Making Environmental Education Accessible

Download Free Eco-Education E-Book

Designed by Sara P. Mendes (@sara.p.mendes) and written words by Isaias Hernandez (@queerbrownvegan). Eco-Learners is a collaborative project that brings together creativity and environmental education. This is a free downloadable e-book that has 18 beautifully designed illustrations of environmental terms.

During my time in college, I had a hard time interconnecting terminology and concepts together. Upon graduating, I realized how important it was to simplify and breakdown each term. As someone who didn’t have support when navigating the environmental field, I asked myself who I wanted to be for others, and that’s an educator.

queerbrownvegan

Buzzwords like carbon-neutral have been in popular

Buzzwords like carbon-neutral have been in popular demand, but what about plastic neutral? Plastic neutrality is the amount of plastic generated by the business and then it is measured to recover plastic waste that is removed from the environment. Corporations often team up with companies that offer recycling and waste management to earn plastic offset credits. While there is a legacy of plastic pollution from a variety of hair care, skincare, and body care products, these goals further reinforce the idea of net-zero emissions. The issue with recycling facilities is that they are not able to recycle every plastic. While large-scale corporations flock to earn Plastic-Neutrality, there is not much of a difference between Carbon-Neutral as they also contribute to some greenwashing rhetoric.
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Each year, 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced and 40% of that is single-use (BBC). Throwing away plastic does not disappear but instead stays on the land for decades. With more than 8 million tonnes of plastic entering the world's oceans each year, it brings more significant concerns whether or not corporations are taking stances to redesign their packaging. The issue with plastic neutrality credits is that, in reality, corporations opt into these programs because it is much cheaper than having to redesign their package. Every year, plastic production is increasing and there are thousands of dollars being poured into innovations to clean up the plastic. However, there is limited advocacy and stances where companies stand when detesting petrochemical industries that further influence plastic markets. Plastic is an environmental issue and most of the waste dumped into countries outside of the West face an enormous burden of environmental injustice. Are certifications helping brands or do you think they are merely stickers that allow them to exploit natural resources? Graphics: @ecoinprogress
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#plasticneutrality #plasticneutral #plasticpollution #environmentaljustice #environmentalracism #intersectionalenvironmentalism #queerbrownvegan #climatecrisis #plasticfree #zerowastelifestyle #zerowaste #zerowastemovement #plasticpackaging #ecofriendly #consciousconsumerism

While I don't have any plans to be on the moon, I

While I don't have any plans to be on the moon, I can bring my @moonshotsnacks to my fellow earthlings! These tasty climate-friendly crackers are organic, carbon-neutral, and use regeneratively grown wheat. I tried all three delicious flavors (sourdough sea salt, rosemary garlic, and tomato basil). I am a huge FAN of crackers + hummus (sprinkle a bit of olive oil), so whenever I am on a snack break, these are the go-to. Although the dinner parties haven't started yet, I can't wait to bring them to you all whenever we can reconnect in real life!
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Moonshot Crackers is a Black-owned business paving the way to providing more sustainable food alternatives for our consumer choices and focusing on regeneration as a core principle of their work. Their crackers are organic and contain non-GMO ingredients, using sunflower oil from regenerative farms in COLORADO, and use special milling processes that preserve the wheat's natural character by retaining a portion of the bran. When it comes to their packaging, they use 100% recycled cardboard for their cartons and recyclable plastic for their interior bags while continually researching how to improve their packaging. Lastly, when it comes to measuring their carbon impact, they measure, sequester, reduce, and offset with their partner, Native Energy. Small businesses like Moonshot have not only provided me with my mid-day snacks, but they are a proud supporter of my work for making environmental education accessible. If you are looking to switch to an eco-friendly snack, you can head over to moonshotsnacks.com to order yours! You can use QUEERBROWNVEGAN5 for $5 off your order. 🙂
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What is your favorite climate-friendly snack?
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#sponsored #moonshotsnacks #crackers #foodsnack #picnicfood #picnic #ecofriendly #sustainability #regenerative #queerbrownvegan

For me, being an environmentalist stems from injus

For me, being an environmentalist stems from injustice and recognizing that powerful oppressive structures threaten the justice of life itself. While media often influenced how I thought environmentalists looked like, I wish I had taken the time to recognize my community, especially those in my life that never labeled themselves an environmentalist. An environmentalist, often defined as a person concerned with or advocates the protection of the environment. You don't need to live a particular lifestyle to be an environmentalist, as I am sure that we define ourselves through our lived experiences. To call ourselves environmentalists means fighting to preserve and dismantle a poisonous system that upholds extraction, destruction, and colonization. Indigenous People's still exist today and protect much of the biodiversity.
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One thing that I've always advocated for is that people extend themselves to dig deeper than what the term means. Yes, local + system change is so significant, but also realizing that defining ourselves as environmentalists takes a lot of work and understanding of how we position ourselves in spaces. Environmental dimensions exist in various forms, which is why we see so much uniqueness in our work.
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When I was growing up, academia often reinforced the idea that you needed to go to higher education to achieve this to be an environmentalist. Dismantling that hierarchy was great for my mind, but I often feel like it manifests itself in many environmental movements. Investing less on the label and reinvesting in the work we do can do in our proximity can hopefully disrupt the change of how we label ourselves environmentalist. Anti-Racism work is integral when extending ourselves to learn more about how environmentalism is interconnected—being uncomfortable isn't about shaming yourself but providing an opportunity to regrow.
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If our climate crisis never existed, would you still call yourself an environmentalist? Graphics: @ecoinprogress
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#queerbrownvegan #climatecrisis #climatechange #intersectionalenvironmentalist #ecoeducator #sustainability #environmentalist #environmentalism

Around the world, Black communities bear an even h

Around the world, Black communities bear an even heavier burden from the impacts of climate change due to the historic and continuing impacts of colonialism, racism, and inequality. It is crucial that we listen and highlight Black environmental activists that know the issues, firsthand, and have the knowledge to help create just solutions. In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, I am teaming up with @BlackGirlEnvironmentalist, @PassTheMicClimate and @Generation_Green to launch the #ReclaimingOurTime campaign.
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The Reclaiming Our Time campaign seeks to highlight Black climate activists at the forefront of addressing the climate crisis. I am honored to be talking to Aalayna Green @aalayna.green who is a PhD student studying zoology. We will be discussing her journey and experiences with Veganism, Research, and Higher Education. Tune in tomorrow February 23 at 5:30PM EST on IG Livestream.
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Graphics by the talented @baileydaze, @aishah_nyeta @wawa_gatheru
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#environmentaljustice #environmentalracism #intersectionalenvironmentalism #ecoeducation #academia #climatejustice #climatechange #climatecrisis #globalwarming #veganism #intersectionalveganism #intersectionalvegan #researchanddevelopment #zoology #sustainability #regenerative #regeneration #educationispower #highereducation

Being an imperfect environmentalist makes you a be

Being an imperfect environmentalist makes you a better environmentalist. Normalize being imperfect environmentalists for your mind, community, and most importantly, your work. Coming in terms with imperfection makes you a better environmentalist than upholding yourself to a higher standard that is not recognizable to you. During my early environmental work, I held people dear to me on pillars rather than treating them as living beings. Whether through education, activism, art, singing, photography, etc., we've all had and continue to have ups and downs. Society reinforces the idea of having specific characteristics is what makes us certain environmentalists. There is no one set image of how an environmentalist looks like and that's the beauty of it. We can define ourselves even without labels as long as we recognize our intrinsic value.
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At Clubhouse, I had the opportunity to meet so many like-minded environmentalists from various backgrounds, work skills, and stories that reminded me of how imperfect we are. Yet, we are here to be better environmentalists. Recognizing flaws in our work and ourselves is a personal journey, but you get to define how you want to work on those things. Here are some takeaways that I've been up to since I am always making mistakes! LOL
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1.) Perfectionism is not natural, but imperfections are organic.
2.) Doing your best of what you can do rather than what you want to do creates realistic versions of how your work can translate into environmentalism.
3.) Recognizing mistakes is not harmful, but instead places to improve on. For example, the first time I went Vegan (early 2018) and was accidentally given cheese, I started over my journey because I felt that I failed my community.
4.) Being better is not about seeking congratulations from others but a form of self-love to undo harmful work.
5.) Speaking about imperfections disrupts the ideals of what it means to be an environmentalist and allows others around you to define what it means to be environmentalists for themselves.
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I hope this helps you all! Graphics @ecoinprogress
#queerbrownvegan #environmentaljustice #ecoeducator

Love of the interrelated whole doesn’t come from

Love of the interrelated whole doesn’t come from spreading toxic positivity but advocating for the justice of life. Throughout my journey delving into environmentalism I’ve realized that speaking against injustices often means allowing yourself to be criticized. I don’t think I could EVER opt out of speaking about social, racial, or environmental injustices — because all of these injustices have personally affected my life. If you’ve been able to opt out of these conversations, challenge yourselves to OPT-In and listen, learn, and unlearn.
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Something I challenge my community to do is that we are not perfect environmentalists and that we (I) too am going to make a LOT of mistakes. But to choose to continue staying silent on injustices while preaching about loving and caring the planet doesn’t show any allyship, it just shows that you center your needs over planetary care. No one is either asking people to post about it daily, but to rather examine the way we say the phrase, “protect the planet” while ignoring how BIPOC communities have been affecting by intergenerational violence. Land-based trauma is still happening for many communities and we can’t continue to spread messages of hope while turning our backs in those in need. Yes, we all feel guilty of not doing or learning enough but sometimes it’s better to understand situations, rather to ignore because it disrupts a fake illusion of your “happiness”.
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Communities cultivate practices that are far more sustainable than mechanized forms of solutions. What do you want to make sure or hold yourself accountable for as you learn more about the ecological crisis? How do you spread your truth.
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#queerbrownvegan #environmentaljustice #environmentalracism #environmentaleducation #ecoeducation

Not everyone has access to farmer's markets, clean

Not everyone has access to farmer's markets, clean-energy cars, and bulk store refill options. I do think that the way we frame eco-friendly is heavily influenced by consumerism. Rather than portraying it as having a specific set of products to label yourself sustainable, we should take the time to reevaluate our relationships with how it means to us. Our ancestors have lived eco-friendly for so long without relying on products and focusing on a circular relationship with the land, community, and body. One of the most exciting things that I found in my journey to have a more sustainable lifestyle is redesigning my relationship with products and companies.
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While no company is perfect, as someone who partakes in swaps of products through a slow growth phase, I often found myself using certain eco-friendly products that did not work for me, not the most vital packaging, and break easily. While this isn't to hate any small-owned business trying to change the landscape for sustainable products, I internally asked myself whether I was ethical in the way I partook in using products requiring me to spend money. Although I use plastic every day, some of the smalls win I've had for myself is slowly phasing out plastic products that I do NOT need and ensuring that they are also fully Vegan. After hearing so much feedback from my community, I wanted to provide a holistic approach to engaging in a positive relationship with eco-friendly lifestyles. Here are MY 5 R's to be eco-friendly
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1.) Reconnecting: Connect back to your cultural roots, personal lived memories of what your family, siblings, or loved ones did that made them sustainable.
2.) Researching: What is the product made out of/ sources / are they transparent.
3.) Reevaluating: Asking yourself if you need to try that product or continue purchasing the exact product you always have, even if it's plastic.
4.) Redesigning: Don't stop your advocacy at purchasing products. What are other issues you can get involved in?
5.) Reestablishing: Now that you want to create local change, educate yourself and others around you to do more than buying products!
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What are your thoughts?
Pics: @ecoinprogress

Planning to have an eco-friendly Valentine's and d

Planning to have an eco-friendly Valentine's and don't know where to start? Showing love to our romantic ones on February 14th shouldn't harm the planet. According to Statista, Valentine's Day's total spending in the United States is expected to be 21.8 billion dollars. Compared to 2020, which was at its highest of 27.4 billion, this year will generate sales despite the pandemic. While people invest in chocolates, flowers, and cards/ items to appreciate their lover, there comes a hidden cost of the Valentine industrial complex's realities. Not all flowers carry messages of love. Some of them carry hopes of better pay, quality of life, and floral justice.
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Flowers: As a global economy, not all flowers come from the United States. In Latin American countries, there are also fewer environmental protection policies for the flower industry that has created environmental injustices for the workers. In a study back in 1995 conducted in Ecuadorian farms, women and younger children who worked on the flower farms were not given masks than the men and experienced nausea and dizziness when pruning flowers. For undocumented floral workers in the United States that have to sell for hours while having to risk themselves being exposed to air pollution are also victims of this extractive industry.
Workers have to stand outside freeways or busy street intersections to reach customers. On top of environmental injustices, flower workers also carry the fear of deportation from ICE & Police, primarily when the immigration industrial complex targets BIPOC immigrants.
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Around 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased during Valentine's, most of them being unethically sourced. The majority of the chocolate industry is built off of slave labor in countries outside of the West. Around 1.56 million children as young as five are working in countries like Ivory Coast and Ghana harvesting cocoa for countries in the West. Colonialism and the West's appetite for overconsumption in products is directly linked to the oppression of countries.
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Graphics by: @ecoinprogress
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#ecotines #ecofriendlyvalentine #sustainablevalentine #sustainablevalentines #ecovalentine

Calling all folks in Los Angeles and Bay Area 💫

My latest work with @ecosia .For a long time, big

My latest work with @ecosia .For a long time, big agribusiness has dominated our food system, focusing on economic growth and corporate gains while ignoring its long-term environmental impact. Big agribusiness was introduced during the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, seeking to expand food production from small-scale local farmers to large corporate businesses. Agribusiness has contributed to displacing Black Indigenous farmers and destroying natural ecosystems. The term Agribusiness was coined in 1957 by scholars John H. Davis and Ray A Goldberg — they argued that privatizing the agriculture industry would create positive change rather than allowing the government to control the sector. Agribusiness is defined as the production of economic growth through the development of farm crops, including the production, processing, distribution, and transportation of food. While small-scale farmers provide 70% of the world's food, food production in the US is dominated by agribusiness.
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Modern commercialized forms of agriculture heavily rely on monocultures, the cultivation of a single crop on a large tract of land. Monocultures initially increase yields but also heavily rely on pesticides and insecticides, and lead to soil degradation. Excessive usage of pesticides and insecticides has destroyed beneficial insects and bacteria that have promoted plant productivity and has led plants to be more vulnerable to catching diseases. On top of that, monocultures require high-intensity water usage for irrigation. Agribusinesses use extractive methods such as collecting water from nearby lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, thereby harming these ecosystems. With the rapid development of agribusinesses across the globe, forests are also being cleared to make room for large monocultures, which alters ecosystems by reducing species diversity.
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Our food production system is designed for rapid growth and corporate profits while ignoring environmental impact, thus creating not only an injustice but also a long-term problem for the planet.
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Graphics by: @ecoinprogress
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#queerbrownvegan #environmentalracism #environmentaljustice #veganism #factoryfarm #agribusiness

GIVEAWAY! Who loves Vegan Yogurt?! I've teamed up

GIVEAWAY! Who loves Vegan Yogurt?! I've teamed up with @cocojune_organic to offer a sweet giveaway for you all. cocojune is 100% free from GMOs and toxic pesticides. They are also dedicated to providing ways for low-waste packaging in their product, which I am proud to see as a sustainability enthusiast. Here are some of the flavors I've tried so far that you may like!
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*🥥* Pure Coconut: Creamy coconut, spring water and a little bit of cassava are fermented with billions of science-backed probiotics. Known for its soft, fluffy texture and mild tang, cocojune is great for cooking and spooning. *🍋*Lemon Elderflower: Zesty Lemon and fragrant elderflower brighten up this creamy treat. Not too tart. Not too sweet, just perfect. *🍦* Vanilla Chamomile: They use rich bourbon and pair it with sweet soothing chamomile. This is no plain vanilla. *🍓* Strawberry Rhubarb: They combine sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb and fluffy coconut yogurt to create this delicious treat. Think summertime strawberries with fresh cream and warm grass under your feet.
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You can win this delicious batch by following three simple rules!
1.) Follow @cocojune_organic
2.) Share why you'd love to try out this delicious Vegan Yogurt
3.) Tag 1-3 friends and see who would want to try it out!
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Eat more plants with cocojune! #cocojune #veganyogurt #plantbasedyogurt #veganism

It's frustrating to see that some people default t

It's frustrating to see that some people default to make this statement every time I talk about environmental justice and environmental racism. Some people who can opt-out of social, racial, and environmental injustices will never understand the pain from those who have experienced injustices. When I hear this statement, it shows a lack of empathy and understanding of generational trauma inflicted on BIPOC communities. Sure, nature itself does not discriminate. However, the history of colonization and white supremacy still exists today. The people in power that have been known to uphold white supremacy have influenced policies that allow toxic facilities to harm BIPOC communities.
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Environmental racism is real. Telling someone to move from their polluted environment is unproductive too. One can't just magically leave their community—communities for so long cultivated cultural, spiritual, and religious practices. Several grassroots organizations have demanded BIPOC to be represented in political decisions and practices during governmental processes. Regulators often ignore communities and push their demands to the side. According to Dr. Robert Bullard, “Zipcode is the most powerful predictor of health and all communities. And all zip codes are not created equal.” Environmental racism is happening everywhere, especially in the United States, where predominately the cases for environmental racism are in Black / Brown communities. Not acknowledging racism as “a potential contributor to disparities in health by race and ethnicity is to ignore well-established social history” ( Am J Public Health 1995). Telling people to move out of their community instead of complaining about pollutions contributes to the narrative that not all communities deserve equal health environments. Most low-income communities of color don't have access to resources to live in a healthier environment. Instead, redirect your energy to becoming anti-racist, dismantling white supremacy, and learning about history. Graphics: @ecoinprogress
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#queerbrownvegan #environmentalracism #environmentaljustice

We covered the solarpunk movement a few months ago

We covered the solarpunk movement a few months ago, but what about the steampunk movement? Author K.W. Jeter coined the term steampunk in 1987 to describe a wave of fantasy novels set in 19th century Victorian times to celebrate the technology era, which was primarily powered by steam. During this genre of fiction, steam was at the forefront of development rather than electricity. Steam, elegance, and transportation are intertwined during this genre. To put it in simpler terms, steampunk imagines how people MIGHT have adopted technological solutions powered directly by steam.
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Reflecting on our current society, the U.S. Department of Energy states that more than 45% of the fuel burned by the U.S. manufactures cream steam and most of the electricity is created by steam turbines (HowStuffWorks). The current issue with steam power generators is that they don't actually capture all the produced steam and a large percentage of around 2/3 is lost during the process. To involve steam-powered engines and create them to be more efficient, there must be improved practices of properly capturing the steam in the turbines. While all types of power sources have an environmental impact, steam does not have to use fossil fuels to produce energy. It can alternatively use organic waste materials like corncobs or soy oil. While water is the main component to be used, there are questions about whether water is plentiful globally and is actually safe to use due to environmental injustices. We've seen how governments are investing in climate technological solutions to help achieve net-zero emissions. Do you think steam power energy is sustainable? Do you prefer the steampunk or solarpunk movement?
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#steampunk #steampunkmovement #solarpunk #solarpunkmovement #queerbrownvegan #netzero #netzeroemissions #carbonnetural #steampower #steamenergy #decarbonize #decarbonization #ecologicalcrisis #climatecrisis #climatechange #climatechangeisreal #climateactionnow #environmentaljustice #intersectionalenvironmentalism #environmentaljustice #environmentaleducation #environmentalscience

Which is your favorite plant-based milk? I recentl

Which is your favorite plant-based milk? I recently received the @almondcow starter kit with almonds, organic whole grain oats, coconut shreds, and cashew pieces. Making plant-based milk is even easier than before and their milk maker and glass jug makes it more sustainable. Before I was Vegan, I had become intolerant to dairy milk at the age of 17 and when I was in college, I tried out almond milk as an alternative. Almond Milk is one of my favorite go-to drinks to choose from for milk options out there. However, when I found out how easy it was to make other plant-based milks like oats, cashews, and coconut shreds, I jumped on board to diversify my plant-based taste buds.
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Not only is it easy to start using Almond Cow, but they also encourage you to reduce food waste by using your leftover pulp for delicious recipes. After drinking my delicious almond milk, I went ahead and used the almond pulp leftovers for a delicious homemade Almond Pulp Granola recipe. Food waste that can be upcycled for other alternatives has allowed me to challenge myself in different kitchen ways. Almond Cow has tons of recipes on their site if you need some inspiration or guidance to upcycle the pulp! If you're ever in the market to look for plant-based starter kits, I definitely would recommend Almond Cow! You can use my code QUEERBROWNVEGAN for $15 off your first purchase! How long have you been drinking plant-based milk? #almondcow, #makemoreplantmilk

Degentrification looks at the reversal or restorat

Degentrification looks at the reversal or restoration of cities by funding opportunities for people to afford living in those areas. Gentrification has often tried to uproot BIPOC cultural roots that have been cultivated for decades. Gentrification is the displacement of low-income and working-class people, disproportionately low-income BIPOC with less than median years of school completed, and the elderly are the most affected. Gentrification's rhetoric often situates itself as portraying cities that are "undiscovered" or on the "rise" as if they had never been developing their own rhythm. Even before gentrification, cities still experienced social, environmental, and racial injustices in their community. Gentrification is not the solution for these issues and contributes to these types of injustices by displacing, terrorizing, or harming community members.
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Some people have argued that "gentrification was merely a continuation of urban renewal by private means" (Marcuse 1993). Around 1.5 million people in the United States are estimated to be experiencing homelessness. Although gentrification has been inevitables since the 1970s, it is always important to recognize that the community will and still always exist in these spaces. Simultaneously, degentrification has been situated in some text as providing affordable housing as the solution while ignoring the current economic impact that has artificially oppressed the way the city governments operate. Investing in local governments to buy housing units or land will also further hurt the community. Some cities have had issues building new units and advertising these luxury apartments as affordable when they are not even affordable.
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How can we talk about degentrification?
1.) Rent Control: Many housing justice activists have been saying this for decades.
2.) Acknowledge decades of systemic racism and divestment, including redlining that forced Black, Indigenous, and People of Color into certain zip code areas.
3.) Pushing for housing justice policies, community investment, and local business investment.
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Graphics: @ecoinprogress
#degentrification #gentrification

The mind never rests. I'm happy to team up with @e

The mind never rests. I'm happy to team up with @earthjustice to share why I am never backing down in the fight against environmental injustice. Before I wanted to be an environmentalist, I always had questions but never had the opportunity to ask people because I was afraid. Despite going to college, I never felt welcomed in most academic spaces as a Queer POC. Throughout my environmental journey, I've realized that environmental education incorporates three core values: Indigenous wisdom/ knowledge, cultural-based experiences, and personal lived experiences. While I would have never thought I’d become an educator, I realized the power of sharing introductory forms of environmentalism, to allow people to develop their own frameworks and build upon these concepts. Community is medicine for me. It allows me to continue thriving on this planet.
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Education is a powerful tool for people to begin their journey. It is an injustice that so much environmental knowledge is privatized within institutions and stolen from BIPOC,however, it still continues to exist! Learning about environmental injustices in my community is something very personal to me to this day. I want Justice for Earth because everyone deserves a healthy environment regardless of their class, race, and identity. Until every environmental injustice is dealt with, I will not stop educating generations of people with introductory environmental education terms and concepts. Environmental education allows one to understand how governmental bodies operate under the law and ensure that we have a healthy planet. Unfortunately, the system has not always protected communities, which is why I have partnered with Earth justice, an environmental law organization, to show how we will never give up on defending the environment. For nearly 50 years, Earth justice has never given up the fight for defending communities that experience environmental injustice, and neither will I. Check the link in my bio for more info.
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Until we hold every corporation accountable for their actions to hurt the planet, we will never rest. #NeverRest #DidYouKnow #Until #Earthjustice #earthjusticepartner

Clubhouse conversations always inspire me to do mo

Clubhouse conversations always inspire me to do more research on the process of Denim Sand Blasting. Treating denim to make the fabric look worn or faded is common in the fashion industry. One such method can be sandblasting, which is extremely damaging to workers' health if performed without suitable protective equipment. Statistics from the World Health Organisation showed that sandblasting can lead to incurable diseases like lung fibrosis, emphysema, and silicosis among factory workers (JusticeDenim). A large amount of silica dust can cause silicosis, a lethal disease of lung functioning failure, since workers breathe in the particles.
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Those who develop silicosis are left with shortness of breath, coughing, weakness, and weight loss. Unfortunately, around 100 people die every year from silicosis, and workers cannot pay for access to health services since they "work for as low as $70 a month so they can feed their family" (JusticeDenim). During sandblasting, workers shoot brazing sand onto denim jeans under high pressure. Since sandblasting is fast, cheap, and easy that international manufacturers decide to use it. According to BBC, during the 1990s, there was a rise in popular look for distressed jeans, which opened an opportunity for many retailers to start selling clothes. Bangladesh is "home to more than 4,000 clothes-making factories and many of the world's leading jeans companies use factories based there" (BBC). Sandblasting practice is cruel and intersects with public and environmental health.
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There are still distressed clothing in demand. However, many countries have placed laws to ban sandblasting practices. A new method called surface activation involves washing down the jeans before they are dyed. While the practices are better than sandblasting, there are still issues with the industry itself. Distressing jeans that we adored shouldn't damage one's health, that's for sure. What are your thoughts on sandblasting? Graphics by @ecoinprogress
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#sandblasting #sandblastjeans #denimjeans #jeans #fastfashion #sustainablefashion #ecofashion #ethicalfashion #ecoblogger #ecoblog #fastfashionkills #garmetworkers

Is the Vegan/ animal-rights movement ready to reck

Is the Vegan/ animal-rights movement ready to reckon with white supremacy? Unfortunately, no and that’s okay because BIPOC and allies will continue to organize without them. Over the last few days, I’ve received overwhelming support after addressing problematic Vegans who actively partake in supporting White Supremacy through a spectrum of racist ideologies, rhetoric, or playing the reverse racism card. People do not understand what upholding white supremacy looks like. It could look like actively engaging, sharing, or supporting individuals who have been perpetuating White Veganism. Rather than looking within yourself and taking the time to reflect, seeking your community to validate your rhetoric further fuels others around you to harm others. No one is asking you to post about racial, social, or environmental injustices on a daily basis, but rather to challenge that if you are for animal liberation while being silent for communities who are actively protecting ecosystems that provide a home for human and non-human species, then your work is not effective and limited.
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Around 212 environmental land defenders, 40% of whom were Indigenous, were killed last year when attempting to save their ecosystems. For animal activists who reject the implications of social, racial and environmental injustices — this will not achieve animal liberation and is not effective advocacy. If you’re invested in policies and practices to shut down factory farms, why not expand it globally where Indigenous communities are working against these extractive industries like agribusiness, fossil fuel, and other industries wanting to expand their harmful projects.
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We cannot actively achieve total liberation within the Vegan/ animal rights movement if those in power further influence others to oppress BIPOC & religious groups. Accountability and justice are needed. The animal rights movement was always divided. Rather than certain people claiming that it was always unified shows an uncomfortable truth that these people have always had the option to opt-out of critical race discourses. Actively working on being anti-racist and anti-speciesist is what can achieve total liberation.

Let’s delve into White Veganism & White Supremac

Let’s delve into White Veganism & White Supremacy. Recently, there has been an increase of White Vegan creators who have been perpetuating or upholding white supremacy, staying silent on social justice issues when asked to speak about it, and comparing traumatic historical events to animals' deaths. All of these characteristics are not new to the movement, but I think it’s time to hold people accountable for their actions. If it’s one thing that social media has done, it has been to center whiteness in these movements and put these problematic creators on pedestals. First and foremost. White Veganism to ME is a form of Veganism that focuses solely on animal liberation while ignoring the effects of colonization and how it is interconnected in the oppression of humans and animals. Furthermore, it portrays human supremacy as the main issue rather than addressing white supremacy in how it operates in creating hierarchal roles. White Veganism itself isn’t true Veganism and those who continue to spew out toxicity in the movement further will not create change in their fields. Acknowledging White Veganism and White Supremacy is only the first step to create change within yourself. Condemning white supremacy is something many Vegans on this platform fail to do.
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Failing to address all forms of oppression further contributes to the erasure of BIPOC Vegans who actively fight for the total liberation of humans and non-human animals. At its core, Veganism is a BIPOC practice that is rooted in deep cultural experiences. Veganism is about advocating for the anti-oppression of humans and non-human animals while actively working on becoming anti-racist and anti-specist. Veganism is anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-capitalist — understanding that these ideologies/systems in place will never achieve true liberation for living beings. Despite Veganism being coined in the 1940s by Donald Watson, history is known to erase other countries' events that do not align with its value in the West. Through colonization, non-human animals were introduced as meat that has reinforced the idea that these species have existed native to landscapes. [Part 1/2] #whiteveganism

*GIVEAWAY* 🦷 💫 Did you know that around one

*GIVEAWAY* 🦷 💫 Did you know that around one billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away every year? I am so happy to announce that I am an ambassador for @bite toothpaste providing Vegan, Plastic-Free options for those wanting to reduce their bathroom waste when it comes to using dental products. As someone who has been using Bite for the last few months, I can personally say that I genuinely LOVE using their product. Their toothpaste tablets come in glass bottles. Unlike plastic, glass is infinitely recyclable and comes with aluminum lids. Their packaging boxes are recyclable and they also provide a refill service where they send you 100% compostable pouches.
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You can win a free gift of Bite Toothpaste by entering the following contest. *This contest ends on Sunday 1/17 at 11:59EST
1.) Follow @bite
2..) Tag 1-3 friends and bonus: share why you would love to try out Bite!
3.) Feel free to follow my page if you love learning about environmentalism (not required)
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You can also use QBV10 for a 10% discount on your first order! Head over to www.bitetoothpastebits.com
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#bitetoothpastebits #bitetoothpaste #ecofriendly #ecofriendlyproducts #ecofriendlyhome #ecofriendlyswaps #ecoswaps #sustainabletoothbrush #sustainabletoothpaste #zerowastetoothpaste #zerowastetoothbrush #veganuary2021 #veganuary #sustainability #sustainable #fluoridefree #toothpaste #zerowasteitaly #zerowasteuk #zerowastemexico #zerowastemovement #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastejourney #zerowastecollective #zerowastebathroom #lowwasteliving #lowwaste #consciousconsumer #consciousconsumerism

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