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Earth Day 2021

After a short, unplanned hiatus due to pandemic malaise as well as work picking up, Sustainably Yours, LA is back! Earth Day seemed like a great reason to write, as there are a lot of events happening and a lot to reflect upon. In this email, I included a quick reflection on Earth Day, a reflection on COVID 1 year in (written in March), and included a sustainable shower product post.

Earth Day 51

April 22, 2021 (this Thursday) is the 51st Earth Day! Last year's 50th celebration of Earth Day was overshadowed by the spread of the pandemic, then in those dark early months. This year, between the proliferation of vaccines (recent announcements by the CDC stated 50% of adults have received at least 1 shot) and the new administration's focus on combatting climate change (through a combination of executive orders and the Infrastructure bill), the theme "Restore Our Earth" feels hopeful.

I hope everyone gets a chance this Thursday to celebrate the earth in some way. We plan on getting up early to go for a short hike, but the celebration can be as simple as going for a walk or watching a documentary and appreciating how amazing this planet is. There are many groups doing cleanups throughout the week, and others taking action to combat climate change.

Fun fact: Earth Day is the most widely observed secular holiday worldwide!

COVID Reflections

Wow. I really cannot believe it has been a year since this pandemic started and overturned all of our lives. So many “one year on” reflections have been published over the last few days, which I feel is vitally important. It allows us to look back at the massive upheavals in our society, the way we work, the way we view the government, race relations, politics, climate change, and so, so much more....

See more here.

Sustainable Shower Products (encore)

Today I’m starting a series about a category that several friends have asked me to write about: sustainable personal care products. This is one that I have been hesitant to research as it is an area I know I will have trouble with. However, research is my way of checking out new ideas, so I figured it was time to take the plunge!

See more here.

Parting Perspectives

Emissions drastically dropped last year when the world seemingly shut down. However, as governments try to re-start economies this year, emissions are expected to jump 4.8% this year, according to the International Energy Agency. Net emissions will rise an estimated 1.5 billion tons of carbon-dioxide, which is still a net reduction of 400 million tons from 2019. Last year, the U.S. consumed more renewable energy than coal for the first time since the 1880s. For more, check out this Wall Street Journal article.

Sustainably Yours, LA