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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Sweden Opens World’s First Mall for Repaired and Recycled Goods

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A new generation of recycling has now gone from local drop-off centers to a shopping mall that sells only repaired or upcycled products. The new recycling establishment, ReTuna Återbruksgalleria, has nothing to do with the fish; instead, it was named after the Swedish town in which the building is located, Eskilstuna, Sweden. The facilities contain both a recycling center and a shopping mall. Customers can donate the items that they no longer need, then shop for something new – all in one stop. Dropped off goods are sorted into various workshops where they are refurbished or repaired accordingly. Products are then sorted into 14 specialty shops that include furniture, computers, audio equipment, clothes, toys, bikes, and gardening and building materials; all garnered from second-hand products.

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It’s Time to Mother Nature: Women of Green’s New Campaign

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This year, we had so much fun creating our Earth Day message for you and hope it will encourage others to see Earth Day as everyday! We gathered some of the most talented female artists we knew and created a Mother Nature Art Poster that is shown above. We named the campaign “It’s Time To Mother Nature” and began with the beloved long-eared owl (I have had numerous close encounters with these mystical birds so I just had to start with them). However, the whole point of our Mother Nature campaign is to increase awareness of the extremely volatile nature of all nature on our planet today. With reverence to the owl family, we created our owl out of human bodies. Two female models (I’m on the left) were body-painted and positioned to shape the owl’s head. It’s the first in a series of Women Of Green Art Posters and our plan is to create one a month for the next six months. But there is a good chance we’ll never stop! If you are an animal or nature lover like me, you can purchase our Mother Nature Owl Art Poster here. The proceeds from this collection will go toward our Women As Game Changers Entrepreneurial Training for women who are determined to change the world through their life’s work.

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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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Minimalism: A Documentary About Finding More Meaning with Less

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While in his 20s, Joshua Fields Millburn faced a trio of challenges: the death of his mother, divorce, and a deep dissatisfaction with his high-paying job. He decided to limit himself to only those things that served a purpose, hoping to find more meaning in life (“Love people, use things, because the opposite never works,” he says). His longtime friend Ryan Nicodemus joined him in an easygoing embrace of a “minimalist” philosophy, eventually resulting in the recent book tour that this film follows.

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10 Companies Going From Waste-to-Landfill to Zero Waste

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Business leaders around the world are contemplating how to take their companies to the next level when it comes to sustainability because many believe they can create closed looped systems that are both profitable and sustainable. Despite what’s happening in Washington, American businesses are rising to the occasion and doing just that — cutting carbon emissions, conserving water and energy, and engaging employees around their goals. Has your company ever thought about going zero waste? These 10 firms working toward zero waste to landfill prove it’s possible. And no, it won’t kill jobs or hurt profits.

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Participant Media’s ‘TakePart World’ Highlights Sustainability Progress in Developing World

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Participant Media, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched a new multi-platform series, TakePart World, which investigates the myths and misconceptions people across the globe have about the developing world. The year-long series spotlights the faces and voices of those driving progress towards a sustainable future for the world’s poorest.

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Love is the Most Powerful Force in the Universe

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Love is the most powerful force in the Universe. With it, anything is possible. The stories of the healing power of love are all over the Internet. They’re the kind of feel-good stories that make you pause during the day and realize that there is so much more to life than our day-to-day routines and responsibilities, and that there is a greater power in our lives. Sometimes they even make you cry.

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This Device Uses The Power Of Waves To Make Ocean Water Drinkable

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Off the coast of North Carolina, two friends are developing a new way to desalinate water—a notoriously high-energy, high-cost process. Their solution: use the power of the ocean itself to clean the water of its impurities.Justin Sonnett and Chris Matthews first came up with the SAROS desalination buoy while at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. They’ve since set up a company and worked on their floating prototype for more than two years. Now, they’re looking for support on Indiegogo.

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Public Nominations Open for Santa Fe Mayor’s Sustainability Awards

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The nominations for outstanding sustainability programs, projects, businesses, and leaders in Santa Fe, New Mexico are now open. Winners will be recognized at the Mayor’s Sustainability Awards ceremony on Thursday, October 13th from 5:30-6:30 pm at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. In addition, on Friday, October the 14th (the next day), the “Women As Game Changers” Conference will occur from 8:30 am-5:30 pm at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort. At this one-day immersive event, receive support to overcome barriers to activating and elevating the game changer in you from featured special guest, Nell Newman, along with many other inspirational, rule-breaking women who are on their game now.

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