Eos4change

06/26/2023

Nine dollars a month to travel an entire country by rail. Sounds completely insane, doesn't it? 😱 Would you use that service if it were available to you? I sure as hell would!

Germany turned this far-fetched idea into a reality: for the entire summer, Germans and foreigners alike could pay $9 for one month of access to local and regional trains across all of Germany. Though this didn't include high-speed trains, it was still entirely possible to go from corner to corner of the country purely off this ticket.

What purpose did the government have in implementing such a crazy deal? It was a 2-fold measure: help blunt the pain of rising energy and gas costs for residents AND fight climate change with affordable eco-friendly transport.

The result? Over 1 billion public-transport trips were made over the course of the summer, which saved 2 million tons of greenhouse gas from being emitted. 🍃

Citizens loved it so much that nearly three-quarters of residents want some form of the 9-euro-ticket to go on. Now, the government is deliberating over how to continue the program to reap the long-term benefits of affordable and accessible eco-friendly transport for the entire country. If only we in the US invested in rail, too, instead of so many highways! 🙄

Source: https://sbee.link/qhy4er98wp

06/19/2023

Did you know that if everyone with an email deleted just ten emails (spam or no spam), we could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43,000 tons per year? Since the majority of emails are stored in the cloud (aka massive data centers housing thousands of computers), they use up tons of energy due to the 24/7 air conditioning required to keep the cloud computers running. The Leave Me Alone app helps you unsubscribe from spam emails with a single click. It’s also got a few other useful features and planet-saving options.

It may seem like a small step, but one thing you can do that really can help is just unsubscribe from spam emails! Also, deleting emails after you read them or refraining from signing up for newsletters (you secretly know you won't read) can really help reduce your email impact.

Source: https://sbee.link/gdt87wuqpn

06/12/2023

A lot of times, it can feel like we're making no progress in improving our cities' sustainability. But I'm here to tell you that that's just 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. Local governments across the globe have committed to and ACTED upon their sustainability goals, and I want to show them to you to prove there is ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 for our futures.

The UK-based company Uswitch has put together a list of the world's top 5 most-sustainable cities in the world based on energy, transportation infrastructure, affordability, pollution, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and percentage of green space.

𝟓. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐙𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. Wellington is a clear contender for the top spot with the lowest air-pollution rating of large cities worldwide. Their commitment to a circular economy also plays a significant part in their sustainability score.

𝟒. 𝐙𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡, 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. Zurich's leading power in smart cities has incredibly efficient transportation, waste, and energy systems. It is also known as a "biker's haven" thanks to the free bikes offered across the city and 20,000 km of bike lanes.

𝟑. 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧, 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤. On track to becoming carbon neutral by 2025, Copenhagen is hugely dedicated to converting waste into energy (look up Copenhill!). They have more roads for bicycling than for cars, and nearly 80% of residents now prefer cycling to driving, thanks to the city's efforts.

𝟐. 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐝, 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧. After banning polluting vehicles from the city center, Madrid's air quality has significantly improved. They also invest heavily in green infrastructure and restoring gardens and parks. Currently, they're working on building a 75-km forest with 500,000 new trees.

𝟏. 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚, 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚. The first city outside of Europe to be powered by 100% renewable energy, Canberra has taken the top spot for the most sustainable city in the world. Their vast swaths of green space, green infrastructure, and accessible accommodations for residents make it a shining example for the rest of the world.

Have you ever visited these cities? What did you think? Want to see something like this in your town? 𝐿𝑒𝑡'𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛! Spread awareness, organize committees, sign local petitions, and vote for green candidates in your city!

Source: https://sbee.link/vanqjgxm9t

06/05/2023

Would you buy your groceries differently if all the foods in grocery stores were labeled with their total CO2 emissions from producing, transporting, and packaging? It seems many people think so. According to a survey conducted by the advocacy group Carbon Trust in 2020, the majority of consumers in the US support having carbon labels on grocery items.

Some countries and companies are already making this a reality. Denmark announced this year that they are developing carbon labeling legislation that should be finished by the end of the year. And oat-milk company Oatly already puts their CO2 emissions on their products.

“The most important change we can make to reduce the carbon footprint of our diet is to eat less meat,” says Hannah Ritchie, head of research at the University of Oxford’s Our World in Data, a scientific online publication.

Want to see how your favorite foods fare? Check the scales and see how heavy your food's impact is with the Financial Times' calculator: https://sbee.link/k3nxu78f64

To make the strongest impact you can, try cutting out your highest-hitting foods once a week or so to start. You'll be surprised how many delicious alternatives there are to ground beef or cheddar cheese!

03/20/2023

02/06/2023

We've scouted around for things to listen to on the way to work, and I came across something 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔: an environmental true-crime podcast series!

It's called 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧, made by CBC Podcasts and the LA Times. The series is about a group of vigilantes and an ex-journalist who hunt down the world's most-wanted illegal fishing ship, one that's gotten away with unspeakable crimes - from human rights violations to environmental abuses. And through their years-long hunt, more and more crimes come to light that are taking place on the high seas, a place where the law does not reach. It's a genuinely shocking and eye-opening work that tells of the horrors being committed in unthinkable areas and how it affects us and our world.

Listen to it here or on your favorite podcast app (including Spotify!): https://sbee.link/cbumtgyfq3

02/03/2023

There's a new business in town: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬! It's everything I want wrapped up in one beautiful zero-waste package: net-zero delivery, reusable containers, and bulk items! And they just raised $38 million in funding - a BIG win for eco startups! 🍒

Every week, you choose what and how many essentials you need to be delivered, and packs them in jars and refillable bags, which a biker then brings to your door. Then, the next week, you return your empty containers to be reused again when you get another delivery! ♻️

This method of buying zero-waste essentials with zero-carbon transportation is capable of reducing waste by 50 pounds for every person who uses the service. 📉

"With The Rounds, we've built a way that you can get [items] without any packaging waste. You can get it delivered with no cardboard, no single-use plastic. We're building what we believe to be the future of last-mile logistics," says Torrey, the company's founder. "That is our mission: make everyday sustainable choices effortless."

Highlighting wonderfully eco-conscious companies and startups is part of what we do at EōS. If you live somewhere with access to The Rounds, give it a try and tell us what you think! 💚

Check them out here: https://sbee.link/dwb6k97f8t
Source: https://sbee.link/cvgfyh38ew

01/31/2023

Australia is cracking down on their heaviest polluters. 👏

The top 215 industrial polluters -- who are responsible for 28% of total emissions in the entire continent -- will be forced to cut their emissions by 30% under the newly updated "safeguard mechanism" policy. It's geared towards industrial emitters that generate more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year, which mainly includes coal mines, gas plants, and plastics manufacturers. 🚫

By targeting these companies, Australia will be able to reduce their greenhouse emissions by 205 million tonnes -- about 40% of its total emissions. 📉

And, if companies do not meet their reduction targets, they face a fine of $275 per tonne -- intentionally priced higher than simply buying offsets would cost. 💸

“I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that 215 facilities are responsible for 28 percent of our emissions; therefore, they’ll be responsible for 28 percent of our emissions reduction,” Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. ⚖️

Of course, simply being able to buy offsets enables companies to continue bad practices while simply paying off their emissions elsewhere, but this is still a large leap in the direction of net zero for the country. 🌼

Source: https://sbee.link/9yc3nxpq8w
# safeguardmechanism

01/29/2023

One of the most essential resources humans need to survive is water. But who owns it? Manages it? Decides where it's allocated to? It turns out these questions can be rather tricky to answer, particularly in water-scarce regions.

Our Nature Docu of the Week touches on the topic of water system management in the major metropolis of Atlanta, where they are currently struggling through a water shortage crisis. A quick 50 minutes, "𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫" follows two brothers exploring how three states vie for control over one of the few primary freshwater sources in the region.

Here's the official description of Who Owns Water, provided by WaterBear:
"It's a conflict once unthinkable in the deep green South. Three states are locked in battle over the diminishing freshwater that saw Atlanta go from a small town to the largest growing city in the US. Who's in control? It depends on who you talk to. In this stunningly-shot, award-winning documentary film, brothers Michael and David Hanson return to the source of their childhood river and paddle it to the Gulf of Mexico to find out more."

Watch 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 on WaterBear for free here: https://sbee.link/vet4nykwph

01/28/2023

In January, the US's Environmental Protection Agency announced $100 million in funding and grants for projects that address environmental inequities! 👏

The $100 million will be split into two different programs. The first will grant $30 million to community-based projects and nonprofits that work to improve or sustain environmental or public health. This can include things like monitoring water quality or stemming industrial pollution in residential areas.

The second program is geared toward state, local, and tribal governments. It will give $70 million for projects that address climate change, provide disaster relief, benefit rural areas, or conduct health assessments.

This is a MAJOR step in the direction of granting communities the funding to empower and restore their health and environment. After all, who knows best what a community needs than the community themselves? If we continue to see this trend of supporting local projects from the federal government, we believe we indeed will have the power to change our futures.

Source: https://sbee.link/cpwm6htfa9

01/27/2023

Three cheers to 3 YEARS with EōS Organization!

01/13/2023

Is anyone here a Kate Winslet fan? Lucky for us, I've found a new nature documentary on WaterBear narrated by her! It's called " #𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐊𝐞𝐲" and it discusses the importance of protecting and restoring the world's forests. The documentary covers how trees are vital -- ESSENTIAL -- in reversing climate change and alleviating world hunger. It's completely fascinating, and the 40-minute duration felt way too short!

Here's the official description of the documentary by WaterBear:
" is a powerful new environmental film from the documentary maker Tim Tyson Short, narrated by Kate Winslet. It contains a blueprint for mitigating climate change and alleviating hunger and poverty in Africa."

Watch it FOR FREE on WaterBear --> https://sbee.link/897hj4fdxr