Tall evergreens twinkling against a backdrop of snow are the hallmark of the season, even if you just celebrate Christmas in a secular way. Hailing from factories in China, farms in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, and native groves of fir and pine trees, millions of people buy a tree each year. The...
I live in a dorm room that I call a studio apartment because I’m 25. It’s easier than getting an apartment and then furnishing that apartment with all the furniture I don’t yet have while finishing graduate school, but it also requires a lot of creativity to maintain the lifestyle habits I’ve developed over the...
Pennsylvania, Unites States: Buying in bulk may conjure the inelegant image of stocking up on cheap toilet paper, but bulk food is not only efficient and modern, but sustainable. It’s the future of traditional grocery stores. Bulk foods are better than packaged foods for three reasons: First, you can buy your produce completely package-free by...
Pennsylvania, United States: The biggest challenge in small-time elections is getting people to care. The world of local politics is practically alien to national campaigns and advocacy because without the appeal of charming candidates, rallies, and broad national debate, very few people pay attention. But they should. Over the past few months, I helped a...
While I was attending The Other Festival at City Point Brooklyn, I took some time to make sure to support the handful of local small businesses vending throughout the festival. I’m fully aware that buying nothing is the most sustainable option, but handmade items (especially those made from reclaimed materials) are like catnip for me,...
If you’ve ever met someone whose presence is simultaneously commanding and soothing, that’s the aura of Mara Hoffman. I had the pleasure to sit down with my fellow Aries during The Other Festival and discuss environmental fashion, greenwashing brands, and how young entrepreneurs can start off on an eco-friendly route. Mara Hoffman is is the President...
The question I was most asked over the two-day event for female entrepreneurs and thought leaders was also the hardest to answer – why are you here? I was invited to The Other Festival held at City Point in Brooklyn as a blogger to cover the two-day event that blurred the lines between industry conference, pop-up...
In theory, bamboo textiles should be one of the most sustainable options for an eco-friendly closet. Bamboo grows rapidly, needs very little water, fertilizer, or pesticides, and sequesters a large amount of carbon dioxide, absorbing five times more carbon dioxide and 35% more oxygen than similar plants. It’s also naturally regenerating, so harvesting bamboo still...
The current narrative in the fashion industry assumes that sustainability can’t be chic, or that adopting ethical practices would limit a designer’s artistry. Thankfully, that’s changing. Sechs Element, a Chinese firm that supports innovative designers, hosted seven emerging designers embracing sustainability in their debut NYFW SS18 show. I spoke with Jingtian Wu, a member of...
Bottled water is one of the first things to forgo in a sustainable lifestyle journey; it’s wasteful, expensive, and easily replaced by reusable water bottles. However, everyone will eventually find themselves in a situation without easy access to unpackaged water, and will ultimately reach for a plastic bottle rather than face dehydration. It feels like...
There seems to be no end to the number of brands willing to exploit the good nature of conscientious shoppers for profit. I feel personally manipulated when companies use the guise of fair trade and small charitable donations to hide massive profits and less-than-sustainable practices. Greenwashing, or the façade of sustainable and ethical practices, not...
Remember the Clean Power Plan (CPP)? The EPA first proposed it under President Obama in 2014, with a final draft released in 2016. It was an instrumental bargaining chip to show the U.S. was serious about climate change during the Paris Climate Conference. Good times. Soon after taking office; however, President Trump issued the Energy...