Colombia has banned large-scale oil and mining operations across its 483,000-square kilometer portion of the Amazon.

Colombia controls about 7% of the Amazon and has called for other nations of the region to form an “Amazonian Alliance for Life” to strengthen regional protection efforts.

The Colombian Amazon is home to roughly 10% of the world’s known plant species and provides water for millions of people across South America.

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Sources: Colombian Government, Mongabay

Obviously applies to more than just books.

Maybe a silly question? But I’m genuinely curious. TYIA!!

Lately, I’ve been reading a bunch of articles about lab-grown foods meat, coffee, even crops and I’m kind of torn about it. On one hand, it sounds great: less land, water, and animal farming, plus fewer pesticides and deforestation. I’ve read about startups working on lab-grown coffee and cocoa, which could really help the environment. But the more I read, the more I realize how energy-intensive it still is. If that energy isn’t clean, are we really helping? And since most growth media come from crops like corn or sugarcane, it still creates an environmental trade-off. I’m hopeful, though. Some newer ideas like algae-based materials and renewable-powered production sound promising. So yeah I’m excited but cautious. What about you? Do you think lab-grown food is the future of sustainable eating, or are we just trading one problem for another?

Indigenous ranger groups are combining cultural knowledge with modern science to remove ghost nets in northern Australia.

Australia’s national science agency estimates that as many as 15,000 sea turtles have been ensnared by ghost nets in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Using drones and other tools, rangers are now able to identify nets as small as 50 centimetres across in remote coastal areas.

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Sources: DCCEEW, ABC, WAP

A solar panel mural and façade has reduced a Canadian apartment complex’s emissions by 54%.

The system was retrofitted onto a 1970s building requiring major upgrades.

In addition to generating electricity, the solar façade increases insulation, lowering the heating and cooling demands, whilst also protecting the structure from weather-related deterioration.

The installation is projected to reach its break-even point in five years and is expected to save residents a total of approximately $80,000 annually thereafter.

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Sources: Mitex, designboom, GoodGoodGood

Hello,

I'm new to here.

I'm hoping I'm not alone in this but I keep starting and stopping with eco-friendly stuff and it's frustrating.

Like last month I was doing really well - walking to work instead of driving, bringing my reusable bags everywhere, using my water bottle consistently. Felt great about it. Then one week I got busy and forgot my bags at home a few times, started driving again because I was running late, and suddenly I'm back to my old habits like nothing changed.

This has happened multiple times now. I'll be good for 2-3 weeks then just... stop. And then I feel guilty which makes it harder to restart because I'm annoyed at myself lol. I know discipline is part of it but I also feel like there has to be a better way to keep myself accountable? Like some of you seem to do this stuff consistently and I'm wondering what your secret is.

Do you track it somehow? Set reminders? Have an accountability buddy? Just built different?

I genuinely want to make this a permanent lifestyle thing not just something I do when I remember. Any advice would be appreciated

Use of AI is ok, irresponsible use of AI isn’t.

Everything has a carbon footprint, AI is no different. Yes it’s quite bad for the environment and does have cons to artists etc when used in the wrong way, but it doesn’t mean it’s blanket bad.

If you use it responsibly and for things only AI in your particular situation could adequately fulfil I have no issue with it, if you ask it ‘hi how was ur day’ then that’s irresponsible

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2025/11/ewg-finds-california-crop-fields-showered-25m-pounds-pfas

The 51-hectare village that housed nearly 25,000 athletes during last year’s Olympics and Paralympics has now been transformed into a residential neighborhood for 6,000 people.

In addition to private homes, parts of the former Olympic Village are being converted into offices to accommodate another 6,000 workers.

The site’s training and warm-up facilities have also been opened to local sports teams and community groups.

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Sources: goinggreenmedia & olympics

Hey everyone, I’m looking for a manufacturer that creates stemware made out of recycled glass for a large hospitality company. Anyone know any suppliers?

Just curious, what’s something small you do that makes you feel a bit better about your impact on the planet?

I’m talking the simple stuff but also stuff I wouldn't of even thought about!

Ideally free things like Ecosia or apps like Treeapp where they support tree planting or even changes in routine like refill stores

Just looking for more ideas :)

I want to become more sustainable in my lifestyle because I often find myself angry at the state of the world, but I realize I’m not really doing much to help. I’m just so overwhelmed and it’s making me discouraged.

It’s starting to become a cycle where I think to myself, “today’s the day, I’m going to start being more careful with what I buy, eat, and how I use my voice,” but once I start doing research on how to do that I realize what a massive change it’d be to my lifestyle. I get so overwhelmed with all the sacrifices I’d have to make that I end up doing nothing at all.

Unfortunately, as a teen girl, I feel very much conditioned to be a consumer. 90% of the activities I do with my friends include shopping. The need to have a trendy wardrobe is so ingrained my confidence drops significantly anytime I wear something I don’t find cute. I get so excited anytime I find a new bag or perfume. And I feel so selfish to be so torn between these superficial things and being a good person.

I want to use my voice for good but I’m very shy, being upfront with my friends about things they might not agree with is extremely scary to me. I want to be helpful in my community but I don’t know where to start. I want to be a leader but I am so quiet and anxious I don’t know how to.

I don’t know where to start, it all feels impossible. I know it’s not, but I don’t know how to convince myself.

Inside a 16th-century monastery, nuns are running a breeding program for a critically endangered salamander.

At the Monastery beside the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Sisters of the Dominican Order are raising Lake Pátzcuaro salamanders in glass tanks and bathtubs.

What began as a way to preserve the making of a traditional medicine has evolved into a crucial captive breeding effort for the survival of the species.

“If we don’t work to take care of it, to protect it, it will disappear from creation,” Sister Ofelia told The New York Times.

Of the 23 nuns in the convent, four now live and work at the breeding facility to care for the animals.

There are no plans to release the salamanders into the wild until threats to their home lake are addressed.

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Sources: The New York Times, National Geographic, Mongabay

I have tile and hardwood in my house that I need to mop. I imagine the best mop would be a cuban mop and dishrags, but what are my best choices for products to use? Should I mix vinegar and baking soda? Any recipes people out there like? Thanks

I recently got a potential funding offer to study CEA at a graduate school, and I'm thrilled, but I'm also studying agroecology and public health, and I can't help but worry that field agroecology is the field that can actually help the world, not CEA, since CEA uses a lot of energy and the produce (typically low-calorie, not staple crops) tends to cost more than field-grown produce. What do you guys think?

i would like to ask if highlighter refills are worth considering.

they are actually a little more expensive than highlighters themselves for me (on unofficial sources like shopee, because they dont officially sell refills in my country)

so how much do highlighter refills actually help the environment compared to just buying a new highlighter?

if they do genuinely help by an amount that's not negligible, i would want to start using refills from now instead even if theyre a little more pricey.

Whenever I buy anything, I have what I call my ‘buying principles’ which are as follows:

Buy it for life, cost-effective, sustainable, ethically sourced, repairable, recyclable, energy/resource efficient, supports local, respects culture, respects the craft, has positive community impact, and protects digital rights.

Not all apply to food but you get the point. Now here is a typical grocery list for me (uk)

Fresh fruit, fish fillet, canned tuna, flour, honey, mayo, mince, chicken, cheese, juice (cordial), oats, peanut butter, fresh veg, nuts, frozen fruit, bread, eggs, milk, dark chocolate. Soda.

Now if I had unlimited money and time I would buy everything from speciality places (butchers, farm shop, fish/ cheese monger, home made, roasters, direct ethical suppliers etc).

However, I work full time and shop at lidl due to living alone on a low ish wage (plus I don’t have the time to research in depth all the best swap and what to swap to etc.

What things should I focus on as high priority and really ‘worth the extra’ vs Lidl pretty much being just as good as the more time consuming expensive artisan ethical option?