Essential oils are great for humans seeking some natural relief, but they can be harmful to our furry four-legged friends. Cats and dogs have different adverse, often dangerous, reactions to many essential oils. If you use essential oils, it’s important to know which ones can harm your pets and what to do if your pet is accidentally exposed to them. […]
The need for green spaces in urban areas increases as climate change continues to warm our planet and extreme weather events become more frequent. Human-made structures like dark asphalt roadways, cement sidewalks, and brick buildings absorb heat, contributing to the heat island effect. Trees and plants provide much-needed shade and cool the air through a process called evapotranspiration, which helps […]
For most of human history, natural burial was the only option. Then, in the 20th century, toxin-laden embalming practices and air-polluting cremation methods became mainstream. Today, no matter how sustainably you have lived your life, modern funeral practices ensure that you make one last giant carbon footprint when you die. In many places, regulations require the use of toxic, persistent […]
If environmentally responsible, sustainable business were baseball, my guest Gil Friend would be as familiar a name as Babe Ruth. In 2011, Gil was named to the first class of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) Sustainability Hall of Fame. He is the founder and CEO of Natural Logic, a sustainable business strategy consultancy, and Critical Path Capital, a […]
Sea level rise due to melting glaciers on Greenland and in the Arctic and Antarctic could force the relocation of 267 million people and entire cities located less than 2 meters — 6.5 feet — from today’s waterline by 2100. Oceanographer John Englander has raised the alarm about sea level rise in his books, High Tide on Main Street and […]
Today’s carbon emitted into the atmosphere adds to the future cost of living through the climate crisis, a concept referred to as the social cost of carbon. To help clarify this abstract idea, we have an idea that lets you help future generations cover the social cost of carbon for the gasoline you use. At some point, governments or private […]
Mitch welcomes back Rick Wayman, CEO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR), for a conversation about the twin threats of climate change and nuclear war. Vladimir Putin’s reckless war on Ukraine, which has come with repeated threats to use nuclear weapons, came at a critical juncture in the response to climate change. The 2020s is a make-or-break decade for […]
Owning a car is more expensive than you think. Research has shown that people underestimate how much money they spend on cars and driving. It also shows that policymakers underestimate the social costs of car culture. We Americans love our cars. But if we really understood the full cost of private car ownership, we might be more willing to consider […]
The dozens of carbon calculators available as apps and on the web provide widely divergent estimates of your carbon footprint. Whether you choose to use one of the many calculators or want to assemble your own estimate — from finding and understanding your home energy usage to assessing a carbon calculator’s results — this article will break down how to […]
These days, getting by without a cell phone – and probably a handful of other portable electronic devices – is very nearly impossible. Apps and programs keep getting bigger, too, constantly requiring more memory and faster data processing. That makes using a device that’s more than a couple of years old cumbersome. And let’s face it, there’s a serotonin hit […]