We are Hiring a Social Media and Web Content Manager for our Women’s Networks

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Women of Green & Women as Game Changers are seeking a part-time Social Media and Web Content Manager based out of Seattle, WA or elsewhere (can work remotely). We are accepting applicants starting June 26th until the position is filled. Ultimate goals for the position are to further engage and grow our Women of Green network and Women As Game Changers Facebook group and network, promote women entrepreneurs and game changers, find and/or develop engaging content related to the green, social justice and sustainability spheres and assist in developing alternative forms of network income.

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Want to Save Money While Conserving Energy? Here’s What You Need to Know

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If you’ve tried random tips to minimize your energy use at home and are wondering why it hasn’t affected your electricity bill, not even one bit, your efforts may not be enough. Although there are a lot of cost-saving tips to follow that effectively conserve energy, you might be missing ONE thing. Here is an infographic about how to save money and conserve energy at home.

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One Thing Everyone Must Understand About Drinking Water

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In most U.S. households, it’s no big deal to get up in the middle of the night for a drink of water. It happens to many of us, and we don’t give it much of a second thought. Despite some notable recent exceptions, there is an abundance of clean and safe drinking water in this country. But do you really know where your drinking water comes from? Do you know about the infrastructure needed to deliver water to millions of homes each and every day? For many people, the water infrastructure issue came to the forefront during the crisis in Flint, where water from the Flint River was 19 times more corrosive than water from Detroit. The state Department of Environmental Quality violated federal law by not treating the river water with an anti-corrosive agent, according to a class-action law suit. The situation in Flint is one example of the country’s crumbling water infrastructure. Six billion gallons of treated water is lost each day due to leaky pipes, and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) estimates that we need $1 trillion to meet demands over the next 25 years.

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Why Women Need to Be Leading on Climate Change Around the World

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Women who aim for high political office often face plenty of challenges along the way. As a result, “they have an ability to resist and lead which is undoubtedly stronger than that of most men with a typical career path,” says Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. That hardiness is coming in handy as many of the world’s cities – a growing number of them led by women – move to take the lead in adopting clean energy, adapting to climate threats and otherwise battling climate change. Women, “have the courage to bring about those changes,” said Hidalgo, Paris’ first woman mayor and the first female leader of a global network of more than 80 cities leading on climate action. In two years, the number of women in charge of large cities that are taking the lead on climate change has risen from four to 16, according to C40 Cities, which is organizing a conference for women leaders in New York.

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Senators Introduce 100% Clean Energy by 2050 Bill

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Four senators, including former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on April 27 introduced a bill that would transition the U.S. to 100% clean energy by 2050. Sanders, alongside Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Senator Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., created the legislation amid President Donald Trump’s efforts to unwind former President Barack Obama’s climate protections. The “100 by ’50 Act,” lays out a roadmap for the transition, and is the first bill introduced in Congress that envisions a 100% fossil fuel free U.S., according to a news release from Merkley’s office.

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Being an Environmental Optimist When Things Seem Bad

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I wasn’t born an optimist. At least I don’t think so. Not sure what the balance of nature versus nurture is, but until my mid-20’s, I was one of those annoying people that had a knack for finding the worst-case scenario in every situation. There was a tectonic shift in my world-view not long after I made it through the quarter century mark. And I began what has been another quarter century plus challenge to retrain my neuropathways to seek out the positive in all situations. Most days, the glass is half full; some days my opinion on the status of the water in the glass is neutral; and occasionally, the glass is just dry (heavy sigh) — the plight of human existence? Here are 6 ways to be an environmental optimist despite the sometimes tragic and overwhelming news.

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Trump’s Budget Proposal Means More Women Exposed to Toxic Chemicals

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At the end of March, President Trump released his budget proposal. And what is a budget, other an expression of a statement of values. Think about it: what do you care about, and how is that translated into your daily spending? Where do you choose to spend your money? It appears that science and research in general are under attack within the Trump Administration. This applies to critical health research as well. The largest cuts in the budget proposal are to the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal to cut 31% of the agency’s funding has troubling implications for numerous programs that ensure people’s ability to live in healthy and vibrant communities. Let’s look at how programs that address toxic chemicals will be impacted.

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Coal in ‘Freefall’ Worldwide, Report Finds

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The coal industry is in “freefall” worldwide according to the latest annual survey from environmental groups Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and CoalSwarm. According to the survey, new construction and coal plant permits in China and India have sharply dropped off, while aging coal plants were retired across the U.S. and Europe. (The U.S. saw its 250th coal plant retirement on Monday.) The decline of coal has been felt for decades in places like rural West Virginia, and while Trump campaigned on a promise to revive the industry, the survey shows that its decline may be inevitable—while the market share of renewable energy, and potential for sustainable jobs in that sector, continues to rise.

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Doctors Explain How Hiking Actually Changes Our Brains

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While it may seem obvious that a good hike through a forest or up a mountain can cleanse your mind, body, and soul, science is now discovering that hiking can actually change your brain… for the better! Aside from the almost instant feeling of calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.

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The Ancient Hopi Message About Water

Hopi are one of the oldest remaining ancient cultures in North America, known by many as Tibet of the West. Living in the arid Painted Desert where rainfall is minimum, the Hopi have perfected the art of creating thriving gardens known as dry farming. Their rich cultural traditions, dances, and spiritual practices give them a very special relationship with the finite resource of water. In 2006, Mexico City was hosting the World Water Forum, but it was being sponsored by corporations that aimed to profit off of the privatization and sale of bottled water. With waters from the around the world in gourds, the Hopi began a historic run from Northern Arizona to Mexico City as running is a traditional form of prayer for Hopi. The Hopi carried to the forum, the message that water is life and were met by indigenous chiefs from across Mexico in a historic gathering of North American indigenous people.

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