Greenwashing: The Conscientious Consumers Conundrum
“You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions, and that’s how we’re going to protect the Earth.” – Julia Butterfly Hill By Arielle Tiangco I have to admit, there was a time when I would shamelessly spend all my disposable income, from pouring smoothies at my part-time job, Read More...
Tapping the creative force, art changes minds in a changing climate
“The arts matter because we matter, and our stories matter. We are moving miracles, walking creators engaging in a cosmic dance. The art we express is timeless.” –Mohammed Sheriff, Division Coordinator at the National Endowment for the Arts (USA) By Oliver Kammeyer At The Optimist Read More...
The Optimist View: "Our Moment of Choice" - Reflections on hope for the future
“A conscious business is a mission with a business, not a business with a mission.” - Steve Farrell, in Our Moment of Choice BY ARIELLE TIANGCO As I reflect on the unexpected events of this past year, I am confronted with a strange mix of emotions. Trepidation clashes with gratitude. Read More...
Buddhist children’s books are inspiring young environmentalists in Taiwan
Since the 1990s, Taiwan has worked on an ambitious environmental preservation plan, including instituting a highly effective recycling system that repurposes 20 percent more waste than the US. The country has embraced education, especially at the elementary school level, as a key component to Read More...
Black environmentalists are uniting to fight climate injustice
"I can’t breathe." These were among the final words that George Floyd and Eric Garner gasped before their deaths at the hands of white police officers. That plea has become part of the current rallying cry for racial justice and an end to police brutality in the United States. But for Black Read More...
Tripping on nature: Could psychedelics save the environment?
Research into the mind-melding effects of psychedelics is becoming respectable again within the medical community, as therapeutic applications are being discovered. In addition to treating depression, PTSD, and other psychological disorders, tripping on magic mushrooms might serve another purpose - Read More...
Here are 4 uncommon ways to make your wardrobe more eco-friendly
As you might already know, there are simple ways to make sure your wardrobe doesn’t contribute to the mass amounts of pollution created by the fashion industry. For instance, you can avoid fast fashion and buy second-hand clothes. You can also buy durable clothes that are sure to last. These Read More...
This environmental activist is on course to become the president of Slovakia
There’s a packed crowd of Democrats running in the 2020 election, many of whom are campaigning with environmentalism as a top priority. If those candidates want to run a successful campaign, they should look towards Slovakia where Zuzana Caputova, an environmental activist and anti-corruption Read More...
Video: Lester Brown on Plan B
Ode Editors | June/July 2009 issue Lester Brown was invited to speak at the Aspen Environment Forum, in Aspen, Colorado on March 25, 2009 on getting the market to tell the environmental Read More...
Brown is the new green
Advertisers love the word "green." British journalist Nick Rosen doesn't - not anymore. On off-grid.net, the website he edits, he argues environmentalists should wear a different color now. Marco Visscher | March 2009 issue What's wrong with green? "Green was a word that stood for an era of less Read More...