Sweden’s recycling is so revolutionary, the country has run out of rubbish

Sweden is so good at recycling that, for several years, it has imported rubbish from other countries to keep its recycling plants going. Less than 1 per cent of Swedish household waste was sent to landfill last year or any year since 2011. We can only dream of such an effective system in the UK, which is why we end up paying expensive transport costs to send rubbish to be recycled overseas rather than paying fines to send it to landfill under The Landfill Tax of 1996.  The UK has made strides in the proportion of waste recycled under an EU target of 50 per cent by 2020. This has underpinned hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into recycling facilities and energy recovery plants in the UK, creating many jobs. We’re not quite at that target yet. Recycling in the UK peaked at around 45 per cent of all waste in 2014.  Since then, provisional figures from the ONS have shown that figure has dropped to 44 per cent as austerity has resulted in budget cuts. The decision to leave the EU could be about to make this situation worse. While Europe is aiming for a 65 per cent recycling […]

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Abortion rights supporters’ voices thunder at #StopTheBans rallies across the nation

Thousands of #StopTheBans supporters – fueled by fury over a string of state laws aimed at restricting access to abortions – rallied Tuesday across the nation in a powerful statement for abortion rights. The ACLU and NARAL Pro-Choice America were among the sponsors of the national day of action, featuring more than 450 events in all 50 states. “Politicians, take notice: If you come for our reproductive freedom, you’ll have to get through ALL of us,” the ACLU said in a statement. Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Mississippi recently approved legislation that would restrict access to abortions in their states. Kentucky and Missouri are among states considering action. Abortion foes are hoping that the Supreme Court, with the addition of conservative justices appointed by President Donald Trump, will back the measures and reverse or weaken the court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Protesters march to the Alabama Capitol to protest a bill to ban abortion that passed last week , Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo: Butch Dill, AP) Hundreds of protesters packed the high court’s steps in the nation’s capital Tuesday, toting signs that vowed to “protect safe, legal abortion” and putting lawmakers on notice their voices would be heard.  “We are not going to allow them to move our country backward,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, told the […]

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Study Shows Potential for Earth-Friendly Plastic Replacement

The quest to keep plastic out of landfills and simultaneously satisfy the needs of the food industry is filled with obstacles. The quest to keep plastic out of landfills and simultaneously satisfy the needs of the food industry is filled with obstacles. A biodegradable replacement for petroleum-based products has to meet all sorts of standards and, so far, attempts at viable replacements from renewable sources have faced limited success due to processing and economic constraints. Among the obstacles, products to date have been too brittle for food packaging. But new research from The Ohio State University has shown that combining natural rubber with bioplastic in a novel way results in a much stronger replacement for plastic, one that is already capturing the interest of companies looking to shrink their environmental footprints. Almost all plastics – about 90 percent – are petroleum-based and are not biodegradable, a major environmental concern. Source: Ohio State University Women of Green is TURNING UP THE VOLUME of the feminine voice on the planet in order to create the world we know is possible

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These Five Animals Are on the Verge of Extinction — Here’s How to Help!

The world is at risk of losing many species on the verge of extension, with dwindling numbers and no end to the process in sight. A journal article by 13 scientists from eight different countries says the world is now in the sixth mass extinction of plants and animals. Other scientists, however, feel that calling the current age a mass extension is a bit dramatic. While scientists agree humans damage the earth and changes should occur to protect species on the edge of extinction and our natural environment, the situation may not be as dire as predicted. As with most things, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. One thing everyone agrees on is that some species are in danger of no longer existing. The list grows and changes from year to year, but here are five animals currently on the verge of extinction that might surprise you. 1. Giraffes In 2016, giraffes moved onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of Threatened Species” report into the vulnerable category. In the 1980s, there were 155,000 giraffes in Africa. Today, the number is under 100,000 — a reduction of around 40 percent. Some ways to protect this […]

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Happy Earth Day from Carolyn

Nature Earth Day

A few Earth Day words from our founder Carolyn Parrs to every amazing member of our community!

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Women and Investing: Having an Impact

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Attention all Women of Green followers! The April 2018 issue of GreenMoney Journal, called “Women and Investing: Having an Impact”, is completely written by women. Featured article writers include Amy Domini of Domini Impact Investing, Kristin Hull of Nia Impact Capital, Julie Gorte of Pax World/Impax AM, Jane Carten of Saturna Capital, and Bonnie Foley-Wong of Pique Ventures. Also see additional articles and a video on Women in Coffee from Equal Exchange. Find all of these articles and more at http://GreenMoneyJournal.com

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Women’s History Month: 11 Female-Empowering Movies

women empowerment movies

March is Women’s History Month, so now would be a great time to watch these 11 films that celebrate and encourage women and are available on Netflix. (Please note: you’re welcome to watch movies about women the rest of the year too!) “Princess Cyd” Wolfe Video ‘Princess Cyd’ (2017) Metacritic score: 71 “Princess Cyd” completely knocked my socks off. The premise is simple: Cyd, a 16-year-old girl, spends a few weeks visiting her aunt in Chicago. I usually mitigate my expectations for performances in low-budget independent films, but “Princess Cyd” features some of the most realistic portrayals of women I’ve ever seen on screen. The dialogue perfectly captures the way my own family members might speak to one another, and there’s nothing self-serving about the film. It merely champions, quite successfully, the importance of positive female role models in a young woman’s life. ‘Moana’ (2016) Metacritic score: 81 The tide has turned, so to speak. Instead of the helpless “rescued by a prince” princesses of yesteryear, Disney has made a sincere effort in the last decade to tell stories that will inspire young girls to be strong and independent. Moana plays a Polynesian teenager who sets out on an oceanic mission to […]

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Women-Fronted Films are Top Three Highest-Grossing Movies of 2017

2017 Women Movies

It could be seen as a fitting response to a year in which Hollywood has been rocked by sexual harassment accusations against powerful men – the three most popular movies of 2017 in North America all featured female actors in their lead roles. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – the latest installment of the long-running space saga – overtook Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast on New Year’s Eve to become the top grossing film of the year in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates. Wonder Woman, the first world world war-set superhero tale that has so far been DC Comics’ only critical hit, came in at No 3. The last time the top three films were fronted by women was in 1958, when South Pacific, Auntie Mame, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof were the most popular American movies, according to box-office tracking websites.

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The Hidden Cost of Online Shopping

Holiday season is online shopping season. And with online sales expected to surpass $100 billion this year, that equates to a lot of fast and free shipping. But there is a hidden cost to all this shipping: its carbon footprint. In the newest installment of the Climate Lab video series — produced by the University of California in partnership with Vox Media — Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan takes you inside the world of online shipping and its impacts on the planet.

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Carolyn Drives an Austin Electric Vehicle!

Women of Green Austin Electric

Women of Green founder Carolyn Parrs got to drive an Austin Electric Vehicle recently! These all-electric cars and pick-up trucks offer a green transportation option to businesses, institutions, non-profit organizations and more.

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