When I was 14, H&M was the most exciting store in the world. I spent my summers in Sweden in a town too small for a chain like H&M. But one day each summer my grandmother and I would drive to the big city, Halmstad, to shop at H&M. She… read more
A simple timeline of the environmental movement
I was searching my phone for pictures of Natural Bridges State Park when I realized the word “state park” pulls up hundreds of photos my hubby and I have taken. I searched for “national parks” and “state beaches,” and there were hundreds more. Going through old pictures, and compiling this… read more
Can We Replace Old Traditions With Low-Emissions?
As a kid, I spent every summer at my grandmother’s beach house in Sweden. With my aunt and uncle and cousins, it was a tight squeeze in that two and a half bedroom house. Not exactly my idea of vacation now, but piling into tiny beach homes is a Swedish… read more
The New, Sustainable Meat
I wish I knew how to cook dinner without putting meat on the table. I don’t. Despite all my efforts to learn how to cook healthy, I’m raising my children on a diet full of pork, eggs, and dairy. So I’m conflicted. I want my kids to eat meat for… read more
A tiny piece of environmental history
The White House and Congress seem hell bent on cutting the Environmental Protection Agency’s Budget. I have to wonder how we got here? Why cut the budget of an agency whose mission is “to protect human health and the environment.” The EPA and environmentalists have done their jobs too well.… read more
Dancing With The Devil
An executive order was signed by President Trump last month dismantling President Obama’s climate initiatives. The affected policies were the Climate Action Plan, The Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, the Clean Power Plan and a memo outlining climate change as a growing threat to national security. In effect, Trump… read more
The Conservative Case For Carbon Dividends
I love cash, and I’ll bet I’m not the only one! A group of conservative Washington DC politicians has proposed a plan to discourage carbon emissions and get families paid about $2,000 per year. The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends would tax companies that produce carbon emissions (which leads to… read more
Set Your Weapons Down
Green Guilt Sia has an album called “Healing is Difficult.” On the cover, those words are scratched into her face. When it comes to healing wounds and forgiving mistakes, I have to agree with her. It’s all difficult. When I’ve done something wrong, I tend to be stubborn and defensive.… read more
We Need An All Americans First Energy Plan
I became an American citizen in 2011, and it’s the only test I’ve ever enjoyed studying for. Maybe that’s why Trumps An America First Energy Plan is bugging me so much. It leaves a whole lot of Americans out. The America I know, and love was built by millions of… read more
Growing Up In A Changing Climate
Hope For The Next Generation My children were born in 2009 and 2012. By 2050 my kids will be 41 and 38 years old. By then, they might have kids of their own, and I could have grandchildren. Parenting is full of worries and things to do, so I won’t… read more
Climate Progress Without Government Support
Can We Slow Climate Change Without Government Intervention? The International Energy Agency states that we need the government to slow the worst effects of climate change. Unfortunately, for the next four years, that simply might not happen. So how can Americans move forward with climate change progress without help from the… read more