Author: Angela Polimeni

There is no doubt we are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic is having devastating impacts on people and communities, while the planet benefits as we pause and reevaluate earlier mindsets. This pandemic has reinforced our interdependency between people and planet and has shown us that global action is needed in order to meet the basic needs of people while simultaneously caring for our planet.  As it alters our day-to-day life, it is also altering the fashion industry.  A current spotlight is on the changes in the $2.5 trillion industry which has taken a serious hit. Founder and editor-in-chief…

As the entire globe fights to beat COVID-19, the crisis is not only evoking novel emotions and feelings, but affording us the opportunity to reflect and reexamine our lives, for the better hopefully. Coronavirus is changing us, permanently. The day schools closed indefinitely to slow the spread of the virus in our community was unprecedented. Being a teacher, I was facing the unfamiliar task of remote instruction and overwhelming emotion. I struggled with reality. I would no longer have face-to-face interaction with my students, being left to teach the English language at a distance. I had to quickly mobilize and…

The coronavirus is changing how we live our daily lives.  Maintaining our health and safety has become a priority and hopefully, a constant.  I am a school teacher and I have been thinking about my students more than ever lately. I miss them and wonder if they are safe, healthy, and happy in their homes during this uncertain time.  These thoughts aren’t new, though, as I am always thinking about their well-being.  I always hope that they are safe when they are at home and when they are at school.  I’m well aware that student safety is a priority, especially…

Current information which is circulating about plastic pollution, specifically disposable single-use plastic is shaping our understanding of the impact that plastic water bottles, presumably the most popular disposable plastic item worldwide, has on our planet.  The global water bottle market is expected to reach $280 billion this year. In the US alone, 50 billion plastic water bottles are discarded per year. Worldwide, an estimated 1 million plastic water bottles are being consumed per minute or roughly 20,000 bottles per second.    Below are a few of the staggering effects of plastic water bottle pollution on the planet according to waterproject.org:  Bottles used to package water take 400 – 1,000 years to biodegrade and when incinerated, produce toxic fumes.    While it may be too far into the future…

With Wegmans announcing their elimination of plastic bags on January 27 in lieu of paper bags, which will cost shoppers 5 cents a bag, many of us are now opting for reusable bags to reduce waste.  So, how exactly will this smart shopping help the environment and make one feel good about the imposed change? The following consumption statistics show that plastic bags are a significant reason for increased land and water pollution: According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. Four out of five grocery bags in the U.S. are now plastic.…

Let’s face it, we love online retail. We love the convenience and speed. We love the readily available discounts. We love the thrill of receiving a box on our doorstep. All of which explains why online consumerism is thriving.  Nonetheless, it’s easier than ever to shop throughout our already busy day: scroll, click, checkout, ship and repeat.  Though these expedients may be practical, their environmental consequence may be overlooked. These boxes, fillers included, have created tons of packaging waste. How much trash exactly do cardboard boxes make? According to cardboardbalers.org, AMAZING FACTS ABOUT CARDBOARD WASTE & RECYCLING: In the United…

The week leading up to Christmas I was anxiously awaiting a holiday package which had been shipped from one of my preferred vendors. After work, as I approached my house, I couldn’t contain my excitement when the box came into view!  I pulled into the driveway, got out of the car, and made a mad dash for the door, upon which my feeling of elation quickly turned into wholehearted disappointment when I realized that my anticipated delivery was the local phone directory. Huh? They still make these? I thought, and then I got a nagging feeling, more like an aggravated…