A firefighter douses flames as they push toward homes during the Creek Fire in the Cascadel Woods area of unincorporated Madera County, California on Sept. 7, 2020. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
What does the climate crisis look like? As wildfires continue to rage up and down the U.S. West Coast, we have some terrifying answers: orange skies; burnt-out buildings; a horse, seemingly abandoned, running past a stall as the hill above erupts in flames. These images help to ground an unfathomable reality.
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<p class=""><em>Note: This article has been updated to clarify that orange skies are being seen in areas of Northern California including Oroville and San Francisco.</em></p>
<p>More than 100 major fires in California, Oregon and Washington have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes during a pandemic, destroyed entire towns and claimed at least 23 lives, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/09/10/wildfires-california-oregon-washington-among-burning-states-7-dead/5767493002/" target="_blank">USA Today reported Friday</a>. The flames have charred more than three million acres in California alone, a record for the state, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/us/fires-oregon-california-wa-state.html?name=styln-california-wildfires&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&impression_id=8b316630-f421-11ea-bbf9-6daf9f25f611&variant=1_Show%23link-679758af" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>While the individual fires have different causes, including a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfire-gender-reveal-partyty-2647518193.html" target="_self">gender-reveal party</a>, scientists agree that changes in the climate make larger fires like the ones burning now more likely. This is because warmer temperatures mean more extreme heat waves and drier air and vegetation, creating ideal conditions for fires to spread, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-wildfires-snow-jet-stream-extreme-weather/" target="_blank">as CBS News explained</a>. While climate change can feel abstract and distant as a prediction, these seven photos of the West Coast fires make it devastatingly real.</p>
Orange Skies
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3Mjc5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTM5OTc2NH0.loFijHZV5bLC6hKOJ_T0avHsIGIwkO86UcuqQ6yySZU/img.jpg?width=980" id="01daa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c43082a48f1c103935ac648e6dfa31b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A boat motors by as the Bidwell Bar Bridge is surrounded by fire in Lake Oroville during the Bear Fire in Oroville, California on Sept. 9, 2020. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
<p>People in Northern California looked out their windows Wednesday to a scene out of a <a href="https://twitter.com/Bunny_Godfather/status/1303909838376722432?ref_src=twsrc%255Etfw%257Ctwcamp%255Etweetembed%257Ctwterm%255E1303909838376722432%257Ctwgr%255Eshare_3&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.newsweek.com%252Fbay-area-orange-skies-blade-runner-2049-1530961" target="_blank">science-fiction movie</a> as the sky glowed orange. Clouds of smoke covering the state filtered the sun's light and energy, tinting skies and lowering temperatures, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/pictures-dull-orange-sky-wildfires-rage-western-200910140117147.html" target="_blank">Al Jazeera reported</a>. In San Francisco, the unusual color was a combination of ash from the Bear Fire mixed with the marine layer that provides the city's famous fog, <a href="https://abc7news.com/smoke-in-the-air-today-why-is-sky-orange-quality-index-oakland-bay-area/6414147/" target="_blank">ABC 7 News explained</a>. The effect was so remarkable that Hillary Clinton shared the image above, taken in Oroville, on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CE9XN59p0L7/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. "None of this is normal, and confronting climate change is on the ballot this year. Vote, as early as you can, for a habitable planet," she wrote.</p>Creek Fire Destruction
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3NDQ1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDI0MzIyM30.wL48hRI2OB72D0P_-4HoVfNYK01iIMcxOuDn6ELNIrw/img.jpg?width=980" id="ff2e3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33d8df94a86c9c1037d1075358ff1b6b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A community of forest homes lies in ruins along Auberry Road in the Meadow Lakes area after the Creek Fire swept through on Sept. 8, 2020 near Shaver Lake, California. David McNew / Getty Images
<p>The Creek Fire started on Friday, Sept. 4, just as large swaths of California were facing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-heat-wave-wildfires-2647443443.html" target="_self">record-breaking heat for Labor Day weekend</a>. The fire spread quickly through the western edge of the Sierra National Forest. Hundreds of people were airlifted away from the fast-spreading fire earlier in the week, according to <a href="https://abc7.com/creek-fire-214-people-airlifted-from-mammoth-pool-reservoir-in-daring-rescue/6411589/" target="_blank">KABC</a> in Los Angeles. So far, the fire has burned through 175,893 acres and was only 6 percent contained Thursday, according to the <a href="https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/fires/article245647305.html" target="_blank">Fresno Bee</a>. <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/9/4/creek-fire/" target="_blank">Cal Fire's statistics</a> say the fire, which has ripped through the remote mountain town of Big Creek, has destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings. "My family has been part of this community since 1929 and knowing it's probably never going to be the same is just gut-wrenching," said Toby Walt, the superintendent of Big Creek School District, to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/us/california-family-wildfire-home-escape/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p>Mass Evacuations in Washington
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3MzE0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzkzNTQ2N30.00ruy9U0-r1ZGhxKoolxUnjANilP5HBuyHnQ6F9CU-E/img.jpg?width=980" id="0395e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6bc6a225c344d37cc052d492ebdf6571" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Tinted orange by wildfire smoke from Oregon and southern Washington, the sun sets behind a hill on Sept. 9, 2020 in Kalama, Washington. David Ryder / Getty Images
<p>As of Wednesday, wildfires had scorched 587,000 acres of Washington state, nearly half the area of land that burned during the entire record-setting fire season of 2015, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wildfire-updates-september-10-what-to-know-today-about-the-destructive-fires-in-washington-state-and-on-the-west-coast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Seattle Times reported</a>. The fires prompted Washington Governor Jay Inslee to sign an emergency declaration Wednesday, and to promise cash assistance for people who have lost their homes to the flames. Hundreds of families have had to evacuate, including residents of Tacoma suburb Bonney Lake. One of them was Christian Deoliveira, who fled his home with his fiancé and five-year-old son early Tuesday morning. "I woke up at about 3 a.m. to a neighbor knocking on the door, saying the whole hillside's on fire," Deoliveira told <a href="https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article245572380.html" target="_blank">The News Tribune</a>.</p>Animals Affected by Wildfires
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3MzU5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTUxMTgwOX0.8NceC4kmCJuDzYdE6sbCKFa2vAcLQvQNdDJfDUl8FAk/img.jpg?width=980" id="adfad" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e2452f6e5e5ed4a0c4bf276335c7fd3e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A horse runs by a stall as flames from the Hennessey fire approach a property in the Spanish Flat area of Napa, California on Aug. 18, 2020. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
<p>Wild animals in the West are accustomed to wildfires as a natural part of the ecosystem. Some even need the burnt-out areas for their breeding grounds, while other predators will lie in wait for prey fleeing the fire. But the size and intensity of the current fires is beyond what most animals have adapted to. While scientists do not have a count of how many animals die in wildfires, they do know that smoke, fire and heat are extremely dangerous for animals that can't escape fast enough, particularly young and small animals, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/09/150914-animals-wildlife-wildfires-nation-california-science/#close" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>. It's not just wild animals that suffer. Domestic pets are also left behind to fend for themselves as fire approaches and pet owners need to evacuate. Animal rescue crews are scrambling to find cats and dogs that were left behind. After finding one dog, Farshad Azad of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group told the <a href="https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2020/09/10/california-wildfires-conditions-improve-for-firefighters-but-siege-continues/" target="_blank">Vallejo Times-Herald</a>, "Everything around him was incinerated." He added, "People are really afraid. And people are hurting because their animals are missing."</p>The Human Toll
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3MzczMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjU0NDAyNn0.zlna_AJwNcN5lABL8rtMthgcT12n4_4nv_SwZ56AwRk/img.jpg?width=980" id="82961" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8bb1df61a935c816093b6efb2110d306" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Resident Austin Giannuzzi cries while embracing family members at the burnt remains of their home during the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Vacaville, California on Aug. 23, 2020. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
<p>The fires have claimed at least 23 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes in all three states. One of the hardest hit areas has been California's Butte County, which was also the site of 2018's Camp Fire, the fire that scorched the town of Paradise and was the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/camp-fire-california-wildfire-deaths-2620067114.html" target="_self">deadliest and most destructive in the state's history</a>. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday at least 10 people in his county had died in the North Complex fires, while dozens were missing and hundreds of homes were feared lost, according to USA Today. The blaze even menaced Paradise again, though <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/11/9-a-m-update-fire-crews-continue-bear-fire-battle/" target="_blank">The Mercury News</a> reported evacuation orders for part of the town had been lifted. But Paradise's experience was repeated in the Butte County community of Berry Creek, which was obliterated by a part of the North Complex Fire Tuesday night. "The school is gone, the fire department's gone, the bar's gone, the laundromat's gone, the general store's gone," 50-year-resident John Sykes, who watched the blaze from a mile away, told <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article245611590.html" target="_blank">The Sacramento Bee</a>. "I'll never go back. I don't want to see it. That's why I'm leaving. I never want to see California again."</p>Communities Threatened and Destroyed in Oregon
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3Mzg4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDk0ODc2OH0.hech4k958pQJXxCUupOLssjn9IzJcLkgbMzlH7rlCGA/img.jpg?width=980" id="90499" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1e39326a344d708fda44864f6a4d17a2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A sprinkler wets the exterior of a home as wildfires approach nearby in Clackamas County on Sept. 9, 2020 in Oregon City, Oregon. David Ryder / Getty Images
<p>High winds have fueled the rapid spread of the wildfires in Oregon, which are threatening the Western part of the state at an unprecedented rate. More than a half-million people have fled from the fires, which makes up more than 10 percent of the state's population of 4.2 million, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54113416" target="_blank">BBC</a>. As of Thursday, there were 37 different blazes in the state, affecting people along the Interstate 5 corridor from Ashland in the south to Portland in the north. That includes Salem and Eugene. The blazes, which are only 1 percent contained, have decimated the towns of Phoenix and Talent, destroying hundreds of homes. "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across the state," said Governor Kate Brown, as the BBC reported. "This will not be a one-time event. Unfortunately, it is the bellwether of the future. We're feeling the acute impacts of climate change."</p>Wildfires During a Pandemic
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzk3NDA0My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjI0MzA0OH0.kAZxX16X3_YVrcpdl5T-dSYUEaPovpK2l-R2-EmhtT8/img.jpg?width=980" id="53edf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5a47def2d11a34a4f305408fcd0f6f00" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A sign warning people about COVID-19 is surrounded by flames during the Hennessey Fire near Lake Berryessa in Napa, California on Aug. 18, 2020. Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images
<p>The intense fires in the midst of a pandemic that requires social distancing is complicating evacuation strategies. Usually, people fleeing fires will huddle together in school gymnasiums. The COVID-19 pandemic has made that a no-no. The same restrictions apply to firefighters who would usually bunk together in small spaces, according to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-happens-wildfire-coronavirus-pandemic_n_5f3d6b90c5b609f4f673c34c?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW90aGVyam9uZXMuY29tL2Vudmlyb25tZW50LzIwMjAvMDgvd2hhdC1oYXBwZW5zLXdoZW4tYS13aWxkZmlyZS1tZWV0cy1hLXBhbmRlbWljLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANojonNDvEAcRnmhHQ_z_PTE54ALNvD_SBsIQgQff-H-nYonNfU6J5v8YXtuuVJKfuKxVIJauaGs0cc8lkSGIRnvDag0ya1gRxxKjmtfTicljJ3rOyvhs2RfGfK6RUTubneJ6wfnUQfyQdtH5YzY_qoEWYRvvrntI3C9DGrqPIfX" target="_blank">HuffPost.</a> Complicating matters further is that the poor air quality from the smoke may affect recovery from COVID-19. "We know that wildfire exposure to communities increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infection," such as acute bronchitis and pneumonia, said Dr. John Balmes, a physician at the University of California, San Francisco, as HuffPost reported. "So there's concern in the context of the pandemic that wildfire smoke exposure would increase the risk of moving from mild to more severe COVID-19."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Lit candles, flowers and signs are seen in front of the U.S. embassy in Warsaw, Poland on May 31, 2020. Aleksander Kalka / NurPhoto / Getty Images
As protests are taking place across our nation in response to the killing of George Floyd, we want to acknowledge the importance of this protest and the Black Lives Matter movement. Over the years, we've aimed to be sensitive and prioritize stories that highlight the intersection between racial and environmental injustice. From our years of covering the environment, we know that too often marginalized communities around the world are disproportionately affected by environmental crises.
<p>Now seems like a critical time to reshare a selection of these stories from our writers and our media partners. We know that if we want a healthier planet and life, environmental racism needs to be addressed. Here are 15 stories that highlight racial and environmental injustice and are worth reading during this time. There is no environmental justice without racial justice.<strong></strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/black--hispanic-americans-coronavirus-2645677258.html" target="_self">Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Disproportionate Coronavirus Infections</a><br></h2><p><em><strong>Published April 9, 2020, Author Jordan Davidson<br>Excerpt: </strong><br></em>Across the country, the novel coronavirus is severely affecting black people at much higher rates than whites, according to data released by several states, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/coronavirus-race.html?campaign_id=54&emc=edit_clim_20200408&instance_id=17477&nl=climate-fwd%3A&regi_id=86064351&segment_id=24329&te=1&user_id=bb077276a084ddee06decfc0648f4eef" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>In New York, which has seen the most COVID-19 related deaths, the virus has disproportionately affected both the black and Hispanic population. In New York City, Hispanics make up 29 percent of the population, but 34 percent of the city's COVID-19 deaths, while African Americans are 22 percent of the city's population and 28 percent of the fatalities, according to <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-19-deaths-race-ethnicity-04082020-1.pdf" target="_blank">new statistics</a> from the city and <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-04-08/coronavirus-disproportionally-kills-hispanics-and-blacks-in-new-york-city" target="_blank">US News and World Report</a>.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-environmental-racism-policy-messages-2618309116.html" target="_blank">Environmental Racism at EPA: First Policy, Now Racist Messages Written at Headquarters</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published Nov. 6, 2018, Author Olivia Rosane<br></em></strong><strong><em>Excerpt:</em></strong><br>When it comes to the EPA's internal culture, EPA union AFGE 3331 President Nate James implied more education was needed about the impacts of racist messages like the ones that have popped up since August.</p><p>"We have diversity training but nothing that addresses, for lack of better words, when hateful language is being used it creates a threatening atmosphere, a hostile environment, where employees are concerned about their safety," James told ABC News.</p><p>James said that, earlier in the summer, another incident occurred where a note was left on an African American employee's desk reading "BACK TO THE JUNGLE U GO." The union said that EPA management's response to that incident showed "callous disregard and inattentiveness" and "demoralized" the employee.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/lead-environmental-racism-2645941587.html" target="_self">Lead Poisoning Reveals Environmental Racism in the U.S.</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published May 7, 2020, Author Ben Knight / </em>Deutsche Welle<br></strong><em><strong>Excerpt:</strong><br></em>Statistically, the increased risk of lead poisoning associated with being black persists even when you correct for all other factors, from poverty to education levels to the presence of smokers in the home, to quality of housing.</p><p>"A lot of people had been saying: 'Oh black children are just more at risk because they're more likely to be poor,'" said study co-author Deniz "Dersim" Yeter, an independent academic and undergraduate nursing student in Kansas. "Yeah, poverty's a problem, but it's nothing compared to being a black child in America."</p><p>Yeter was "astounded" by the results of their three-year analysis. "I knew it was bad, but I was expecting something like a marginal increase, something statistically significant, but ... not two to six times higher," they told DW. "That is obscene."</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/racial-gap-air-pollution-2631407042.html" target="_blank">First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds Racial Gap Between Who Causes Air Pollution and Who Breathes It</a></h2><p><em><strong>Published March 12, 2019, Author Olivia Rosane <br>Excerpt:</strong></em><br>The first-of-its-kind study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that black and Hispanic Americans breathe in large amounts of dangerous air pollution that is mainly caused by the actions of non-Hispanic whites.</p><p>Even though minorities are contributing less to the overall problem of air pollution, they are affected by it more," study co-author and University of Minnesota engineering professor Jason Hill, who is white, told USA Today. "Is it fair (that) I create more pollution and somebody else is disproportionately affected by it?"</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coronavirus-louisiana-cancer-alley-2645667499.html" target="_self">Coronavirus Comes for Louisiana's Cancer Alley</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published April 8, 2020, Author Climate Nexus<br>Excerpt: </em></strong><br>An area in Louisiana whose predominantly black and brown residents are hard-hit by health problems from industry overdevelopment is experiencing one of the highest death rates from coronavirus of any county in the United States.</p><p>St. John the Baptist parish, which sits along the Gulf Coast region known as Cancer Alley, has seen 30 of its 43,000 residents die of COVID-19 since the outbreak began – a death rate of 68.7 per 100,000 people, compared to New York City's rate of 29.</p><p>"We were getting calls almost every hour," parish coroner Christy Montegut told The Guardian. "...They all died in the same way. They got to a hospital, were on a ventilator, but the body just couldn't keep going. They died in spite of full treatment. The virus is overwhelming."</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-justice-civil-rights-2609569072.html" target="_self">Environmental Negligence vs. Civil Rights: Black and Hispanic Communities Get More Pollution, Fewer Jobs</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published Oct. 2, 2018, Author Olivia Rosane<br>Excerpt: </em></strong><br>By the numbers, black Americans hold 10.8 percent of the jobs at industrial facilities, but suffer 17.4 percent of the exposure to air pollution. Hispanics hold 9.8 percent of the jobs, but suffer 15 percent of the pollution exposure. Both populations have less than seven percent of the high-paying jobs offered at industrial sites, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-10-01/minority-communities-near-industrial-sites-get-pollution-not-jobs" target="_blank">U.S. News & World Report reported</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> industry was the worst offender. At petroleum industry and coal-product facilities, blacks and Hispanics suffered 48 percent of the pollution exposure and only received around a fifth of the jobs.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/african-americans-extreme-heat-exposure-2639313007.html" target="_self">African Americans Are Disproportionately Exposed to Extreme Heat</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published July 23, 2019, Author Adrienne Hollis / Union of Concerned Scientists<br>Excerpt: <br></em></strong>The extreme heat is almost three additional weeks' worth of extreme heat days for places that are more than 25% African American as opposed to those that are less than 25% African American. The reasons why African American communities are and will continue to experience more extreme heat days are likely complex, but it's probable that the root of the problem can be traced back to centuries of systemic mistreatment of people of color.<span></span></p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-hurts-the-poor-2639163107.html" target="_self">Why Climate Change Hurts the Poor the Most</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published July 11, 2019, Author Mallika Khanna / Common Dreams<br>Excerpt:</em></strong><br>The idea that environmentalism is an "elite" concern is a lie. Those who stand to gain the most from sweeping environmental protections are the marginalized people corporations assume can be put in toxic environments without fear of backlash.</p><p>That's the best reason yet to support <a href="https://otherwords.org/the-green-new-deal-lets-get-visionary/" target="_blank">a Green New Deal</a>, which would not only curb climate change, but also revitalize the U.S. economy, create millions of jobs, and create alternatives to harmful, unsustainable industries like the petrochemical industry in Cancer Alley that have harmed people for years.</p><p>That could make poor communities a lot less poor — and a lot more resilient.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/african-americans-air-pollution-2509714660.html" target="_self">African Americans Disproportionately Suffer Health Effects of Oil and Gas Facilities</a></h2><p><em><strong>Published Nov. 15, 2017, Author David Leestma<br>Excerpt: </strong></em><br>The study found oil and natural gas facilities were built or currently exist within a half-mile of more than one million African Americans, exposing these communities to higher risks of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/cancer" target="_self">cancer</a> due to toxic emissions. "African-Americans are exposed to 38 percent more polluted air than Caucasian Americans, and they are 75 percent more likely to live in fence-line communities than the average American," the report said, referring to neighborhoods near to gas and oil facilities.</p><p>Counties located in the Gulf Coast Basin are home to the most counties with oil refineries and higher percentages of African Americans. Michigan, Louisiana and Tennessee, the report found, have the highest percentage of African American residents living in oil refinery counties. Texas and Louisiana, both in the Gulf Coast Basin, were home to the largest African American individuals at risk for cancer, with nearly 900,000 living in areas above the EPA's level of concern.</p><p>"The effects of oil and gas pollution are disproportionately afflicting African Americans, particularly cancer and respiratory issues, and the trend is only increasing," said Dr. Doris Browne, the National Medical Association president.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-gutting-nepa-2645437802.html" target="_self">Environmental Racism in Action: The Trump Administration's Plans to Gut NEPA</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published March 9, 2020, Author Derrick Z. Jackson / Union of Concerned Scientists <br>Excerpt:</em></strong><br>For communities long polluted by industry, which are <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/11/702348935/study-finds-racial-gap-between-who-causes-air-pollution-and-who-breathes-it" target="_blank">disproportionately poor and of color</a>, the Trump administration's changes promise particular devastation. Such communities already suffer higher rates of illnesses from asthma to cancer, life-altering effects such as low birth weight and cognitive child development, and daily insults to quality of life in diesel exhaust, soot penetrating into homes and contaminated yards and playgrounds.</p><p>If the administration has its way, NEPA implementation guidelines would be rewritten so that even in neighborhoods already densely packed with toxic industries, a proposed facility need only assess its own pollutants, not how much they combine and compound those of nearby facilities to worsen the overall quality of air, water and land.</p><p>To make sure residents cannot complain about such compounded damage, the Trump administration is trying to severely limit the opportunity for mothers, fathers, seniors, teens and community leaders to speak directly to the government.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-science-environmental-justice-2645194069.html" target="_self">Beginning a Courageous Journey: Connecting Science & Justice</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published Feb. 19, 2020, Author Dr. Brian R. Shmaefsky / Union of Concerned Scientists <br>Excerpt: </em></strong><br>Historically, the benefits of science and technology have not been shared equally as is discussed in the 2016 Nature article <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/is-science-only-for-the-rich-1.20650" target="_blank"><em>Is science only for the rich?</em></a> A 2018 The Atlantic article <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/the-trump-administration-finds-that-environmental-racism-is-real/554315/" target="_blank"><em>Trump's EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real</em></a> discusses that at times science has been used against environmental justice communities. In addition, the "Belmont Report," produced by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/sites/default/files/the-belmont-report-508c_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">documents a long history</a> of unequal benefits of medical research.</p><p>In part due to this history, scientists are not always or immediately trusted or welcome in environmental justice communities. Scientists also have a reputation for 'parachuting' into communities to conduct research and make recommendations for change without ever fully consulting the knowledge and lived experience of the people who live there. Community members want equal access to data, policymakers, and science or technology that can remediate environmental injustice.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/formosa-plastics-louisiana-slave-burial-ground-2641658521.html" target="_self">Plastics Plant Will Bulldoze Over Black History in 'Cancer Alley'</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published Dec. 20, 2019, Author Climate Nexus <br>Excerpt:<br></em></strong>A major <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a> manufacturing complex planned for construction in a highly-polluted region of Louisiana may disrupt a historic slave burial site, The Intercept reports.</p><p>Human remains and evidence of grave shafts were discovered earlier this year on land being developed by Formosa Plastics Group in St. James Parish in Louisiana. The plant could double the amount of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> in the region and emit 13 million tons of carbon pollution each year. Many of the residents of St. James Parish, located in a stretch of the state known as "Cancer Alley," one of the most polluted stretches in America, say they are descended from slaves who worked on various plantations in the area. "That's sacred ground," activist and St. James Parish resident Sharon Lavigne told The Intercept. "They're saying they don't care about your ancestors. They're slapping us in the face."</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/formosa-plastics-louisiana-slave-burial-ground-2641658521.html" target="_self"><br></a></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-racism-trump-2638817301.html" target="_self">How 'Freeway Revolts' Helped Create the People's Environmental Law</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published June 14, 2019, Author Teju Adisa-Farrar & Raul Garcia / Earthjustice <br>Excerpt: </em></strong><br>The spirit that drove communities of color and neighborhood residents throughout the U.S. to hang banners, picket, sit in and stand up in the 1950s and 1960s is alive today. Even though several communities of color across the nation have been displaced and burdened by pollution because of freeway development projects in the 1960s, NEPA helps to fight against exclusionary and environmentally disruptive planning processes.</p><p>As we fight to end environmental racism, we cannot allow the Trump administration and its allies in Congress to retrench the people's tools for access to justice. We cannot allow them to limit public comments and continue to shut communities out of the NEPA process. It is through direct action and community engagement that NEPA came to be; safeguarding it gives people more power to be a part of the decisions that determine what happens in their communities.</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/fighting-for-a-just-covid-19-response-2645641251.html" target="_self">Fighting for a Just COVID-19 Response</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published April 5, 2020, Author Derrick Z. Jackson / Union of Concerned Scientists <br>Excerpt:</em></strong><br>The risk of unequal treatment is embedded in even the seemingly universal "we're-all-in-this-together" advice we are getting to protect ourselves and stop the spread of the coronavirus. One person who sees this clearly is <a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/post/pediatrician-says-poisoned-accurate-description-what-happened-flint-children" target="_blank">Lawrence Reynolds</a>, a pediatrician in Flint, Michigan. He served on the 2016 Michigan task force <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/documents/snyder/FWATF_FINAL_REPORT_21March2016_517805_7.pdf" target="_blank">which determined</a> that the Flint Water Crisis in that <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/flintcitymichigan" target="_blank">54-percent</a> African American city was "a story of government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction, and environmental injustice."</p><p>Reynolds retired a year ago but was asked by Flint's mayor to be an advisor for COVID-19 care.</p><p>He said he already sees where daily life for disadvantaged people is not being factored into public health advisories. "Take social distancing," he said. "That is much easier to do for a family that owns a single-family home where they can spread out inside the home and have a backyard to get some fresh air in private. That is much harder for people who live in small apartments in buildings where people are always passing each other in the hallways. No one has come up with a strategy as to how those folks are supposed to 'social distance.'"</p><h2><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/green-new-deal-farmland-2645649043.html" target="_blank">We Need a Green New Deal for Farmland</a></h2><p><strong><em>Published April 7, 2020, Author Liz Carlisle / Yes! Magazine<br>Excerpt:</em></strong><br>The absence of a coherent U.S. land policy can be blamed for some of the current problems with farmland concentration, say the authors of the Data for Progress memo. But co-lead author Leah Penniman, founding co-director of Soul Fire Farm in Upstate New York, argues that the U.S. government has had a very influential de facto land policy over the past century, even if it wasn't articulated as such. "The very basis of U.S. land policy is rooted in the theft of land and the exclusion of people of color from land," Penniman explains. "This, of course, started with the genocidal stealing of almost the entire continent from the stewardship of Indigenous people … [and] throughout much of our history, there have been various state-level property ownership requirements that excluded people of color from being able to own property."</p><p>When people of color did amass property, Penniman says, they were targeted with violence.</p><p>"The Ku Klux Klan, the White Caps, and the White Citizens Council were responsible for lynching almost 4,500 people, many of whom were landowners, who they saw as having the audacity to get off the plantation and to want to stop sharecropping." The federal government also discriminated against black farmers through USDA programs, Penniman explains, resulting in a rapid decline of black farmers from 14% of the nation's farmers in 1910 to approximately 1% today.</p>
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- Medical Groups Call Racism a Public Health Issue, Condemn Police Brutality - EcoWatch ›
- 'Another Blow to the Black Community': Trump Waives Environmental Law That Gives Public a Voice in Infrastructure Projects - EcoWatch ›
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The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya rescues and rears orphaned elephants and rhinos. Wendy Stone / Corbis via Getty Images
If you care about the planet, you're probably thinking that the holidays are not a great time of year for the environment. There's more mail and package deliveries, homes and buildings are decorated with holiday lights, people travel more, and there's so much shopping as people buy presents for friends and family. So what's an environmentally conscious holiday-lover supposed to do?
<p>The holidays are a great time of year to consider giving a different kind of gift: a donation to a nonprofit organization. Whether you make a personal donation on Giving Tuesday or you donate in a loved one's name instead of buying a present, you can still share the spirit of the holiday. To get your nonprofit gift-giving off to a great start, here the EcoWatch team recommends a few organizations we like and why these causes matter.</p><p><br></p>
<p><em>Jordan Davidson, Freelance Reporter<br></em><a href="https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/" target="_blank">Sheldrick Wildlife Trust<br></a>The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust supports the conservation, preservation and protection of wildlife habitats in East Africa. The Kenya-based organization safeguards the natural habitat of elephants and rhinos while protecting them from poaching. It rescues and rears orphaned elephants and rhinos. In fact, it operates the most successful elephant orphan rescue and rehabilitation center in the world.</p><p>Every year, my kids scroll through the orphans, watch a video about their rescue and pick one to foster. In return, we receive monthly updates on the animal's rehabilitation, including their diet, medical needs, how they socialize and the other elephants they have made friends with.</p><p><br></p>
<p><em>Olivia Rosane, Freelance Reporter<br></em><a href="https://www.ienearth.org/" target="_blank">Indigenous Environmental Network<br></a>I first became aware of the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) during the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, but the nonprofit dates back to 1990 and has been working for almost 30 years to resist environmental injustice and build sustainable indigenous communities. Sometimes, everything that's wrong with the dominant culture's relationship to the Earth feels overwhelming. IEN tackles all of it, from deforestation to toxic waste dumping to fossil fuel extraction, and it does so while centering an indigenous worldview that offers a real alternative.</p><p>This holiday season, I am giving a gift to the future and donating to support their work. "By attempting to fulfill our responsibility to defend our mother earth we are assuring the survival of our unborn generations," their Unifying Principles read.</p><p><br></p>
<p><em>Jordan Simmons, Associate Editor<br></em><a href="https://amazonaid.org/" target="_blank">Amazon Aid Foundation<br></a>The Amazon Aid Foundation is empowering individuals, NGOS and governments to protect and revitalize the Amazon rainforest. In projects such as the <em>RIVER OF GOLD</em> documentary, they risk their lives to enter the grounds of illegal gold mining in Peru's Amazon rainforest to provide a disturbing account of how illegal mining causes an increase in deforestation and wildfires. The foundation provides information and resources such as the <a href="https://amazonaid.org/gold-buyers-guide/" target="_blank">Buyer's Guide</a> that can be used to not only become more conscious consumers, but to spread this message far and wide.</p><p>To express my gratitude for having more of an open mind and an understanding of my role as a consumer of gold, I have begun a monthly donation to the Amazon Aid Foundation. I look forward to the day I take this gift to Earth a step further by traveling to Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru to join their reforestation project.</p><p><br></p>
<p><em>Chris McDermott, News Editor<br></em><a href="http://www.btnwildlife.org/" target="_blank">Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge<br></a>The Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in Orlando, Florida helps injured, orphaned and abandoned wildlife to recover. They describe their goal as "rescue, raise, rehabilitate and release" and they save thousands of animals a year. They have been especially busy after Florida storms that disrupt so many habitats.</p><p>I've supported this organization and have brought injured birds and squirrels to the refuge. The people who work there always inspire confidence that they'll give them the best care.</p>
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Our EcoWatchers have determined their favorite photos for July and August, featured below! Vote now. Pexels
Update, September 17: Voting is now closed. Winners of both EcoWatchers' Choice and Grand Prize will be announced on Sept. 23.
On June 26, EcoWatch launched its "Best of Summer" Photo Contest. Throughout the summer, we've been receiving submissions from EcoWatchers, and we've been giving readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite image. Our EcoWatchers have determined their favorite photos for July and August, featured below!
<p>Now it's time to vote on your favorite summer photo! Vote below and let us know which photo you think should win our EcoWatchers' Choice award.</p><h2>Here's How to Vote:</h2><p>Upvote an image below by clicking on the green up arrow located above each photo. You can also downvote photos. You can only submit one vote per photo, and voting will remain open for one week.</p><p>The winning photo from the vote will receive our "EcoWatchers' Choice" award of a $100 Patagonia e-gift card.</p><p>But that's not the only prize we're giving away. Our panel of judges are also choosing a photo to win our "Best of Summer" photo, with a $250 Patagonia e-gift card award. The judges are: Gary and Sam Bencheghib, Anthony Bucci, Amos Nachoum and Margarita Samsonova. To be considered for this larger prize, please read our guidelines below and submit your photo by September 11.</p>
<p>Submit your photo to bautista@ecowatch.com with the subject line "ECOWATCH SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST" by September 11th for a chance to win and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:<br></p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption & Location</li><li>Facebook and Instagram profiles (if available)</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced September 23rd. The EcoWatchers' Choice award winner will also be announced September 23rd.</p>
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EcoWatchers' Choice: Vote Now for Your Favorite 'Best of Summer' August Photo Submission
30 August 2019
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This landscape photo is a sumbission from EcoWatch's first photo contest. Alan Lantz
On June 26, EcoWatch launched its "Best of Summer" Photo Contest. Throughout the summer, we've been receiving submissions from EcoWatchers, and we're giving readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite image. Our team has reviewed the August submissions and selected the photos below as our favorites of the month. Let us know which photo you like best by voting below!
<h2>Here's how to vote:</h2><p>Upvote an image below by clicking on the green up arrow located above each photo. You can also downvote photos. You can only submit one vote per photo, and voting will remain open for one week. </p><p>In early September, you'll have one more chance to vote to choose between the July and August winners. The winning photo from that vote will receive our EcoWatchers' Choice award of a $100 Patagonia e-gift card. </p><p>But that's not the only prize we're giving away. Our panel of judges are also choosing a photo to win our "Best of Summer" photo, with a $250 Patagonia e-gift card award. The judges are: Gary and Sam Bencheghib, Anthony Bucci, Amos Nachoum and Margarita Samsonova. To be considered for this larger prize, please read our guidelines below and submit your photo by September 11.</p>
<p>We look forward to seeing your submissions!<br></p><p>Submit your photo to bautista@ecowatch.com with the subject line "ECOWATCH SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST" by September 11th for a chance to win and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information: <br></p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption & Location</li><li>Facebook and Instagram profiles (if available)</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced September 23rd. The EcoWatchers' Choice award winner will also be announced September 23rd.</p><p>Find out more about our judges!</p><h2>Contest Judges</h2><p><strong>Gary and Sam Bencheghib<br></strong>Brothers Gary and Sam Bencheghib are environmental activists and filmmakers. They founded Make a Change World, a media outlet that uncovers uplifting and inspirational stories on a mission to do good. They are passionate about creating social change through videos and giving a voice to the underrepresented. Together they have launched a series of expeditions from kayaking the world's dirtiest river on plastic bottles to stand-up paddling down New York's most toxic waterways. In the past three years, their work has been seen by more than 600 million people. This summer, while Gary bamboo bikes the Indonesian archipelago, Sam is set to become the first person to run across the American continent with recycled plastic shoes.</p><p><strong>Anthony Bucci<br></strong>Anthony Bucci is a wildlife photographer who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has donated numerous prints and other products to various wildlife societies across Canada, silent auctions and other fundraisers to raise funds for wildlife conservation and well-being. Anthony is currently on the raptor pick up list for O.W.L Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Delta BC, Canada. He feels it's important to give back to the wildlife conservation efforts and helping where Anthony can is a task he takes seriously. To Anthony, his wildlife photography is more than just taking pictures. Thinking about conservation and the well-being of all wildlife is always on his mind.</p><p><strong>Amos Nachoum<br></strong>Amos has led great expeditions for individual adventurers and institutions like Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Discovery Channel, Armani, Disney and Columbia Pictures. For National Geographic, he was team leader for separate photo expeditions to document the Red Sea, great white sharks and killer whales. His photos and essays have appeared in hundreds of publications around the globe, including National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Le Figaro, Terra Sauvage, Airone, Mondo Somerso, Der Spiegel, Unterwasser and many more. His work has also been included in the books The Living Ocean, The World of Nature, and Oceans. He has appeared on National Geographic Explorer, Today, and Good Morning America and featured in People, Esquire and Money<em> </em>magazines. Amos's photography has won Nikon, Communication Arts, and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.</p><p><strong>Margarita Samsonova<br></strong>Margarita is a zoologist, sustainability activist, travel enthusiast and social media Influencer who uses the power of her social media to influence people to make more sustainable choices when traveling. After visiting more than 60 countries and seeing what actually happens to our planet, such as how plastic and food waste affects the environment, she decided to take a stand to speak about it and encourage people to care a little bit more about nature. Sustainability is the main focus of Margarita's social posts, and she speaks a lot about eco lifestyle, responsible traveling, ethical wildlife encounters, supporting locals and living in unity with nature.</p>
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"Sunset on the Serengeti" A photo submission to EcoWatch's first photo contest in 2018. Jenna Davis
Update, August 14: Voting is now closed. Michael Pizzi of Vibes and Horizons is the July EcoWatchers' Choice winner. EcoWatchers will vote on an August winner and again a third time to choose between July and August winners to get the EcoWatchers' Choice prize of a $100 Patagonia eGift card.
EcoWatch launched its "Best of Summer" Photo contest on June 26. Images are being submitted from around the world, showcasing EcoWatchers trekking through jungles, beaches and various other scenery, highlighting a shared love and appreciation for our planet.
The EcoWatch team looked at last month's submissions for our "Best of Summer" photo contest and chose five of our favorite photos for EcoWatchers to vote on. You have one week, beginning now, to vote for the EcoWatchers' Choice award for July.
Please upvote below on which photo you feel represents "Best of Summer" on EcoWatch by clicking on the green up arrow located above each photo. For the photos you feel are not the winners, please downvote. You can only submit one vote per photo.
EcoWatchers will vote once now for a July submissions winner, again for August submissions and a third vote to choose between July and August winners to get the EcoWatchers' Choice prize of a $100 Patagonia eGift card.
<p>We are still accepting submissions for the grand prize of a $250 Patagonia eGift card to be selected by our panel of judges. Submit your photo to <a href="mailto:bautista@ecowatch.com" target="_blank">bautista@ecowatch.com</a> with the subject line "ECOWATCH SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST" by September 11 for a chance to win and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption</li><li>Facebook and Instagram profiles (if available)</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced September 23. The EcoWatchers' Choice award winner will also be announced September 23.</p><h2>Contest Judges</h2><p><strong>Gary and Sam Bencheghib</strong></p><p>Brothers Gary and Sam Bencheghib are environmental activists and filmmakers. They founded Make a Change World, a media outlet that uncovers uplifting and inspirational stories on a mission to do good. They are passionate about creating social change through videos and giving a voice to the underrepresented. Together they have launched a series of expeditions from kayaking the world's dirtiest river on plastic bottles to stand-up paddling down New York's most toxic waterways. In the past three years, their work has been seen by more than 600 million people. This summer, while Gary bamboo bikes the Indonesian archipelago, Sam is set to become the first person to run across the American continent with recycled plastic shoes.</p><p><strong>Anthony Bucci</strong></p><p>Anthony Bucci is a wildlife photographer who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has donated numerous prints and other products to various wildlife societies across Canada, silent auctions and other fundraisers to raise funds for wildlife conservation and well-being. Anthony is currently on the raptor pick-up list for O.W.L Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Delta BC, Canada. He feels it's important to give back to the wildlife conservation efforts and helping where Anthony can is a task he takes seriously. To Anthony, his wildlife photography is more than just taking pictures. Thinking about conservation and the well-being of all wildlife is always on his mind.</p><p><strong>Amos Nachoum</strong></p><p>Amos has led great expeditions for individual adventurers and institutions like Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Discovery Channel, Armani, Disney and Columbia Pictures. For National Geographic, he was team leader for separate photo expeditions to document the Red Sea, great white sharks and killer whales. His photos and essays have appeared in hundreds of publications around the globe, including <em>National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Le Figaro, Terra Sauvage, Airone, Mondo Somerso, Der Spiegel, Unterwasser</em> and many more. His work has also been included in the books The Living Ocean, The World of Nature, and Oceans. He has appeared on National Geographic Explorer, Today, and Good Morning America and featured in <em>People, Esquire</em> and <em>Money </em>magazines. Amos's photography has won Nikon, Communication Arts, and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.</p><p><strong>Margarita Samsonova</strong></p><p>Margarita is a zoologist, sustainability activist, travel enthusiast and social media Influencer who uses the power of her social media to influence people to make more sustainable choices when traveling. After visiting more than 60 countries and seeing what actually happens to our planet, such as how plastic and food waste affects the environment, she decided to take a stand to speak about it and encourage people to care a little bit more about nature. Sustainability is the main focus of Margarita's social posts, and she speaks a lot about eco lifestyle, responsible traveling, ethical wildlife encounters, supporting locals and living in unity with nature.</p><p>More info can be found <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/ecowatch-summer-photo-contest-2638991345.html?" target="_self">here</a>.</p>
Ascending the Alps
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDUyMzgzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDAyMjA3MH0.IObyPrdwK-ZgT5_ajMPwEGY2VnZPf1g6M9d5rY8CDPs/img.jpg?width=980" id="34ac4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="36b58b5f9fc94e6c1fa63c4b12b0d350" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A small herd of cows relax on a beach during a peaceful sunrise in Andhra Pradesh, India
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDUyMzgzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjQ0NjA0MX0.G_USgeqwl0bcpRPJPL1f6s4oMmDx2yQyU6QRqcxTKFk/img.jpg?width=980" id="0b54a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1aefe343b97dd5877517d99a7440776" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Rishi Chebrolu
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDUyMzgzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Njc2NDc0Mn0.Il-myQpGnYaYISC5MC8O9purjGJN7gHn3ctSTOy3E7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="89ee4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6489cbcfb90de3272ebe31d4c434c9f2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Ramkarthik Ramadoss
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDUyMzg1MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTc0NDAwMn0.m-fU2qBXJSSy_vz7FR4BfGrWvpwSiO46uJpNaiLudy8/img.png?width=980" id="75ab3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c55a772ec9d8e8c22f834b6b3747b57e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Michael Pizzi / Vibes and Horizons
Ominous clouds gather over a summer day in Zanzibar
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDUyMzg0NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODc0NTcxMH0.s_K8RyHbbDvR4Db8N6JnZk_KI_Pu9TPZnswOc4LRPs8/img.jpg?width=980" id="21093" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="73f358730edc1ae05193df2e70c5fe12" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
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Golde Wallingford submitted this photo of "Pure Joy" to EcoWatch's first photo contest. Golde Wallingford
EcoWatch is pleased to announce our third photo contest!
<p>Summer is a time when our EcoWatchers are outdoors more, enjoying nature. We love all the beautiful things the planet has to offer. Many special moments have us pulling out our camera to capture those occasions in awe of our environment. But don't keep those great images to yourself! We want you to share your best summer snapshot with us, and our readers. Whether it's a vacation photo, a day at the beach or the beauty of your backyard, snap a pic and submit your image to our contest.</p><p>The "Best of Summer" photo will be chosen by our judges to win a $250 Patagonia eGift card. We will also be awarding an "EcoWatchers' Choice" prize of a $100 Patagonia eGift card for the photo most loved by our readers. We will allow readers like you to vote monthly to decide on the best July submission, the best August submission, and finally vote between the two to decide the winner of the "EcoWatchers' Choice" prize!</p><p>So enjoy your summer, take in the beauty of your surroundings and show us what you see!</p>
<p>Submit your photo to <a href="mailto:bautista@ecowatch.com" target="_blank">bautista@ecowatch.com</a> with the subject line "ECOWATCH SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST" by September 11th for a chance to win and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:</p><ol><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption</li><li>Facebook and Instagram profiles (if available)</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced September 23rd. The EcoWatchers' Choice award winner will also be announced September 23rd.</p>
<p><strong>Contest Judges</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Gary and Sam Bencheghib</p><p>Brothers Gary and Sam Bencheghib are environmental activists and filmmakers. They founded Make a Change World, a media outlet that uncovers uplifting and inspirational stories on a mission to do good. They are passionate about creating social change through videos and giving a voice to the underrepresented. Together they have launched a series of expeditions from kayaking the world's dirtiest river on plastic bottles to stand-up paddling down New York's most toxic waterways. In the past three years, their work has been seen by more than 600 million people. This summer, while Gary bamboo bikes the Indonesian archipelago, Sam is set to become the first person to run across the American continent with recycled plastic shoes.</p>
<p>Anthony Bucci</p><p>Anthony Bucci is a wildlife photographer who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has donated numerous prints and other products to various wildlife societies across Canada, silent auctions and other fundraisers to raise funds for wildlife conservation and well-being. Anthony is currently on the raptor pick up list for O.W.L Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Delta BC, Canada. He feels it's important to give back to the wildlife conservation efforts and helping where Anthony can is a task he takes seriously. To Anthony, his wildlife photography is more than just taking pictures. Thinking about conservation and the well-being of all wildlife is always on his mind.<span></span></p>
<p>Amos Nachoum</p><p>Amos has led great expeditions for individual adventurers and institutions like Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Discovery Channel, Armani, Disney and Columbia Pictures. For National Geographic, he was team leader for separate photo expeditions to document the Red Sea, great white sharks and killer whales. His photos and essays have appeared in hundreds of publications around the globe, including <em>National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Le Figaro, Terra Sauvage, Airone, Mondo Somerso, Der Spiegel, Unterwasser</em> and many more. His work has also been included in the books The Living Ocean, The World of Nature, and Oceans. He has appeared on National Geographic Explorer, Today, and Good Morning America and featured in <em>People, Esquire</em> and <em>Money</em> magazines. Amos's photography has won Nikon, Communication Arts, and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.</p>
<p>Margarita Samsonova</p><p>Margarita is a zoologist, sustainability activist, travel enthusiast and social media Influencer who uses the power of her social media to influence people to make more sustainable choices when traveling. After visiting more than 60 countries and seeing what actually happens to our planet, such as how plastic and food waste affects the environment, she decided to take a stand to speak about it and encourage people to care a little bit more about nature. Sustainability is the main focus of Margarita's social posts, and she speaks a lot about eco lifestyle, responsible traveling, ethical wildlife encounters, supporting locals and living in unity with nature.</p>
<p><strong>Contest Details</strong></p><p><em>By entering this photo contest, you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission. Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest. If you do not wish to give EcoWatch the rights to use your photo aside from the current photo contest that you are participating in, please let us know within your email submission with the text, "No, I do not want to give EcoWatch the rights to use my photos in other media aside from the current photo contest that I am participating in."</em></p><ul><li>Photo submissions must be original work taken by the contest entrant.</li><li>By entering this photo contest you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission.</li><li>Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest.</li><li>The winner's name will be announced alongside the winning photo submission.</li><li>Photos that have already been submitted to other contests currently ongoing or have already won prizes in other contests are not eligible.</li><li>Image files created through any device capable of taking still images, such as smartphones and digital still cameras, will be accepted.</li><li>Color and monochrome images are valid for entry.</li><li>After judging concludes, the winners will be notified by email sent to their listed email address. The Patagonia eGift Card will be sent to the same listed email address.</li></ul><p><strong>Disclaimers</strong></p><ul><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to void entries that depict brand logos or other intellectual property, whether on electronic signs, posters, or in other forms, or that in its judgment are harmful to public order, go against standards of decency, or are conflicting to the goals of the contest.</li><li>EcoWatch is not responsible for the resolution of legal issues arising from the entrants' submitted photos and will not pay any costs thereby incurred.</li><li>EcoWatch does not bear any costs to the entrants that are incurred by entering the contest.</li><li>Submitted entries may not be withdrawn or returned.</li><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to suspend or postpone the receipt of any or all entries if it is judged that the contest is unable to be run effectively, smoothly, or without affecting the fairness of judging.</li></ul>
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fstop123 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
At EcoWatch, our team knows that changing personal habits and taking actions that contribute to a better planet is an ongoing journey. Earth Day, happening on April 22, is a great reminder for all of us to learn more about the environmental costs of our behaviors like food waste or fast fashion.
To offer readers some inspiration this Earth Day, our team rounded up their top picks for films to watch. So, sit back and take in one of these documentary films this Earth Day. Maybe it will spark a small change you can make in your own life.
<p><em><br/></em></p>
<p><em>Irma Omerhodzic, Associate Editor</em></p><p><strong>Film:</strong> The True Cost</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> Filmmaker Andrew Morgan's documentary <em>The True Cost</em> takes an eye-opening journey that explores the horrific impacts fast fashion has on human beings and the planet. Consumer demand for cheap and "fast" clothing comes with a different kind of cost. Light is shed on labor-rights abuses in developing countries, far-reaching environmental pollution and the tragic connection between the fashion industry's demand for genetically modified cotton and high suicide rates among Indian farmers.</p><p><strong>Staff Note:</strong> As organic and local labels on food become more and more important to people, I hope the same awareness can become more prevalent for perhaps a pair of blue jeans. I recommend this film with the hope that this documentary leaves you thinking about the brands you buy and the environmental costs of fast fashion. You can watch <em>The True Cost</em> on <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80045667" target="_blank">Netflix</a>.</p>
<p><em>Olivia Rosane, Freelance Reporter</em></p><p><strong>Film: </strong>The Gleaners and I</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> Pioneering French director Agnès Varda passed away last month at the age of 90. Her 2000 documentary <em>The Gleaners and I</em> follows France's modern gleaners, from unemployed caravan-dwellers who gather potatoes discarded after the harvest to urban dumpster divers, and artists who make work from discarded trash. Without making any overt statements, the film exposes the contemporary culture of food and material waste that its subjects all find large and small ways of resisting.</p><p><strong>Staff Note:</strong> Watching this haunting, playful movie is the perfect way to honor Varda's legacy, while celebrating the spirit of Earth Day. Varda is honest about the environmental and human consequences of the waste she documents, but her camera work also shares her subjects' delight in the things they find. The film slyly models a better way to live, one that seeks and finds value in all things. "They're still very much alive," artist Hervé tells Varda of the found objects he uses in his work. "All you have to do is give them a second chance." You can purchase or rent the film on YouTube or GooglePlay, or stream it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gleaners-I-English-Subtitled/dp/B00WVOQA5W/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Gleaners+and+I&qid=1555502516&s=gateway&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</p>
<p><em>Chris McDermott, News Editor</em></p><p><strong>Film:</strong> Grizzly Man</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> For 13 years, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a> activist Timothy Treadwell lived among grizzly bears in the Alaska wilderness. The exuberant and self-professed "kind warrior" shot more than 100 hours of video to celebrate and advocate for the animals he believed were endangered by poachers. Werner Herzog's documentary follows Treadwell's seemingly extraordinary sense of kinship with the bears, which ends tragically with a fatal attack by one he had grown over the years to consider his "good friend."</p><p><strong>Staff Note:</strong> This beautiful and disturbing film, available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-Man-Werner-Herzog/dp/B007FNZW6W" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, YouTube and iTunes, highlights one of the main challenges of wildlife <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> — must we consider animals "friends" in order to value their lives, or can we coexist at a healthy distance, with fear and respect? Despite Treadwell's conviction that he had bonded with the "misunderstood" bears, Herzog said, "I see only the overwhelming indifference of nature." I often remember this film while on <a href="https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7031831/black-bear-wilderness-area-trail" target="_blank">nature hikes</a> in the habitats of black bears and alligators.</p>
<p><em><br>Tara Bracco, Managing Editor</em></p><p><strong>Film:</strong> Blue Gold: World Water Wars</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> Directed by Sam Bozzo, this award-winning documentary released in 2008 is based on the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Gold-Fight-Corporate-Worlds/dp/1565848136" target="_blank"><em>Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water</em></a>. The film includes interviews with the book's authors, Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, as well as water experts, activists, and citizens in communities affected by <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/water">water</a> privatization. <em>Blue Gold</em> explains why we are running out of water, why we must ensure that water is a human right and not a commodity, and what we can do about water scarcity.</p><p><strong>Staff Note:</strong> We all need water to live. This film is informative in many ways, including its emphasis on who owns and controls our water, and what that means for our future. "Profit is made out of the running of, and the delivery of, water to people and to communities. Those that have the ability to pay will have access to the water. Those who do not have the ability to pay will go without," says Clarke in the film. "Therefore it's a life and death situation." Watch the film on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Gold-World-Water-Wars/dp/B002PBP8HW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blue+gold&qid=1555645032&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> to learn more about this important issue.</p>
<p><em>Jordan Simmons, Social Media Manager</em></p><p><strong>Film:</strong> What the Health</p><p><strong>Summary:</strong> <em>What the Health</em>, the sequel to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cowspiracy-exposes-the-truth-about-animal-agriculture-1881961982.html" target="_self"><em>Cowspiracy</em></a>, exposes the corruption in our current public health crisis. <a href="https://www.who.int/diabetes/global-report/en/" target="_blank">350 million people worldwide</a> have diabetes, and in the U.S. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/types.htm" target="_blank">one out of four deaths</a> are from cancer. Yet, as writer and producer Kip Anderson points out, many chronic illnesses can be prevented and in some cases reversed, but these solutions seem to be kept secret. In a behind the scenes look, Anderson approaches some of the most trusted non-profits such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society and uncovers the answers as to who is behind the status quo of a system that keeps people sick.</p><p><strong>Staff Note:</strong> The most shocking exposé is when Anderson interviews the American Diabetes Association and asks why <a href="http://www.diabetes.org/mfa-recipes/recipes/2016-02-bacon-wrapped-shrimp.html" target="_blank">recipes</a> containing red and processed meat are listed on their <a href="https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/" target="_blank">website</a>. Anderson points out studies that prove only one serving per day <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483430/" target="_blank">will increase risk</a> for diabetes by 51 percent. The adventure this mind-opening film undergoes can help us all to more positive health outcomes. Find the film on <a href="https://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a>.</p>
<div id="975f4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="977JW31576663740"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1114603788843851776" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">5 Must-Watch #Documentaries for a More #Sustainable Planet https://t.co/c3GUsxAXcn @FilmsForAction @good</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1114603788843851776">1554577226.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Update: The window for photo submissions has ended. The winner will be announced this Monday, April 22.
Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22nd. The official theme of Earth Day 2019 is 'Protect Our Species.' In honor of Earth Day, EcoWatch has kicked off a second photo contest. Show us what 'Protect Our Species' means to you. Maybe there's a tree you've always loved, or perhaps it's a photo of the bird you adore that always visits your yard. We're excited to see what species means a lot to you. Capture a moment and send it our way!
<p>Submit your photo to <a href="mailto:bautista@ecowatch.com" target="_blank">bautista@ecowatch.com</a> with the subject line "ECOWATCH EARTH DAY PHOTO CONTEST" by April 15th for a chance to win a $250 Patagonia eGift Card and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission file (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd. One submission per person.</p><p>All submissions will be evaluated by our panel of judges, who will be announced very soon!</p><p><em>By entering this photo contest you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission of the photographer. Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest. If you do not wish to give EcoWatch the rights to use your photo aside from the current photo contest that you are participating in, please let us know within your email submission with the text, "No, I do not want to give EcoWatch the rights to use my photos in other media aside from the current photo contest that I am participating in." </em></p><p>More Contest Details:</p><p>Entry Details</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Photo submissions must be original work taken by the contest entrant.</li><li>By entering this photo contest you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission of the photographer. </li><li>Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest.</li><li>The winner's name will be announced alongside the winning photo submission.</li><li>Photos that have already been submitted to other contests currently ongoing or have already won prizes in other contests are not eligible.</li><li>Image files created through any device capable of taking still images, such as smartphones and digital still cameras, will be accepted.</li><li>Color and monochrome images are valid for entry.</li><li>After judging concludes, the winners will be notified by email sent to their listed email address by April 22nd. The Patagonia eGift Card will be sent to the same listed email address. </li></ul><p>Disclaimers</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to void entries that depict brand logos or other intellectual property, whether on electronic signs, posters, or in other forms, or that in its judgment are harmful to public order, go against standards of decency, or are conflicting to the goals of the contest.</li><li>EcoWatch is not responsible for the resolution of legal issues arising from the entrants submitted photos and will not pay any costs thereby incurred.</li><li>EcoWatch does not bear any costs to the entrants that incur by entering the contest.</li><li>Submitted entries may not be withdrawn or returned. </li><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to suspend or postpone the receipt of any or all entries if it is judged that the contest is unable to be run effectively, smoothly, or without affecting the fairness of judging.</li></ul>
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Jordan Siemens / Taxi / Getty Images
Update: The window for photo submissions has ended. The winner will be announced this Monday, April 22.
EcoWatch is pleased to announce its second photo contest! Earth Day is happening on April 22nd, and this year's theme is "Protect Our Species." With that in mind, we want EcoWatchers to show us your photographs of creatures that inhabit Earth. Send us your best photos of species you value.
<p>Submit your photo to <a href="mailto:bautista@ecowatch.com" target="_blank">bautista@ecowatch.com</a> with the subject line "ECOWATCH EARTH DAY PHOTO CONTEST" by April 15th for a chance to win a $250 Patagonia eGift Card and to have your photo appear on EcoWatch.com. To be considered, submit your photo with the following information:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Name</li><li>Email</li><li>Phone Number</li><li>Photo Submission file (.jpeg file format recommended)</li><li>Caption</li></ol><p>Our judges will choose the winning photo and the winner will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd. One submission per person.</p><p>All submissions will be evaluated by our panel of judges, who will be announced very soon!</p><p><em>By entering this photo contest you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission of the photographer. Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest. If you do not wish to give EcoWatch the rights to use your photo aside from the current photo contest that you are participating in, please let us know within your email submission with the text, "No, I do not want to give EcoWatch the rights to use my photos in other media aside from the current photo contest that I am participating in." </em></p><p>More Contest Details:</p><p>Entry Details</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Photo submissions must be original work taken by the contest entrant.</li><li>By entering this photo contest you are granting EcoWatch the right to use your photo on our site and our media channels in conjunction with this contest without the written permission of the photographer. </li><li>Unless otherwise instructed, EcoWatch reserves the right to use photo submissions on our site and in our media channels aside from the contest.</li><li>The winner's name will be announced alongside the winning photo submission.</li><li>Photos that have already been submitted to other contests currently ongoing or have already won prizes in other contests are not eligible.</li><li>Image files created through any device capable of taking still images, such as smartphones and digital still cameras, will be accepted.</li><li>Color and monochrome images are valid for entry.</li><li>After judging concludes, the winners will be notified by email sent to their listed email address by April 22nd. The Patagonia eGift Card will be sent to the same listed email address. </li></ul><p>Disclaimers</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to void entries that depict brand logos or other intellectual property, whether on electronic signs, posters, or in other forms, or that in its judgment are harmful to public order, go against standards of decency, or are conflicting to the goals of the contest.</li><li>EcoWatch is not responsible for the resolution of legal issues arising from the entrants submitted photos and will not pay any costs thereby incurred.</li><li>EcoWatch does not bear any costs to the entrants that incur by entering the contest.</li><li>Submitted entries may not be withdrawn or returned. </li><li>EcoWatch reserves the right to suspend or postpone the receipt of any or all entries if it is judged that the contest is unable to be run effectively, smoothly, or without affecting the fairness of judging.</li></ul>
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2018 was a year in which the threats facing our planet—from plastic pollution to climate change―became impossible to ignore. As scientists and journalists continued to sound the alarm, ordinary people stepped up to do something about it. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that one person's action can make a difference in the face of such enormous challenges, but big changes are made up of little actions. So if you are looking for a New Year's resolution for 2019, why not add saving the earth to the list? To get you inspired, the EcoWatch staff is sharing successful green changes we made to our lives last year, as well as the improvements we plan to make in the year to come.
<p><em>Olivia Rosane, freelance reporter<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Stop Eating Meat<br></strong>This is actually something I started halfway through this year, but after writing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-earth-footprint-2574241439.html" target="_self">article</a> after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/us-diets-food-related-emissions-2550870432.html" target="_self">article</a> about the ecological costs of meat-eating, I successfully cut meat out of my daily diet. I am still flexible about what I eat if I am a guest in someone's home, but I no longer cook or order meat for myself.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Get Involved Locally<br></strong>I have been moving around a lot over the past two years, so I have not had a chance to get involved with any efforts to protect the environment in my local community. Now that I am a bit more settled, my goal for 2019 is to connect with like-minded people near me to work to preserve our shared home.</p><p><em>Chris McDermott, news editor<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Reduce Plastic Waste<br></strong>I knew plastics were made from fossil fuels but I never realized the extent to which plastic waste has infiltrated our <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">oceans</a> until 2018. Solving this <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans-plastic-pollution-2554131906.html" target="_self">crisis</a> requires world-scale efforts, of course, but I started food shopping with reusable canvas bags instead of just accepting plastic ones. I also received a handy gift of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eco-friendly-drinking-straw-alternatives-2571689759.html" target="_self">reusable metal straws</a> to carry to restaurants in an organic cotton case.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Cook at Home More<br></strong>Growing more food and doing more cooking is a priority for 2019. I'm especially looking forward to expanding within my vegetarian diet to include more Indian cuisine and try new dishes. Cooking up batches of food to last two or three days will also save time and energy.</p><p><em>Lorraine Chow, freelance reporter<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Compost Regularly<br></strong>Since I've lived in apartments my whole adult life, it's always been difficult to consistently compost. But this year, my boyfriend's workplace installed a tumbler and now I'm a composting fiend. Even though our freezer is always stuffed with food scraps, I'm happy about generating less <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/food-waste">waste</a> and lowering my methane footprint.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Drive Less<br></strong>I live in a town with no reliable public transit, so my car is basically the only way to get around. However, for short and medium trips, I'm really considering an electric bike. I love the idea of spending more time outside, all while benefiting my health and the environment's health.</p><p><em>Jordan Simmons, social media manager<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Raise Awareness About #PointlessPlastic<br></strong>2018 was the year of plastic pollution awareness—it's also the year I began using a firm, "No, thank you" whenever offered <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pointlessplastic?src=hash" target="_blank">#pointlessplastic</a>. I've planted countless seeds of awareness by refusing plastic straws at restaurants and plastic bags in grocery stores, and I've been questioned about my choices, which allowed me to educate others on why we must take action for the planet now.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Live a Zero-Waste Lifestyle<br></strong>My green resolution for 2019 is to live a zero-waste lifestyle. This lifestyle will not be easy as it includes shopping only in bulk and refusing to-go items whenever I don't have my own containers. But it's a dream I've had for years, so why not make this vision a reality in the new year?</p><p><em>Tara Bracco, managing editor<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Stop Using Plastic Straws<br></strong>We reported a lot on the ban on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-straws" target="_self">plastic straws</a> in 2018 and reading those stories changed my habits. I no longer reach for a plastic straw after ordering an iced tea from my local coffee shop and saying, "No straw, please" at restaurants became a common practice.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products<br></strong>I've been using a couple of Seventh Generation products in my home, but I didn't realize how much more I could be doing until Meredith Rosenberg wrote her article for EcoWatch about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/green-cleaning-products-eco-friendly-2619694774.html" target="_self">green cleaning products</a>. In the new year, I want to use her tips for evaluating eco-friendly products and clean with less toxic chemicals and less guilt.</p><p><em>Irma Omerhodzic, associate editor<br></em><strong>2018 Green Change: Buy Locally<br></strong>I've been a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegetarian" target="_self">vegetarian</a> for nearly a decade, following a vegan diet for some of the time, but eggs are difficult for me to give up altogether. So, I made the choice to always stick to buying locally sourced eggs from an organic farm.<br><strong>2019 Green Resolution: Use Organic Cotton Produce Bags<br></strong>In 2019, I really want to cut down on unnecessary plastic waste. Using cotton produce bags is an easy step to kick another bad plastic consumption habit!</p><p><em>Need ideas for your own green resolution in 2019? Read how you can </em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sustainably-sourced-products-2617388522.html" target="_self"><em>ditch the disposables</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/reduce-your-carbon-footprint-2615358557.html" target="_self"><em>reduce your carbon footprint </em></a><em>in the new year.</em></p>
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</p><div id="79bb8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OF8FTY1577988480"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1059626548997820417" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">16 New #Vegan #Cookbooks We Can't Wait to Read in 2019 https://t.co/vlZnCUCq3R @peta @YourDailyVegan @FollowTheVegan</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1059626548997820417">1541469630.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Alchemy Goods / Bambaw / LuminAID
The holidays are coming and if you're stuck on what to give your eco-conscious friend or relative, we've got you covered. At EcoWatch, we're big fans of homemade presents, products that actually help the planet, and putting our dollars towards a good cause. This year, our staff has rounded up some of the best green gifts we've given and received, as well as the items on our wish list.
<p><em>Lorraine Chow, freelance reporter<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: A Zero-Waste Notebook<br></strong>A very thoughtful friend gave me a binder full of ideas to encourage a trash-free lifestyle. The pages were filled with creative ways to use up food scraps, beauty and hygiene DIYs, as well as natural household cleaning tips and recipes.<br><strong>On My Wish List: Who Gives a Crap's Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper<br></strong>I wouldn't write a review about toilet paper unless it's actually that good, but I requested my family get me <a href="https://us.whogivesacrap.org/products/premium-100-bamboo-toilet-paper-48-double-length-rolls" target="_blank">this fancy, three-ply TP for Christmas</a>. It's soft, durable and doesn't contribute to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">deforestation</a> because it's made of bamboo. The best part? Fifty percent of the company's profits go to help build new toilets in countries where they are needed.<br><br></p><p><em>Olivia Rosane, freelance reporter<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Cookbook</strong><br>A cousin gave <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/138534.Moosewood_Restaurant_Simple_Suppers" target="_blank">this cookbook</a> to me when I was first learning to cook for myself. It has tasty <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegetarian">vegetarian</a> recipes (plus some fish), but also tells you how to cut costs and save food by substituting certain ingredients for what you already have in your fridge. Going meat-free is an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-earth-footprint-2574241439.html" target="_self">important way to reduce your ecological footprint</a>, and this book will get you and your loved ones off to a delicious start!<br><strong>On My Wish List:<a href="https://www.ecosnackwrap.co.uk/" target="_blank"> </a></strong><strong>Eco Snack Wrap<br></strong>In my attempts to cut back on <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastic</a> waste, one of the hardest problems to solve has been finding a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability">sustainable</a> way to pack lunches and snacks while on-the-go. That's why I'm asking for an<a href="https://www.ecosnackwrap.co.uk/product-category/sandwich-wraps-and-pockets/food-bags/" target="_blank"> Eco Snack Wrap food bag</a> this year. Not only are they attractive and environmentally friendly, they are also ethically made at a factory in India chosen for its environmental and fair labor standards.<br><br></p><p><em>Jordan Simmons, social media manager<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: Norwex BacLock® cloths<br></strong>My perspective on cleaning has shifted from chemical cleaning to zero-waste mechanical cleaning ever since being gifted a set of<a href="https://norwex.biz/en_US/microfiber" target="_blank"> Norwex BacLock®</a> cloths. The microfiber cloth is woven with an antibacterial agent that removes up to 99 percent of bacteria. The set includes cloths for body, face, windows and kitchen, which eliminates the need for products wrapped in plastic or laden with unnecessary chemicals.<br><strong>On My Wish List: Bambaw's Bamboo Safety Razor<br></strong>The zero-waste lifestyle has inspired me to wish for <a href="https://www.bambaw.com/products/bamboo-safety-razor" target="_blank">this bamboo and stainless steel safety razor</a>. The company strives to reduce waste while offering affordable, quality and zero-waste solutions.<br><br></p><p><em>Chris McDermott, news editor<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: Alchemy Goods Franklin Wallet<br></strong>In my experience, being eco-conscious often meant paying a premium for lesser quality. Thankfully, Alchemy Goods does everything right. It's a surprising joy to take out this sleek and <a href="https://www.alchemygoods.com/collections/holiday-gift-ideas/products/franklin-wallet" target="_blank">durable rubber wallet</a> that shows no signs of wear after years. Made in the U.S. from reclaimed bicycle inner tubes, it won't slip from your pocket like vegan leather, nor fray like hemp.<br><strong>On My Wish List: Voltaic's OffGrid Solar Backpack<br></strong>This redesigned <a href="https://www.voltaicsystems.com/offgrid" target="_blank">backpack from Voltaic</a> in Brooklyn features highly efficient <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> panels and a Li-polymer battery to quickly recharge a cell phone, camera or tablet. Made from 33 recycled plastic bottles, it's also lightweight, UV resistant and waterproof. The possibilities for taking a long hike (or even getting lost) seem limitless.<br><br></p><p><em>Irma Omerhodzic, associate editor<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: To-Go Ware Bamboo Set<br></strong>Thanks to my mom, I have this <a href="https://www.to-goware.com/product-repeat-utensil-set-141?color=agave" target="_blank">reusable to-go utensil set</a>. I try to make food at home whenever possible, but sometimes takeout just makes sense, and I feel guilty about the throwaway containers. My bamboo utensils offset my 'eco-guilt' a smidge. Bonus: The case that comes with the set is made of used plastic bottles.<br><strong>On My Wish List: YETI, The Rambler® 30 oz.<br></strong>I have my<a href="https://mybkr.com/collections/all/products/air-kiss-1l" target="_blank"> reusable glass water bottle</a> that I absolutely love, but surprisingly I have yet to own a coffee tumbler that I can reuse. You would think an editor would be well equipped when it comes to anything coffee related. Why am I wishing for <a href="https://www.yeti.com/en_US/drinkware/rambler-30-oz-tumbler/YRAM30.html?dwvar_YRAM30_color=white&cgid=gifts-for-gearing-up#start=1" target="_blank">this tumbler by YETI</a> specifically? The way I see it is that they produce high-quality products that should last a girl years!<br><br></p><p><em>Tara Bracco, managing editor<br></em><strong>Best Green Gift: Personalized Reusable Water Bottle<br></strong>I've been given several reusable water bottles over the years, but the one I use the most was from my friend Joe. It's lightweight with photos of the international nonprofit that we cofounded, The Project Solution. I love it because I no longer need to buy <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bottled-water">bottled water</a> and the personalized photos make the reusable bottle extra special.<br><strong>On My Wish List: LuminAID's Packlite Supercharger<br></strong>LuminAID's solar-powered, inflatable lights were initially created for disaster relief, but after the founders appeared on Shark Tank, they expanded the business. Their lanterns are good for hiking, backpacking or other times you may not have access to electricity. The <a href="https://luminaid.com/products/packlite-hero-2-in-1-supercharger-ecom" target="_blank">PackLite Hero 2-in-1 Supercharger</a> is on my wish list because it's compact, good to have during a power outage and it can charge a phone. LuminAid lights are also waterproof, PVC-free and <a href="https://luminaid.com/pages/faq" target="_blank">can be recycled</a>.</p>
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