theRising

When reflecting upon her childhood in Bangladesh, Rebeca Sabnam recalls wading through waist-length waters to get to school. But when she moved to New York City, things changed. Sabnam realized this frequent occurrence wasn’t normal. And, more importantly, it needed to change. Sabnam, now 17, is a staunch advocate for...

“I do not believe climate change is a social justice issue. I know it is a social justice issue.” These are the words of 19-year-old climate justice activist Elsa Mengistu, an Ethiopian-born North Carolina native. Mengistu acts as a strong voice in the fight against climate change and environmental racism.

Recently, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be “the first time ever environmental provisions are the center of a North American Trade Agreement.”. In a teleconference announcing the deal, Wheeler shared that unlike the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, an agreement Trump hoped to...

When Kaare Frandsen and siblings Nicolas and Isabel Aagaard first started working together, they focused on designing chairs and kitchenware. But after a few years, they believed there seemed to be enough chair designs. What the world didn’t have, however, was enough eco-friendly alternatives to single-use consumer goods. The trio discovered 1.5 billion single-use Q-tips were created every day. They’re made just to be thrown out after a few seconds of use. So, they created LastObject, a company that sells two main products: reusable, eco-friendly Q-tips and tissues.

With over 17 million subscribers and 3 billion views, YouTuber Coyote Peterson has recaptured the charm of wildlife contemporaries like Steve Irwin and Les Stroud. He’s stepped inside a volcano, gotten his hand stung by painful insects, and swum with giant stingrays. Back when he studied film in college, Peterson...

On a hot summer day, the air thick with humidity, nothing feels better than grabbing a popsicle and sitting by the closest AC vent. What has many scientists concerned, however, is that extreme heat will increase the need for air conditioning. In a recent study, Italian researchers analyzed AC expenditures in eight different industrialized countries and found it could drive low-income households into energy poverty—even ones in developed nations.

Neste, a Finland-based oil refining and marketing company, has announced its first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). On average, SFO has over 57 million passengers a year; and its commitment to move away from traditional fuels can serve as an example for airports nationwide.

The Trump administration is back with another policy change affecting the environment: restricting American’s access to ESG funds. Recently, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a change to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This amendment will block retirement fund managers’ investment decisions “that put social goals before profits.”

This byline is sponsored by Eden Green Technology, a Dallas-Fort Worth vertical farming startup that has committed to matching produce sales 1-for-1 with food donations to local nonprofits, and written by CEO Eddy Badrina. Toilet paper. The run on rolls dominated the news cycle, and the grocery lines. Lost in...

On the island of Madagascar, locked gates, razor-wire fences, and 24-hour armed guards protect one of the world’s rarest treasures. That treasure, worth roughly $50,000 each on the black market, is the last wild population of the critically endangered ploughshare tortoise, the rarest tortoise on the planet. The ploughshare tortoise...

The Conservation Stewardship Program received $10 million to provide subsidies for farmers, ranchers, and forestland managers. And according to a USDA press release, it will fund those working on or starting new conservation projects. The funding will also focus on areas including enhancing soil health, changing weather patterns, and irrigation. The fund's announcement comes at an especially crucial time as Covid-19 brings more financial hardships to farmers.

When Dylan Soh was just 11 years old, he presented a TEDx Talk in Singapore on the future of urban farming and sustainable cities. And by the time he was 13, he had raised $25,000 on Kickstarter for his first invention, the ‘GIYstick,’ which "reuses bottles and fabric to make any pot self-watering."

Generation Z already spends an estimated $44 billion a year in the US just on themselves. And the demographic influences an additional $600 billion in spending by others. In other words, it's a group that sustainability marketing does not want to leave out.