1. donate to indigenous organizations

cultural survival is an indigenous-led non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping indigenous communities around the world. with this organization, you can be sure that your donation is going directly to supporting grassroots indigenous community movements as they fight for the rights to their land and cultures. click here to be brought to their ‘donate’ page.

2. educate yourself about indigenous cultures

finding accurate information nowadays can be difficult, so make sure to get information about indigenous peoples right from the source. check out the news sections of these websites of reputable indigenous-led organizations to learn about current indigenous affairs:

• cultural survival
• international work group for indigenous affairs
• survival international 
• minority rights group international

3. shop from indigenous-founded businesses

another way to directly support indigenous peoples is through purchasing their products online. here are a few sustainable indigenous companies to support: 

• cheekbone beauty for cruelty-free cosmetics and beauty products
• sḵwálwen for botanical skincare products based on indigenous science and self-care rituals
• urban native era for clothing made by sustainable practices
• b. yellowtail collective for handmade goods and accessories created by native american artists
• she native for handmade jewelry created using indigenous techniques

4. attend indigenous events, seminars, and workshops

many indigenous organizations hold events open to the public to get people involved and more informed about indigenous peoples. for example, watch these recorded webinars from the national museum of the american indian to learn about different indigenous topics. keep an eye out for any events in your area!

5. volunteer or intern with indigenous organizations

if you have a skill that might be useful to an indigenous organization (foreign language, article writing, programming, etc), why not support a good cause and intern or volunteer? for example, i interned at cultural survival, but many indigenous organizations also have volunteer opportunities available! you can also research ways to support indigenous peoples in your community.

6. support indigenous rights public policy

making your voice heard in politics, both at a local and national level, is incredibly important. here are just a few petitions to sign to support indigenous causes:

• clean water for indigenous communities drinking from the great lakes basin
• demand congress support indigenous communities by passing the not invisible act
• good relations pledge

7. spread the word on social media!

in today’s society, social media has a lot of reach. supporting indigenous creators on different platforms is a great way to support and learn about indigenous communities. on the internet, everyone has influence so make sure to spread the word about indigenous rights. 

• podcast: let’s talk native with john kane
• instagram: brazilian indigenous climate activist txai suruí: @txaisurui
• twitter: indigenous revitalization informative account: @indigenoustweets
• youtube: native american educator and influencer diana onco-ingyadet
• tiktok: navajo social justice activist lance tsosie: @modern_warrior__
• bonus source: cultural survival’s indigenous rights radio (check out the ‘climate change and the environment’ section!)

1. “i don’t see why composting matters”

while composting may not sound impactful, individual action in composting can prove to be highly beneficial for the environment and the economy. below, we’ve gone ahead and explained exactly what impact food waste has:

2. “i don’t know what can and can’t be composted”

many people do not compost because they aren’t sure what can and can’t be composted, so below we’ve set the record straight with an easy visual you can print out and keep on your fridge as a reminder as well as a detailed list based off the information provided small footprint family. a mix of quick and slow composting items generally creates healthy compost.

3. “i don’t know how” or “it’s too inconvenient”

it’s easy to write off something and not act when you aren’t informed. you’ve heard the saying “ignorance is bliss” but now that you know the importance of composting and how easy it is determine what can and can’t be composted, learning how to compost for your lifestyle is a must! we’ve provided a simple guide outlining the different ways to compost suiting your needs:

4. “i’m not sure of the relevant rules/laws”

another impediment to composting could be worrying about the relevant rules or laws, however most states encourage composting and have set up programs to encourage composting in easy ways. the law is an important area to understand and get right, especially if you’re interested in outdoor composting. composting council provides a list of some of the relevant laws for most states and jurisdictions. generally, the main area of concern is for backyard composting where you just need to be sure you are composting in a manner that is not hazardous to human health or unsafe and that you acquire permits if necessary:

there are so many reasons why composting is important, including decreasing food waste, creating jobs, and reducing pollution. determining what can and can’t be composted is simple, following the guidelines above. figuring out what method of composting fits your needs and learning how to perform that method is also fairly easy. composting can be convenient and being informed of the relevant laws is important. now you have the information you need to be empowered and go out and compost!

after this experience, i recognized there are a couple of small steps i can take to tackle climate change. one takeaway is limiting the use of single-use plastic. seeing the amount of single-use plastic float and remain trapped along the shore put a lot into perspective. according to the documentary plastic ocean we are producing 380 million tons per year and 50% are single-use plastic. also, 10 million of that is dumped in our oceans annually.” pollution is one of the factors that can contribute to coral bleaching. a few cayes have bases just for research. the researchers would test the coral for bleaching. at tobacco caye, i noticed a sign indicating “reef wisdom” to protect the reef for locals and tourists. some of the activities locals and tourists can do at the caye are snorkeling and kayaking. seeing that sign at the main entrance to the reef can prevent damages to the reef’s ecosystem. the last take away i would like to mention is to travel locally. some locals turned their homes into a resort as a source of income and rely on good recommendations. the resort had a certificate of excellence by the trip advisor. if many tourists are visiting belize through cruises, they may not notice the same practices as someone who is staying with a locally. i have become a better tourist after my time at the cayes. it has taught me how each of our actions has an impact on our environment. i thought it would be helpful to show ways in which we can all be better tourists.

at a basic level podcasts are simply audio files and, therefore, spoken stories. next time you write a story, read it out loud and think about how it would sound on a podcast. to get some inspiration or to get started, here’s a list of examples of great storytelling via podcast.

1. the moth: true stories told live

the moth is a storytelling podcast and event series that works to “promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience.”

start off by listening to the story a view of earth by michael j. massimo; “an astronaut details his high stakes mission to repair the hubble space telescope.

2. this american life

this american life is one of the pioneers in storytelling podcasts. ira glass and the numerous producers and contributors to the show put together a weekly hourlong podcast centered on a theme. the theme shines through in each act in very creative ways and the show can make you both laugh and cry, all within that 60 minutes. 

start off by listening to the episode doppelgangers; “we got a tip about a meat plant selling pig intestines as fake calamari, wondered if it could be true, and decided to investigate. doppelgängers, doubles, evil twins and not-so-evil twins, this week. fred armisen co-hosts with ira glass.” 

3. 99% invisible

“99% invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.” you will find yourself intrigued by topics you have never even considered before. 

start off by listening to the episode holdout; “around 2005, a seattle neighborhood called ballard started to see unprecedented growth. condominiums and apartment buildings were sprouting up all over in a community which had previously been made up of mostly single family homes and small businesses. around this time, developers offered an elderly woman named edith macefield $750,000 dollars for her small house, which was appraised at around $120,000. they wanted to build a shopping mall on the block where macefield had lived for the last 50 years. macefield turned down the money. developers went forward with the shopping mall anyway. the mall enveloped her house on three sides.” 

4. criminal

criminal reports true crime stories that go beyond the murders and police reports of csi. the stories instead focus on “people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.”

start off by listening to the episode pappy; “when it comes to the bourbon pappy van winkle, it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you have — you can’t get it unless you’re exceptionally lucky or willing to break the law. the pappy frenzy has law enforcement, bartenders, and even the van winkle family themselves wringing their hands.”

5. storycorps

storycorps is a unique podcast on this list, as the stories are conversations recorded at recording stations around the country that anyone can partake in. 

start off by listening to ollie cantos, and then-14-year-old triplets leo, nick and steven argel talk about growing up blind.

6. radiolab

radiolab explores every curiosity in life in depth. they find a way to make the most obscure topics extremely interesting.

start off by listening to the episode i hart k-pop; while extreme nosiness into the lives of celebrities is the norm in the united states, celebrity is completely different in south korea. “a global juggernaut, k-pop garners billions in sales and millions of fans hanging on every note, watching k-pop idols synchronize and strut. and that fame rests on a fantasy, k-pop stars have to be chaste and pure, but also … available. until recently, korean music agencies and k-pop fans held their pop stars to a strict set of rules designed to keep that fantasy alive. that is, until dispatch showed up.”

7. modern love

an essay-focused podcast that is “based on the new york times’ popular series of weekly reader-submitted essays. exploring the joys and tribulations of love, modern love: the podcast adds new dimension to the popular new york times column, with readings by notable personalities and updates from the essayists themselves.”

start off by listening to the episode a millennial’s guide to kissing; “emmy rossum reads a story about a 12-hour relationship. on an airplane.” the original essay was written by a college student. 

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listen for inspiration but do not feel constrained by these examples. continue listening to podcasts and find some of your favorites. there are thousands of podcasts available on itunes, soundcloud and independent websites. 

here at planet forward we do a lot of outreach — to gain content, attendance at events, inform people about our cause, and so much more. that being said, we want our outreach to be as green as possible. and if we can do it, other groups definitely can. help your organization and university achieve its sustainability goals. here are some ways to be more sustainable when reaching out to your peers:

1. go electronic. this is the easiest, most obvious way you can make a difference. reach out via email and telephone, rather than snail mail. not only is this method much quicker, but you can reach more people with no paper waste. and skip the fliers on campus. instead, make a digital version or craft a short, entertaining video (and hope it goes viral!). it’s also more likely that more people will see your message if you’re directly targeting the audience you want to reach.

2. use smaller paper. if you must hand out fliers, try a quarter sheet or a palm card. you can typically get just as much information on that size, and still get your message across. some printing companies also offer recycled paper options, and can include a brief message at the bottom letting others know that the product was printed on post-consumer waste.

3. make it a goal to hold zero waste events (or as close to it as possible). have bins for recycling and composting at any events put on by your organization or group. to help eliminate food waste, if you’re serving food at your event, family-style or buffet serving options produce less waste overall, as leftovers can be repurposed. plated food cannot be reused and therefore ends up in the compost bin — or worse, the trash.

serving breakfast as a buffet at the 2015 feeding the planet summit helped reduce food waste. our venue,
the house of sweden, offered composting, in addition to recycling, to make our event as sustainable
as possible. / planet forward

4. incentivize sustainable behaviors. if you are hosting a competition or fundraiser, incorporate a sustainability component into the event. encourage people to “battle it out” and see who can go a week using the least amount of electricity, or who can produce the least amount of trash. then, reward the winner with a (green) prize!

5. give out green swag. awesome events have awesome swag. check out some websites that sell upcycled, recycled or reusable products that can be customized to feature your logo! many sites sell products like this, and it can be something reusable like a water bottle or shopping bag, or something completely new and unique, yet still made of recycled product. one key thing to keep in mind with swag is you want it to be useful, otherwise it might end up in the trash. and that’s not very green! 

(image at top by wilson adams)

you drive to a restaurant, you wait for a table, you sit down at the table, you look at the menu, you order, your food arrive and you eat. little did you know but the activity of dining requires a lot of energy and excess amounts of oil. yes, oil. it’s an obvious fact that you are using up energy when driving to the restaurant, but it is not so obvious when you’re indulging in a sirloin steak. many restaurants are becoming more energy conscious and are taking initiative, by the simple act of giving up their vegetable oil waste! now you may ask, what good is left over vegetable oil? well for starters, chefs use a ton of oil to cook with and they need to dispose of the waste. the problem is you simply cannot throw that amount of excess oil away and you can’t wash it down the drain either.

this is where the greenlight biofuels company comes in. employees of greenlight schedule a routine pick-up with restaurants. the employee physically comes and extracts the container of oil (which range from 100 to 400 gallons). the oil is then transported to their facility in prince ann, maryland. this is where their machines convert the oil into biofuel. biodiesel is a renewable substitute fuel for diesel engines. many states have issued a mandate to make use of biodiesel. cars and buses can run on this alternative energy source. so the next time you are eating a sirloin steak, remember that the oil the chef used to prepare your meat with, is actually the fuel that is powering your car!

video produced by – jordan petitt and samantha lafer of team #thinkfwd