Join the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper this summer for fun and educational trips to explore your local waterways! (more…)

Here are all the upcoming times for my sister Jennie’s EcoSense for Living on GPB in April! (more…)

Originally published in Southern Seasons Late Spring 2013
Spring is here! On April 22, we’ll all get together to celebrate the 44th Earth Day.

Earth Day started as a movement, a series of protests and demonstrations across the nation in 1970. The efforts of Earth Day organizers have helped bring the environment to the forefront of American life, and now, the annual event keeps us talking about the life-saving changes we need to make to keep ourselves and future generations healthy. (more…)

Please join the Turner family for a premiere screening of my sister Jennie Garlington’s newest episode in the Emmy Award winning series, “EcoSense for Living”.  Ken Cook, President of EWG, is featured in “Eco Hazards in the Home and Body Exposed” and will be joining us along with Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley and Dr. Yolanda Whyte for Q&A. It will be an enlightening evening not to be missed!  For more info I have included the press release. Hope to see you on the 26th! (more…)

Hey fellow Buckhead residents! Make sure you bring all your difficult to recycle items to Buckhead’s Eco Collection Sat. March 23! This event is for Buckhead residents only, see zipcodes below. However if you’re a non-Buckhead resident, you can go to KeepAtlantaBeautiful.org for information on community recycling events. Outside of Atlanta? Check out KeepAmericaBeautiful.org to find more information in your area! (more…)

 by Lindsay E. Brown

Obama’s State of the Union Call May Buy Time for EPA

Obama’s SOTU drew mixed reactions from climate advocates. Though Obama didn’t deliver a detail-rich emissions reduction plan, he did address climate change. Obama said that if lawmakers don’t act, he will order agencies across his administration to come up with ways to address global warming “for the sake of our children and our future.” (more…)

by Lindsay E. Brown 

Timberland Empowers Local Farmers and Communities 
Timberland planted 2.2 million trees in the rural area surrounding Gonaives and continues to support an agroforestry program to train Haitian farmers to improve crop yields.

In 2010, Timberland partnered with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, a non-governmental organization, to help them meet their commitment of planting 5 million trees in a five-year period. (At that time, Haiti was 98 percent deforested.) An additional 1 million trees will be planted this year as well as in 2014 and 2015.

We know that trees are vital to our health. They help clean the air of pollutants, lower temperatures and generally make people feel better and reduce stress. These planted trees also serve as physical borders around farms to prevent flooding and erosion, as food sources, sustainable fuel and as shade from the harsh sun. (more…)

By Lindsay E. Brown

Another Bangladesh Factory Fire: This is Fast Fashion 
Seven workers were killed — all women — and more than 15 injured on Saturday following a fire in a garment factory in Mohammadpur in the western part of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights reports that the workers were crushed as they tried to escape the burning floor, which is located on the second story of the building. Two of the women killed were teenagers, aged 15 and 16, according to the group. (more…)

by Lindsay E. Brown

Speech Gives Climate Goals Center Stage 
President Obama called for renewed efforts to tackle climate change and develop alternative energy in his inaugural address on Monday. He did so in the context of urging Americans to work together to “face the realities of our time.”

Both President Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s failure to discuss climate change throughout most of the election and during the debates stirred up quite a controversy among environmental and health advocates and groups. That’s why when the President addressed the topic so forcefully during his speech, everyone was taken aback. It was the most he has said on climate change in quite a while.

“We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations,” Mr. Obama said. “Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.” (more…)

by Lindsay E. Brown

Ivory Trade Ban in Thailand Urged By the World Wildlife Fund 
Wildlife crime is a big business. Run by dangerous international networks, wildlife and animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs and arms. The World Wildlife Fund said “massive quantities” of African ivory are being imported illegally into Thailand, where they are carved into Buddhist statues, bangles and jewelry that are then sold to tourists or smuggled. “Many foreign tourists would be horrified to learn that ivory trinkets on display next to silks in Thai shops may come from elephants massacred in Africa,” said Elisabeth McLellan, manager of WWF’s Global Species Program. The U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, banned all international ivory trade in 1989. But Thai traders and smugglers have thrived because the ban never addressed the domestic markets, and without DNA testing, it is difficult to tell where ivory originated. The ivory trade is no small deal. Africa is in the midst of a crisis that saw tens of thousands of elephants slaughtered last year alone. According to the WWF, the international trade in ivory has reached its “highest ever recorded rate.”

The Future of Social Activism
There’s been a substantial increase in the number of young adults (ages 20-28) who now actively support the causes they care about. According to this infographic:

• 3 out of 4 young adults would think more highly of a company that supports a social cause.
• 4 out of 5 would be more likely to purchase from a company that supports a cause they care about.
• 3 in 4 believe corporations should create economic value for society by addressing its needs.

Walmart Pledges to Add $50B in American-Made Products
The world’s number one retailer has made a decision to source more American-made products. The company’s 10-year commitment, totaling $50 billion comes on the heels of mounting pressure concerning its overseas sourcing because of a deadly fire in November in Bangladesh that killed more than 100 people at a factory used by Walmart suppliers.