When you think of mindfulness, what do you picture? Maybe someone meditating and practicing deep breathing, or someone journaling by candlelight before bed. Or, maybe someone in glittering platform heels pole dancing with a hypnotic flow to Hiatus Kaiyote…
The intersection between the environmental and feminist movements may seem clear. For example, in climate-related disasters women are 14 times more likely to perish. However, the ecofeminism framework illustrates that this connection runs much deeper…
It’s a brisk, overcast Autumn morning -- stiff legs peel reluctantly out of their beds, buses lurch to their stops, and Berkeley begins to bustle. Through the cold and cloudy hues, warmth pours out of the Berkeley Organic Market. Smells of baking pita bread and sounds of Yemeni dance music beckon passersby in…
When it comes to consumerism, nearly nothing represents wide scale materialism the way the fashion industry does. The fashion industry emits 10% of the world's carbon emissions, and 85% of all textiles go to landfills each year. In addition, people are buying more clothes and throwing them out at a faster rate…
In the wake of a global pandemic that has disproportionately impacted Black Americans and repeated acts of police brutality against people of color, a renewed sense of awareness around systemic racism in the United States has emerged. As a result, activists have been calling for consumers to purchase from Black-owned businesses in an attempt to combat the racial injustices suffered by the Black community.
While cities can often appear to be a losing battle ground between Mother Nature and concrete, efforts in recent years have yielded a surprising increase in the amount of green speckling the maps of urban areas. Collaborative cultivation of public land through the creation of community gardens is steadily growing in popularity.
In the seemingly endless list of everyday practices interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, shopping for food has been, for many, a source of stress and difficulty. Border closures and trade restrictions have disrupted global food chains and affected millions of farmers, farmworkers, and consumers.
Sex is fun, good for your health, and often a key part of the college experience. However, it doesn't come without its risks, and safe sex is incredibly important for personal health and the health of your partner. Many options for safe sex however, come at the expense of the health of the environment. Common condoms, lubricants, and sex toys often contain toxic chemicals that can pose harm to water, air, and soil. There are however several options for more sustainable and safe sex.
In our current reality, it is unfair to expect anyone to be operating at their optimal low waste lifestyle capacity. Many don't have the resources, are anxious about leaving their homes, or are physically or financially unable to maintain pre-pandemic low waste habits.
There are a plethora of reasons to be grateful for the holidays, whether it is the family gatherings and warm feelings or the more tangible items like seasonal foods and gifts. However, there is an overlooked, ugly side to all this merriment-- the holiday season’s troubling impact on the environment. Mass consumerism, coupled with excessive waste, are often not the first thoughts that come to mind when the holidays are mentioned.
If you’re active in the world of social media environmentalism, chances are you’ve come across Kristy Drutman. She’s a Jewish and Filipina American climate activist, and she runs the popular Instagram account “@browngirl_green,” where she posts about sustainable living and environmental awareness. Over the past three years, she’s amassed over 50,000 followers and has been a powerful voice for environmental justice and activism, speaking at conferences and universities across the country and hosting her own workshops. I spoke with her over the phone about how she got started, the lifestyle changes she’s made, and the power of social media as an educational tool.
I hesitate to write this column. I hesitate to write it, and even more to publish it, because it will reveal me as a person who is concerned about climate change. But isn’t that something to be proud of - not ashamed? Don’t we need more people engaged in this battle, not fewer?
Another Valentine’s Day is approaching, and this year consumers are expected to spend a staggering $2.3 billion U.S. dollars on flowers, an increase of $400,000 from 2019. Buying into fresh-cut flowers this Valentine’s Day will contribute to an even higher cost on the environment.
Birth control is not simply a way in which women can prevent unwanted pregnancy. It is a way that they can employ autonomy and experience equality, while simultaneously mitigating the environmental impacts that ensue from a lack of family planning.
Researchers who studied what actually makes people happy during the holidays found that a focus on materialism is associated with decreased well-being during Christmas. Those who emphasized family time and spiritual pursuits felt an overall greater well-being and sense of satisfaction with the holiday season. The things that actually make us the most happy during the holidays are still free, and they don’t come wrapped in plastic.
Going zero-waste might not be the move for you right now, but incremental change is still impactful, especially when we take collective action. Let’s start with grocery shopping: here are some tips to reduce your carbon footprint while grocery shopping at Berkeley Bowl! These tips can also apply to non-Berkeley Bowl stores.
The Repair Clinic is the latest step in ReUSE’s campaign to divert textiles from the landfill, and the model is wonderfully simple: drop off your ripped, button-less, or otherwise malfunctioning garments at the ReUSE Thrift Store; fill out a repair form with your name, number, and a description of the problems; and then pick them up when you get an email. The service is also completely free.
Although pescetarianism includes the consumption of animal products, some researchers have concluded that the diet has a relatively low carbon footprint, contributing to the common understanding that it’s a good alternative for veganism. In a study conducted at the University of Washington, researchers found that diets that incorporate seafood can actually have a lower environmental impact than entirely plant-based diets.
