Lifestyle
Original photo by Christine Haggin
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…
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Graphic by Juliette Nast
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…
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Hafez making the plant-based Zaatar Wrap (photo by Sadie Radinsky)
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…
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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…
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Mural near downtown Oakland
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.
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One of the herb beds at the Brown’s Cafe Herbal Garden
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.
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Sunset at the South Berkeley Tuesday market
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.
Read MoreSex 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreI 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?
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