trade groups for the grocery industry, are addressing the issue. The groups will encourage companies to use only two phrases: “Use By” as a safety designation for perishable foods and “Best if Used By” as a (still subjective) estimate for peak flavor. This article provides more information on the phrases, the food waste that the phrase confusion creates, why this is a step in the right direction, and what else should be done. By Caitlin Dewey on Washington Post.
World Health Organization City Air Pollution Data Search
This searchable, easy-to-use data portal shows how polluted the air is in different cities around the world by looking at particulate matter (PM2.5). For each city, it shows the annual exposure to PM2.5, a comparison to the World Health Organization’s recommended safe level, and information on the deaths and diseases linked to the exposure. We are currently in San Francisco, California (10% under the safe level) and Rio de Janiero, Brazil (60% over). New York City is 10% under, Chicago is 20% over, and London is 50% over the safe level. How does your area measure up?
U.N. experts denounce ‘myth’ pesticides are necessary to feed the world
A new report by special rapporteurs to the U.N. on food and toxins was presented to the UN Human Rights Council last week underscoring the dangers of excessive pesticide use to human and environmental health. The report stated that the claim that pesticides are vital to ensuring food security is misleading and that food production is increasing, but the problem is rather with poverty, inequality, and distribution of resources including food. The report called for harmonized and stringent regulations on the production, sale and acceptable levels of pesticide use, as well as switching to agroecology and more sustainable agricultural activities. By Damian Carrington at The Guardian.
We are proud and excited to share that our book Sustainability Made Simple will be released later this week! You can pre-order it here with discount code RLFANDF30. Thank you for all your support!
The Sustainability Co-Op 