environment

Struggling Sunflowers

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 70 Comments

At least seven new apartment buildings with large parking garages are in various stages of being built around my neighborhood. Last year, this was a beautiful field of sunflowers. These are the brave holdouts. Amid all this construction, only one small “park” area was designed. Most of the other areas are being covered by pavement and buildings. Almost everything has changed in the eight years since I moved to this area of Texas. And now a Universal theme park has been approved for just up the road a few miles! Would you be surprised if I told you the mayor is a Realtor?

Earth Month (Every Month!) Challenge

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 57 Comments

I remember the first Earth Day in 1970. I was a senior in high school, and the environment wasn’t exactly uppermost in my mind. Many of us weren’t all that worried yet. These days, I’m feeling a great deal of eco-anxiety but still have trouble finding purposeful things to do about that. If you’re feeling that way, too, Treehugger has 30 ideas for easy tweaks you can make in your daily routines!

Earth Month Challenge: 30 Easy Actions

And I’m reading Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility, which is a collection of essays edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua. This book was suggested by Tracy Abell in one of her informative Climate Movement Monday posts. Thank you, Tracy! I’m already enjoying the book.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to have little ones to share books with! You can help them understand the importance of taking care of our Earth with some of these lovely picture books.

Let’s make it Earth Day every day!

Climate Movement Monday: in support of Puerto Rico, Western Alaska, + other frontline communities — Tracy Abell

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 12 Comments

Welcome back to Climate Movement Monday in which I highlight frontline communities in need of support. The climate crisis is on full display this week with hurricanes and typhoon-related storms causing mass destruction. I’m listing local organizations that accept donations. Every bit helps, no amount too small. WESTERN ALASKA was hit on Friday and Saturday […]

Climate Movement Monday: in support of Puerto Rico, Western Alaska, + other frontline communities — Tracy Abell

Tracy Abell is a nature enthusiast, climate activist, and author of both fiction and non-fiction. She blogs each Monday about climate issues to help keep readers informed about how we can all make a difference. Please check out her blog! ~Becky

Help to Mobilize Climate Voters!

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 13 Comments
You can help!

Write postcards to make sure people who care about climate vote in the Tuesday, November 8th elections. Choose from state and local races with elections this November where progress on climate is possible, but only if climate voters show up. They mail you free postcards, so you just need postcard stamps and a pen! Please sign up today! Without a healthy planet, nothing else really matters.

Please note: although the drop-down menu for the number of cards to order begins with 200, I found that you can add a message in the “Drop us a note” field near the bottom to request a lower number, if you wish!

Becky

Take Part in Earth Hour!

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 40 Comments

“Make an impact beyond the hour. Taking part in Earth Hour isn’t only about committing for one hour on one day – it’s about committing every day to shape a brighter future for people and our planet.”

How will you spend Earth Hour? I’ll probably sit on my balcony and read from an actual paper and cardboard book. And my goal is to work more “Earth hours” into my days, turning everything off for a while. LATER: I certainly enjoyed that time reading and was further entertained by four doves roosting in the tree almost close enough to touch. Beautiful evening. Take care! Becky

Why Children’s Stories Are a Powerful Tool to Fight Climate Change – YES! Magazine

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 53 Comments

reading at beach

The children will inherit the environmental situation (mess) we have allowed on our planet, and we must make sure they have the tools to make life-saving decisions! This informative article discusses why children’s literature is so important for them, in addition to the facts of science…

“Stories that move us do so on a personal level and change us from within in ways that facts alone never could. This is especially true of young people, most of whom respond to stories with emotional intensity.”

Source: Why Children’s Stories Are a Powerful Tool to Fight Climate Change – YES! Magazine

Spice is the Key to Eating Less Meat

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 52 Comments

From Maria Godoy’s Life Kit at NPR

“Trying to eat less meat? Make sure your meat-free meals are just as satisfying by seasoning your vegetables with the same spices you use to cook meat. It will carry some of that flavor over.

Keep your cupboard stocked with spices like cumin, paprika and ginger that enhance any meal. Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and basil can also add a nice touch.

‘If you love Thai, if you love Ethiopian, if you love Caribbean [food] — keep those spices on hand as well,’ says Tracye McQuirter, a public health nutritionist and author.

It turns out you don’t need to become vegetarian or vegan to make an impact on your health or the environment. Just cutting back on your meat consumption can go a long way. You could also try plant-based proteins to fill out a meal, like tofu, cashews, almonds, mushrooms or edamame.

It also helps to think about what your meals are gaining, instead of what they’re lacking.”

Check out the short podcast and link for recipe ideas! ~Becky

A Good Sign from the Mailbox

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 57 Comments

Even though I no longer have a garden beyond my balcony, I still love receiving that first seed & plant catalog of the new year in the mail. Spring will return…it’s just around the corner! And I like that the pages appear to hold even more selections marked as “container friendly,” which works out well for me. Time to start planning!

And speaking of planning, if you’ve been thinking about including more plant-based foods in your meals, you might want to check out the Meatless Monday Challenge. It’s a free 12-week program that’s set up to assist you in meeting that goal, while you help the environment at the same time!

I look forward to reading all of your blogs in the coming months and wish each of you a healthy and happy 2022!

Zapping Manure with Lightning to Fight Pollution?

~ Becky Ross Michael ~ 53 Comments

One of my recurring freelance projects is to write monthly about good news for kids. Recently, I read an article that adults could be very interested in, as well! You’ve probably read that the methane from cow poo, farts, and burps is more than 20 times as destructive for our environment than the carbon dioxide from our cars.

Short of ending or cutting back on the raising of cattle, what’s to be done? A Nordic company has come up with an idea that is now being tested in the UK. By producing artificial lightning bolts as plasma to zap manure, they are turning most of the ammonia to a usable form of natural fertilizer AND reducing almost all the methane emissions!

Truly great and promising news. Now we need to see how much governments are willing to chip in to help the farmers shoulder the costs of the electricity needed for the process. One thing is certain, we cannot just keep doing things the same.

Air pollution and climate change are real. What can you do today to help? Here are some “greener living” ideas from the EPA!