​​An inspiring group of ten teenage girls from San Fernando High School in California didn't have the money to help the many homeless people they encountered on their way to school, but they knew they wanted to help somehow.

See the article for many more photos of the girls in the process of making and testing their invention and for anecdotes about what this experience has meant to them and their dreams for the future.

The inspiration and hard work of one man in Mumbai, India and his 84-year-old neighbor turned into a two-year beach cleanup project with over a thousand volunteers. The beach that was unwalkable in 2015 has now been returned to its former beauty and the momentum of this success is leading to plans to clean up more of India's shoreline. Whenever you start to think that you can't make a difference on your own, remember Afroz Shah and his dream, and know that you can.

Water Monster hydration stations, The People's Climate March, April 29, 2017

Sustainable practices are beginning to make their way into large events and we hope they will continue to become commonplace at all events, not just when the event has a "green" theme. Examples of good ideas we've seen at events are providing reusable or compostable plates and cutlery, composting food waste, and making recycling containers available. 

Another sustainable practice at large events is to provide water coolers for attendees to refill their glasses and water bottles rather than wasting hundreds of plastic water bottles that have to be recycled later. We were at The People's Climate March in Washington, DC in late April. With over 200,000 people marching together and temperatures in the high 90s on a sunny day, there was a desperate need for water, lots of water. 

With all of us toting our reusable water bottles, it was thoughtful and appreciated that the march organizers provided huge water reservoirs, called Water Monsters, and kept them refilled throughout the day. They were perfect for the huge crowd, with multiple spigots on each barrel. Thank you to all who helped keep us hydrated and comfortable without using wasteful plastic. It was a perfect way to take our water to go as we marched to raise awareness of climate change and the need for making changes to live lightly on the earth.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is part of a proposed pipeline to transport 450,000 barrels of crude oil per day from the Bakken fields of North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline would not only cross sacred Lakota Sioux lands, but would endanger the water sources all along the pipeline. Native Americans and supporters from all over the country are gathering in Cannon Ball, ND to do everything they can to halt construction of the pipeline.

In an interview on September 30, 2016, Bill McKibben of 350.org says that the No Dakota Access Pipeline Movement may be powerful enough to overwhelm the fossil fuel industry. See the complete story on democracynow.org here:
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/9/30/bill_mckibben_dakota_access_pipeline_resistance