Finding conflict-free, ethically sourced engagement and wedding rings is a feat many engaged people may have found difficult to attain until Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg founded Brilliant Earth. Gerstein said she experienced the difficulty of finding conflict-free jewelry that represented her love and values, and co-founder Grossberg was passionate about researching ways responsibly sourced jewelry could benefit developing countries. When the two joined forces to create Brilliant Earth in 2005, a commitment to social change and improvement of labor and environmental standards was cultivated. As Brilliant Earth states, “We believe that high quality, fine jewelry need not come at a great human or environmental cost.”
With summer just around the corner, things are starting to heat up in the retail energy industry. Just Energy, a SaveOnEnergy.com® partner provider, announced its ecobee3 smart thermostat is now fully integrated with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service capable devices. Just Energy is the first energy provider to integrate with Alexa, and its Texas customers can sign up for its smart thermostat today. The ecobee3 is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit, Wink, SmartThings and many more home automation devices and applications.
If you have a green thumb or consider yourself an artisan, creating unique crafts that incorporate plants should be up your alley. Silent Divine, an online plant shop based out of Charlotte, N.C., showed the SaveOnEnergy.com® team how to upcycle eggshells and broken succulent stems to make a mini garden that can help eliminate waste. Check out how to turn the eggs you’ve used for baking into a cute and easy-to-make craft.
There are several ways to help cut down on energy consumption in the classroom. By getting your students in on the action and incorporating energy-saving techniques in lesson plans, you’re one step closer to minimizing your carbon footprint. Take note, implement and share the following ways to save energy in your classroom.
Arbor Day is a perfect time to examine the trees on your property and make sure they’re healthy. Whether you check for infestation, disease or the overall look of your land, taking stock of trees can benefit the value of your home and satisfy your pruning goals. Read below to discover the best ways to care for the trees on your property.
Fair Dinkum: Be real, have integrity and be genuine. That’s the guiding philosophy of gDiapers, an eco-friendly diaper company created to help new parents decrease disposable diaper waste. Founders Jason and Kim Graham-Nye discovered that traditional, disposable diapers are the world’s third-largest contributors to landfills and only 5 percent of the population uses them. With this in mind, they moved from Australia to the U.S. and opened gDiapers in 2004 to combat diaper waste.
A clean body and a clear conscience is what SoapBox Soaps is after. With its beginnings in a college apartment kitchen and a mission to make a difference through everyday purchases, Co-Founder and CEO David Simnick created a hygiene company that gives back to those in need.
We hear a lot about reducing our carbon footprint, but do we ever talk about reducing carbon paw prints? If you’re a pet owner who wants to take the extra step in becoming more environmentally conscious, then check out the eight eco-friendly products below. Keep your family cat or dog in the loop by including them on going green.
Spring is just around the corner, and that means it’s almost time to start cleaning out closets and making your home feel anew. What better way to spruce up than with earth-friendly spring cleaning products? Check out some natural cleaning products below and add them to your shopping list. It’s time to get clean and go green!
Having an emergency kit for your home during unexpected weather can come in handy. Many types of storms can lead to a loss of electricity and possibly even a loss of water and heat. Remember, when you lose power, you lose light, refrigeration and access to digital media
Taxes can be complicated - especially if you can't simply fill out the 1040EZ form - with so many forms to collect and so many deductions to remember. There may even be some energy tax credits available you might not know about. If you did renovations to your home or made a big purchase in 2015, you might be eligible for federal or state tax credits. Let's get started
With incandescent light bulbs practically a thing of the past thanks to a more energy-efficient society, we have all, for the most part, switched to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). However, all good things must come to an end – or at least an end to a product’s lifecycle.
Democracy: a form of government that gives power to the people vis-à-vis fair and free elections. It's a simple notion that can often seem complex when it comes to passing legislation.
This past Sunday, University of South Carolina (USC) held an Out of Darkness Walk for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Tomorrow, USC will be screening Broken Heart Land, a feature-length documentary that explores the response of friends, family and community members to Zack Harrington’s suicide in Norman, Oklahoma in 2010.
Today, I'm writing about the importance of both of these special events.
This isn't the first time I've told this story, and it won't be the last. But I think it is important to share. The fact is: my sex education was less than lackluster. I learned more about sex on the back of a school bus while listening to older kids talk. Probably not the most reliable source of information.
The hashtag #StayWeird went viral last night following screenwriter Graham Moore's acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the ethos, the connotation of that sentiment really struck a cord with me.
Here's why...
HeForShe, “a solidarity movement for gender equality.”
For far too long have women been the only ones in participating in the gender equality movement. However, as HeForShe states, recently men have begun to stand-up in addressing inequalities and discrimination faced by women and girls.
Dr. Ingrid Laux-Finnell can remember climbing into a wartime bunker near her Berlin home as a small child, wondering if she was about to go to heaven. She heard the enemy bombs shattering the world outside. That night in the 1940s, and subsequent nights, changed her community forever.
Our state’s reproductive health education is not meeting the standards it set in 1988 when it passed the Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA)
I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with the dishonorable Todd Akin; you know, the one who thinks a woman’s body will prevent pregnancies in the event of a rape? Yeah, well he’s not the only one misinformed about sex.
