Photo via Unsplash.

Seaweeds, a wondrous underwater gift from the Earth, have a long history in ancient medicine, folklore, farming, and food growing. We are discovering just how vital these life-generating coastal plants are. They support a huge range of marine life and have been identified as a key solution to the climate crisis.

Seaweed forests have the power to sequester carbon on land and sea, reduce methane production in livestock, rebuild marine ecosystems, enrich the soil, provide economic benefits, and address the global plastics problem. As it turns out, this primitive plant/algae has so many human health and climate positive benefits … but only if we cultivate it traditionally / regeneratively.

RELATED POST: How we can Heal the Planet with Regenerative Agriculture

Food Security

The Ocean’s Superfood

Known as sea vegetables, they are extremely versatile and can be used in many dishes, including sushi rolls, soups, supplements, even popcorn!

•  Seaweeds are a great source of vitamins like A, C, E, K, and B, and minerals including iodine, selenium, calcium, and iron. It can contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. 

•  Seaweeds also contain amino acids which are the building blocks for protein.

•  Seaweeds are also said to control a person’s appetite. They might be low in fat but they are packed with soluble fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels and keeps the bowels moving. The fiber can help a person feel full on very few calories.

Not only are seaweeds an incredible source of nutrition, but many are used as emulsifiers in commercial goods like toothpaste, jellies, makeup, and skincare products.

Photo via Blue Evolution – Seaweed Popcorn

Climate Change Mitigation

just by growing, seaweed helps reverse global warming.

Seaweed eats more carbon than other plants as it grows. By drawing CO₂ out of the ocean waters (thereby allowing the oceans to absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere) they help fight climate change. It grows at a rate 30-60 times faster than land-based plants. Trees slowly store carbon in their trunks as they grow, while seaweed grows quickly, storing carbon in its stipe (stem) and fronds (leaves)! 

9% of the
World’s Oceans

Researchers have estimated that if 9% of the world’s ocean surfaces were covered in “seaweed forests,” we would be removing 53 billion tons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere.

Photo by Anika Mikkelson via Unsplash.

Job Creation

According to a World Bank study, farming seaweeds in just .1% of the world’s oceans (approx. 100 million acres) could create 50 million jobs in direct on-farm employment alone. Annually, a mature, 10-acre regenerative ocean farm can produce 50,000 pounds of kelp and 250,000 bivalves, with the capacity to net more than $100,000.

Polyculture

over monoculture

Regenerative ocean farming works to mimic the diversity of ocean reefs by growing a mix of species that work cohesively. Each life form plays an important part. For example, because seaweed de-acidifies seawater, it becomes easier for anything with a shell to grow, and a single adult oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day. By growing shellfish and seaweed together, regenerative ocean farms turn into climate solution powerhouses. At the same time, these farms are safe havens for marine life that improve water quality and provide habitats that foster biodiversity and support the health of many aquatic species.

Photo via Unsplash.

Photo by Ooho.

Seaweed + Livestock

equals less methane emissions

When cows eat, they burp food back up, chew it as cud, and swallow it again to make it easier to digest. During that process, which cows repeat dozens of times throughout the day, an enzyme made by microorganisms in their gut produces methane as a byproduct. The belching and flatulence of livestock release large quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in the United States alone, domestic livestock – including cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo – contribute 36% of the methane humans cause.

Researchers across the globe have been pursuing the idea that adding substances to feed might help reduce these methane-laden burps. It happened to be an ordinary farmer who hit upon the idea of supplementing cows’ feed with seaweed. The idea wasn’t intended to help the climate, but simply for his animal’s health. It doesn’t seem like much, but it could practically neutralize methane emissions from the digestive processes of some livestock, including the planet’s 1.5 billion cows. In lab tests and field trials, adding a small proportion of Asparagopsis taxiformis, a type of red algae, to a cow’s daily feed – about 0.2 of a percent of the total feed intake in a recent study – can reduce the amount of methane by 98%!!

Ancient Greek &
18th Century Icelandic

Turns out there was a reason why the ancient Greeks and 18th century Icelanders grazed their cows on beaches.  Eating more of this underwater plant means less methane production, which indicates a more efficient and healthier cow belly. Historical evidence found they realized the productivity benefits it provided. When cows eat more efficiently, they need less land to eat from, become pregnant faster and produce more milk.

Photo via Pixabay.

Seaweed Fabric

a quasi-medicinal material

SeaCell fabric.

꩜

SOURCES

•  Seaweed’s Bioactive Candidate Compounds to Food Industry and Global Food Security   |   PubMed Central (PMC)
•  Safeguarding the future of the global seaweed aquaculture industry   |   SAMS United Nations University
•   Seaweed Aquaculture for Food Security, Income Generation and Environmental Health   |   World Bank Group
•   How ‘Third Way’ Technologies Can Help Turn Tide on Climate   |   Yale University
•   SeaCell Fabric   |   Smart FiberAG
•   Overview of Greenhouse Gases   |   EPA
•   Mitigating the Carbon Footprint and Improving Productivity of Ruminant Livestock Agriculture Using a Red Seaweed   |   Science Direct
•  Margarita Talep develops algae-based alternative to single-use plastic packaging   |   Dezeen Magazine
•   Ohoo Water the Edible Bottle   |   Ohoo
•   Featured Products:   Blue Evolution, Atlantic Sea Farms, Akua, Osea Malibu, Pangaia, and Truly

A message from 10+ Indigenous leaders and organizations

Regenerative Agriculture & Permaculture offer narrow solutions to the climate crisis.

The following is an Indigenous-led collaborative post that I am supporting as a co-publisher. We invite proponents of western ecological agriculture (e.g., regenerative ag / permaculture) to go deeper and encourage their peers to go deeper – to not just ‘take’ practices from Indigenous cultures without their context, but to also encompass the deeper Indigenous worldviews… inspiring a consciousness shift that hopefully will support us to go from a dominant culture of supremacy and domination to one founded on reciprocity, respect, and interrelations with all beings – including, of course, among all humans.

Introduction

Regenerative agriculture and permaculture claim to be the solutions to our ecological crises. While they both borrow practices from Indigenous cultures, critically, they leave out our worldviews and continue the pattern of erasing our history and contributions to the modern world.

While the practices ‘sustainable farming’ promote are important, they do not encompass the deep cultural and relational changes needed to realize our collective healing.

Where is ‘Nature’?

Regen Ag & Permaculture often talk about what’s happening ‘in nature’: “In nature, soil is always covered.” “In nature, there are no monocultures.” Nature is viewed as separate, outside, ideal, perfect. Human beings must practice “biomimicry” (the mimicking of life) because we exist outside of the life of Nature.

Indigenous peoples speak of our role AS Nature. (Actually, Indigenous languages often don’t have a word for Nature, only a name for Earth and our Universe.) As cells and organs of Earth, we strive to fulfill our roles as her caregivers and caretakers. We often describe ourselves as “weavers”, strengthening the bonds between all beings.

Death Doesn’t Mean Dead

Regen Ag & Permaculture often maintain the “dead” worldview of Western culture and science: Rocks, mountains, soil, water, wind, and light all start as “dead”. (E.g., “Let’s bring life back to the soil!” — implying soil, without microbes, is dead.) This worldview believes that life only happens when these elements are brought together in some specific and special way.

Indigenous cultures view the Earth as a communion of beings and not objects: All matter and energy is alive and conscious. Mountains, stones, water, and air are relatives and ancestors. Earth is a living being whose body we are all a part of. Life does not only occur when these elements are brought together; Life always is. No “thing” is ever dead; Life forms and transforms.

From Judgemental to Relational

Regen Ag & Permaculture maintain overly simplistic binaries through subscribing to good and bad. Tilling is bad; not tilling is good. Mulch is good; not mulching is bad. We must do only the ‘good’ things to reach the idealized, 99.9% biomimicked farm/garden, though we will never be as pure or good “as Nature”, because we are separate from her.

Indigenous cultures often share the view that there is no good, bad, or ideal—it is not our role to judge. Our role is to tend, care, and weave to maintain relationships of balance. We give ourselves to the land: Our breath and hands uplift her gardens, binding our life force together. No one is tainted by our touch, and we have the ability to heal as much as any other lifeform.

Our Words Shape Us

Regen Ag & Permaculture use English as their preferred language no matter the geography or culture: You must first learn English to learn from the godFATHERS of this movement. The English language judges and objectifies, including words most Indigenous languages do not: ‘natural, criminal, waste, dead, wild, pure…’ English also utilizes language like “things” and “its” when referring to “non-living, subhuman entities”.

Among Indigenous cultures, every language emerges from and is therefore intricately tied to place. Inuit people have dozens of words for snow and her movement; Polynesian languages have dozens of words for water’s ripples. To know a place, you must speak her language. There is no one-size-fits-all, and no words for non-living or sub-human beings, because all life has equal value.

People are Land. Holistic includes History.

Regen Ag and Permaculture claim to be holistic in approach. When regenerating a landscape, ‘everything’ is considered: soil health, water cycles, local ‘wildlife’, income & profit. ‘Everything’, however, tends to EXCLUDE history: Why were Indigenous homelands steal-able and why were our peoples & lands rape-able? Why were our cultures erased? Why does our knowledge need to be validated by ‘Science’? Why are we still excluded from your ‘healing’ of our land? 

Among Indigenous cultures, people belong to land rather than land belonging to people. Healing of land MUST include healing of people and vice versa. Recognizing and processing the emotional traumas held in our bodies as descendants of assaulted, enslaved, and displaced peoples is necessary to the healing of land. Returning our rights to care for, harvest from, and relate to the land that birthed us is part of this recognition.

Composting

Regen Ag & Permaculture often share the environmentalist message that the world is dying and we must “save” it. Humans are toxic, but if we try, we can create a “new Nature” of harmony, though one that is not as harmonious as the “old Nature” that existed before humanity. Towards this mission, we must put Nature first and sacrifice ourselves for “the cause”.

Indigenous cultures often see Earth as going through cycles of continuous transition. We currently find ourselves in a cycle of great decomposition. Like in any process of composting there is discomfort and a knowing that death always brings us into rebirth. Within this great cycle, we all have a role to play. Recognizing and healing all of our own traumas IS healing Earth’s traumas, because we are ONE.

Where to go from here?

Making up only 6.2% of our global population, Indigenous peoples steward 80% of Earth’s biodiversity while managing over 25% of her land. Indigenous worldviews are the bedrocks that our agricultural practices & lifeways arise from. We invite you to ground your daily practices in these ancestral ways, as we jointly work towards collective healing.

• Learn whose lands you live on (native-land.ca), their history, and how you can support their causes and cultural revitalization.
• Watch @gatherfilm and Aluna documentary.
• Amplify the voices and stories of Indigenous peoples and organizations.
• Follow, support, donate to, and learn from the contributors to this post.
• Help republish this open-source post: https://bit.ly/IndigenousWorldViews

Contributors

@CulturalSurvival / Galina Angarova
Māori Waitaha Grandmothers Council & Region Net Positive / Tanya Ruka
@NEN_NorthEastNetwork / Seno Tsuhah
Society for Alternative Learning & Transformation & African Biodiversity Network / Simon Mitambo
Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development / Bern Guri
@EarthIsOhana @LoamLove / Kailea Frederick
RegenAgAlliance.org / Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
@Linda.Black.Elk / Tatanka Wakpala Model Sustainable Community
@GreenstoneFarm_LA / Greenstone Farm and Sanctuary
@CulturalConservancy / Melissa K. Nelson PhD
@NatKelley
@GatherFilm
@AGrowingCulture
@Terralingua.Langscape
@FarmerRishi
@KameaChayne

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Photo by Alex Loup via Unsplash

Affiliate Disclaimer: this website is supported by its audience and contains affiliate links. An affiliate link means I may earn advertising or referral fees at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. (read more)

Soil is the basis of life on Earth. The Earth’s skin is a living, breathing ecosystem that produces bountiful crops and forests, sustains diverse wildlife, regulates water cycles, cleans the air, and stores carbon. Soil plays the role of a “living skin” for the Earth’s mineral crust. It takes thousands of years to form this skin, but unfortunately, it only takes just a few decades of intensive farming, forest destruction, and pollution to destroy it.

Regenerative agriculture is a method of farming that aims to “improve the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them,” according to the Rodale Institute. The practices increase soil biodiversity and organic matter, leading to more resilient soil that can better withstand climate change impacts like flooding and drought. Regenerative farming also prioritizes high standards for animal welfare and worker fairness.

Photo by Janko Ferlic via Pexels.

How it Heals…

1. PRESERVES TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Understanding indigenous farming systems reveals important ecological clues for the development of regenerative organic agricultural systems.

2. IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH

Farmers minimize physical disturbance of the soil, and over time increase levels of soil organic matter, creating healthier, more resilient environments for plants to thrive, as well as keeping carbon where it belongs.

3. MINIMIZES THE USE OF CHEMICALS

Different plants release different carbohydrates (sugars) through their roots, and various microbes feed on these carbs and return all sorts of different nutrients back to the plant and the soil.

4. INCREASES RESISTANCE TO PESTS & DISEASES

Healthy soil results in healthy, disease-resistant and pest-tolerant plants, decreasing the need for expensive fertilizers and pesticides.

5. IMPROVES NUTRITION

The nutrient density of our food has fallen tremendously in the last 50-70 years. By reducing the disturbance of soil and nurturing the soil biology the soil stays healthy, which provides us with nutritious and good quality food.

6. IMPROVES YIELDS

By increasing the plant diversity of their fields, farmers help create the rich, varied, and nutrient-dense soils that lead to more productive yields.

7. RESTORES GRASSLANDS

One third of the earth’s surface is grasslands, 70% of which have been degraded. We can restore them using holistic planned grazing.

8. SUPPORTS POLLINATORS

Healthy, productive soil can support a diverse range of habitats and crops for many different members of the ecosystem, including beneficial insects like pollinators.

9. CREATES A HEALTHIER WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR FARMERS

Without the use of toxic chemicals, farmers can work in a safer and healthier environment.

10. FEEDS THE WORLD

Small farmers already feed the world with less than a quarter of all farmland.

11. REVITALIZES LOCAL ECONOMIES

Family farming represents an opportunity to boost local economies.

12. IS CLIMATE FRIENDLY

Regenerative techniques create farmland that pulls carbon dioxide, one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases, out of the atmosphere.

13. TAKES INTO ACCOUNT FUTURE GENERATIONS

By building healthy soils we can increase resiliency and profitability, and ensure the success and viability of the land for future generations.

Photo by Bryan Walker via Unsplash.

Regenerative Practices

1. NO-TILL OR LOW-TILL FARMING

Plowing and tilling the farmland dramatically erodes the soil and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This can also result in the kind of bare or compacted soil that creates a hostile environment for important soil microbes. By practicing minimal or no-till rechniques, carbon is left underground, enriching the soil and reducing greenhouse gas production.

Young soybean plants thrive in the residue of wheat crop. This form of no till farming provides good protection for the soil from erosion and helps retain moisture for the new crop. Photo credit: USDA NRCS Photo Gallery

2. INTEGRATING LIVESTOCK

Animals break up the soil with their hooves when they move, compacting inedible plants and allowing nutrients and sunlight to new plants. This essentially speeds up the building of soil organic matter, with crushed leaves and stalks creating a natural mulch. The soil becomes better equipped for germinating seeds and the livestock’s excrement adds nutrients to the ground, further improving water retention.

3. COMPOSTING

Animal, plant, and food waste can all be used to make nutrient-rich compost that plants – and the soil microbiome – love. To support crop growth compost can be added on top of fields or mixed with soil. By adding compost, it reduces the need for other fertilizers on farms.

4. BIOCHAR

In a process called pyrolysis, organic material like leaves and sticks burn in an oxygen-free environment and form a dark black fertile substance rich in carbon and highly porous (this means soil can more easily retain nutrients and water). This substance is called Biochar, and is used the same way compost is. It is added to existing soil to create nutrient-rich soil without fertilizer application, soil manipulation, or the production of carbon. It is a 2,000-year-old practice originated in the Amazon rain forest region.

Photo credit: CharGrow

5. UTILIZING CROP ROTATION AND COVER CROPS

Farms and gardens can infuse soils with more soil organic matter that is diverse, often while avoiding disease and pest problems naturally, by rotating crops and deploying cover crops strategically.

6. PLANTING PERRENIAL CROPS

Perrenial crops survive year-round and develop intricate, thick root systems that retain rainwater and easily adapt to changes in nutrients in the soil. These plants require less input for long-term survival, and many farmers will use them as cover crops between growing seasons. Cover crops instantly produce biodiversity on a farm, along with maintaining soil integrity.

7. ECOLOGICAL AQUACULTURE

The process of growing plants and animals in aquatic systems using methodology that mimics natural historic conditions and is ecolonomic – maintaining natural resources in ways that benefit us economically.

8. AGROFORESTRY

Farming in a forest. A few practices of agroforestry are planting rows of trees between crops, planting trees in pastures for livestock, and creating tree or plant canopies over cropland or pastures. The benefits of tree cover include carbon sequestration, protecting plants from extreme weather, and improving water quality.

9. MANAGED GRAZING

Livestock rotate through different portions of the pasture according to the growth rate and stage of the forage they are feeding on. This provides a consistent fuel source for livestock and a chance for crops to develop strong root systems. In turn, these root systems enrich the soil and allow for improved water retention. Farmers who practice holistic managed grazing consider the longevity of the land, the needs of surrounding wildlife, and protection of both land and livestock from dangers like drought or fire.

Photo credit: USDA NRCS Photo Gallery

10. SILVOPASTURE

Silvopasture is the practice of integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial system. It utilizes the principles of managed grazing, and it is one of several distinct forms of agroforestry. Livestock grazing and tree growth create opportunities for accelerated cycling of nutrients.

11. PERMACULTURE DESIGN

Permaculture design is like landscape design but it is tailored to the needs of agriculture, and it also takes into account the principles of ecology. A permaculture farm will likely be more efficient for the farmer, with better functioning ecosystems and water cycles that tend to also be beautiful as an added bonus.

A New Certificate To Look Out For

In 2018, Rodale Institute introduced a new, holistic, high-bar standard for agriculture certification. Regenerative Organic Certified™, or ROC, is overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, a non-profit made up of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and farmer and worker fairness.

The Regenerative Organic Alliance, which includes organizations and brands like Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’s, and Patagonia, Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC) helps consumers make informed choices about their food purchases.

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Nature is key in healing our planet. It’s true, no trees, no humans. Scientists are saying halting deforestation is just as urgent as reducing emissions. Protecting and restoring forests would reduce 18% of emissions by 2030 and help avoid global temperature rise beyond 1.5C. Trees and other vegetation currently absorb around a quarter of the CO2 humans are adding to the atmosphere, softening the potential impact of climate change.

The sad reality is that forests are being cleared out at near record rates. Deforestation is known to drive 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions, and slowing it remains one the most effective mitigation steps. The number one threat to earth’s forests is for agribusiness, where large areas of forests are burned or cleared to make space for crops and livestock.

Sometimes we can feel helpless in the fight on climate change, but I am sharing 7 actionable, realistic ways we can support reforestation and conservation:

1. Browse with Ecosia

THE SEARCH ENGINE THAT PLANTS TREES!

You can support reforestation from the comfort of your couch. Ecosia works like any other search engine except they use their profits, from search ads, to plant trees. 80% of profits are donated to non-profits focused on reforestation and conservationism. If you don’t believe it Ecosia publishes their monthly financial reports and tree planting receipts so you can see for yourself.

Trees are planted where they’re needed most. In Indonesia the trees are providing alternatives to palm oil and improving farmers livelihoods. In Ethiopia water cycles are being restored after suffering one of the most severe droughts in 2016. In Colombia searches are supporting coffee farmers and the shift from illegal coca plantations. These are just a couple examples of how Ecosia is not only reforesting our planet but also empowering communities.

So far they have planted over 50 million trees which means 2.5 million tons of CO2 has been removed from our atmosphere, 60,000 hectares of land has been restored, and over 500 native tree species have been planted. They have an incredible goal to reach 1 billion trees by 2020, help them out by making the switch.

Check out this 6 minute video to see the impact of 50 million trees HERE.

2. Buy Less Products with Palm Oil

It’s in everything – shampoo, soap, cookies, chocolate… there’s a huge amount of everyday products that contain palm oil. In fact, 50% of packaged foods contain palm oil. Mass deforestation is happening in Africa, Asia, and America, but more specifically in Indonesia and Malaysia – home to 90% of production. The land is clear-cut for the oil-palm tree, a very lucrative plant that creates the most versatile oil than any other plant-based oil of its kind. Aside from destroying wildlife, the palm oil industry is also the cause of slavery, displacement of indigenous people, and substantial use of pesticides and herbicides that are harmful to the environment, workers, and those who inhabit the area. So how can you spot it in your products?

Palm oil hides behind a myriad of names (see below), but a big problem is that it is often listed as “vegetable oil.”

The alternatives to palm oil are bleak. It’s an incredibly high-yielding vegetable oil and anything that would end up replacing it would most likely require even more land. An alternative would merely shift rather than counter the losses of rainforests and wildlife from agriculture. Instead, we should focus on lessening our demand. The demand for palm oil is connected to an increase in processed packaged foods. We should focus on eating more fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. Palm oil isn’t even healthy. It’s high in saturated fats and calories, and has some connections to organ toxicity, insulin resistance, and obesity.

3. Use Recycled or FSC Certified Paper and Wood Products

RECYCLED PAPER

Recycled paper diverts used paper from landfills and returns it to the paper manufacturing stream. This process saves on emissions, wastewater, energy, and saves 100% of trees! Recycled paper production emits 40% less greenhouse gases than virgin paper production. Keep on recycling your used paper because paper that ends up in the trash goes straight to the landfill and decomposing paper is found to be a significant source of methane emissions from landfills.

RECLAIMED WOOD

Reclaimed wood comes from old buildings that are removed or demolished leaving behind air-dried wood. The cumulative energy used to make virgin lumber in comparison to using reclaimed would was found to be 11 – 13 times more. Reclaimed wood is actually a great insulator due to its cellular structure making it great for flooring, walls, and ceilings, plus it adds a lot of beautiful character!

FSC CERTIFIED PAPER AND WOOD

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. Back in 1990 when deforestation started to be considered a global problem the FSC was founded. This certification ensures socially responsible, economically feasible, sustainable forest management.

SIX REASONS TO CHOOSE FSC CERTIFIED WOOD AND PAPER:

The FSC label can be found on wood and paper products, even on non-timber forest products such as latex. You can find it on pencils, eyeliner, tissue boxes, floors, decking, utensils, and many more products!

Please note, while FSC MIXED can contain controlled wood that is not FSC certified, the controlled wood cannot be illegally harvested, harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights, harvested in forests where high conservation values (HCVs) are threatened, harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use, and harvested in forests where genetically modified trees are planted.

This topic brings up the question, is it better to purchase recycled paper and wood products or FSC certified products? Both have their merits. When choosing recycled paper checking for percentages is key. The recycled paper might not contain a very high level of old paper so it’s best to look for the highest level of “post-consumer waste paper” possible. So which is better? Well, rather than choose between the two, hunt for both! (sorry, trick question!) Deforestation remains high, but we do have options on choosing systems that reduce paper waste and protect our forests.

4. Donate to or get Involved with Conservation Organizations

One of the best chances of us seeing change is by financially or physically supporting environmental conservation groups that have been working hard and fighting the good fight for years.

TOP CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS:

1. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

One of the most effective non-profit conservation organizations worldwide. Their mission is “conserving land and water on which all life depends.” Check out their large-scale restoration initiative – PLANT A BILLION.

2. ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION

The largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to tree planting.

3. RAINFOREST ALLIANCE

The non-profit works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior.

4. NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC)

Works to safeguard the earth – its pople, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.

5. GREENPEACE

The largest environmental organization in the world is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

6. ONE TREE PLANTED

A non-profit focused on planting trees all around the world. One dollar plants one tree.

7. SIERRA CLUB

An organization that helps to preotect and save America’s Forests, Arctic refugees, bodies of water, and wildlife.

8. TREES FOR THE FUTURE

A Maryland-based nonprofit organization that helps communities around the world plant trees.

9. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION

The non-profit is dedicated to reforestation. Their mission is to engage Americans in promoting the health and public enjoyment of our National Forests.

10. THE WOODLAND TRUST

The UK’s largest woodland conservancy charity.

If you are short on cash you can check on their websites for online activism opportunities that can be as simple as signing your name to a petition. Or consider acting locally. Some of these organizations might have volunteer opportunities in your area so you can donate your time instead of money!

5. Impact Investing / Investing in Indigenous Communities

Impact investing or socially responsible investing (SRI) refers to investments “made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.”  We can directly influence a company’s corporate conduct through engagement and exercising our voting rights.  If you already have an investment portfolio you can tailor it to focus on companies that align with your values. If you’re looking to start one, it is the perfect time to build a socially responsible portfolio from square one.

INVESTMENT SERVICES WORTH CHECKING OUT:

SWELL INVESTING

Swell makes it easy to invest and understand the process. Their platform is profit + purpose. Swell will invest your money in companies solving the world’s biggest problems.

EARTHFOLIO

Invests exclusively in sustainable funds that screen on ten separate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria. Investments will contribute to mutual funds which promote positive social and environmental progress.

OPENINVEST

A Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) dedicated to using technology to bring honesty and transparency to financial services, while making socially responsible investing easy and more accessible. If you join, you’ll gain access to a fully diversified portfolio that can be easily tailored to reflect your values.

NATURAL INVESTMENTS LLC

A national portfolio management firm. They are a partner of Green America and have been at the forefront of socially responsible investing for over 30 years. A good resource is their THE HEART RATING which evaluates mutual funds and rates them based on their social, environmental, and governance performance.

GREEN CENTURY FUNDS

A leader in the environmentally and socially responsible investing field. Their unique three-pronged approach combines a fossil fuel free sustainable investing strategy with award-winning shareholder advocacy and support of environmental non-profits to deliver impact in a way no other mutual fund family can.

One of the most efficient ways to protect forests is by investing in indigenous communities. Indigenous practices have been protecting and preserving the forests these communities call home long before the arrival of the modern economy.

HOW TO INVEST IN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES:

SCREEN YOUR STOCKS

Consult your investment manager on whether your investments take into the account the rights of indigenous people. Utilize the FIRST PEOPLES WORLDWIDE’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INVESTMENT GUIDELINES so your investment manager can properly evaluate how companies handle working with indigenous peoples.

SHAREHOLDER ACTIVISM

People who own direct company stock have a great deal of influencing from within to drive companies to establish better practices. As a shareholder, you can vote by proxy and weigh in on important issues. If you own mutual funds, your mutual fund manager votes proxies for you. Ask them how they vote on indigenous rights.

COMMUNITY INVESTING

Provide funding directly to local, grassroots development projects. You can learn about specific project proposals from communities around the world and are able to choose which ones you would like to help fund.

6. Carbon Offsetting

This is probably going to be the most unpopular actionable step because no one wants to dish out more $$$, but here me out:

P.S these last few steps are more directed toward fighting for a habitable climate as a whole!

We’ve seen a rapid increase in carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution and today’s numbers are at an all time high. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, CFCs (Chloroflourocarbons), Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated gasses are all greenhouse gasses emitted into our atmosphere based on the choices we make.

BUY CARBON OFFSETS

We should always aim to reduce our emissions directly, however carbon offsets can help reduce and even eliminate your carbon footprint. When you buy a carbon offset your money supports a project working to reduce emissions. Tree planting and soil management projects help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, while energy efficiency projects like solar and wind farms reduce overall emissions.

Keep scrolling to find where you can calculate your carbon footprint plus where to offset your emissions!

WHAT IS CARBON TAXING?

I want to take a second to talk about carbon taxing. Right now there is inadequate incentive for firms and households to reduce emissions. A carbon tax, a form of pollution tax, is any tax on activity that puts carbon into the atmosphere. It imposes a fee on the production, distribution or use of fossil fuels based on how much carbon their combustion emits. This tax would make using dirty fuels more expensive and therefore would incentivize utilities, businesses, and individuals to lessen their consumption and use energy more efficiently. This would also make alternative energy more cost-competitve. The key is getting the tax level right. If it is too low many would opt to pay the tax and continue polluting. If it is too high it would effect profits, jobs, and consumers. The idea is that when we consume fossil fuels we are creating pollution that effects everyone, so you should have to pay for your part in the pollution.

A carbon tax is widely accepted in some form in many northern European countries like Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. At this time, carbon taxes are not mandated in the US. If a carbon tax was implemented at a national level the fear is that it would anger people because no one wants to pay more taxes with high prices already found on gas and energy, BUT this could reduce taxes in other areas, like payroll tax.

Getting a bit off topic but… currently, our lawmakers prefer carbon trading over carbon tax as the economic solution. Carbon trading, also known as emissions trading, is a market based tool to limit greenhouse gases. Cap-and-trade systems are the most popular way to regulate greenhouse gases. The government sets a cap on allowable emissions across a given industry, with caps getting stricter over time. The emission allowances are then auctioned off or distributed. For more info on cap-and-trade visit HERE.

Both cap-and-trade systems and carbon taxing have their pros and cons, although many economists would argue that a carbon tax is the fairest, most effective and efficient single policy tool in the fight on climate change. However, as a individual you can choose to pay a monthly carbon tax to offset your carbon footprint.

CALCULATING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

In less than a couple minutes you can get an estimate on how much carbon you produce each month by visiting CARBOTAX.ORG, plus how much you should pay monthly to offset your carbon emissions. I also love FOOTPRINTCALCULATOR.ORG which calculates how many earths we would need if everyone lived like you. Both are very eye opening!

WHERE TO OFFSET YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

COOL EFFECT

CARBO TAX

CARBON FUND

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION

REFORMATION’S CARBON IS CANCELLED CAMPAIGN

BUY FROM YOUR UTILITY COMPANY

Many utility companies sell carbon offsets to their customers to help offset the CO2 produced by their home or office. This could be a more convenient option for many people.

HOW TO AVOID SCAMS

Make sure you’re looking for transparency and certifications before paying out. For your carbon offset to be effective you have to choose a provider that is funding a real project to enact permanent change. A legitimate provider will be verified and enforced by third-party organizations as well. If its reviewed a certified by nonprofits like Climate Action Reserve, Green-e Climate, Gold Standard, or the EPA Climate Leaders profram that its trustworthy.

7. Vote, and Stay Informed with Elected Officials

Systematic change is crucial and we need collective action by multiple institutions to tackle the biggest problem our planet is facing. We need to tell our leaders that we KNOW the truth about climate change. The sad reality is that fossil fuels manipulate and dictate us. To protect our planet we need to vote for leaders who will fight climate change by ending fossil fuels subsidies, investing in renewables, leaving fossil fuels in the ground, and supporting a price on carbon.

Stay informed. Get your information from reputable sources. If you don’t know if its reliable, follow the money. Find out how they are getting funded for this information. We live in a world where misinformation spreads quickly so its important to do our due diligence when gathering information and sharing it with others.

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