Around the world water is becoming frighteningly scarce. Droughts that have lasted for decades are occurring in places like the American Southwest, central Chile, and the Congo basin. According to Carbon Brief, over the past 50 years multi-year droughts have impacted every continent except Antarctica. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, between 2016 and 2019, "3.29 billion hectares of reported land were affected by drought, equivalent to 48.86% of the re

Happy Earth Day 2026 and Happy 5th Anniversary to Cleaner Greener Planet! Earth Day reminds us to stop and appreciate the natural world around us. It also serves as a reminder to each of us to do our part to take care of it. I started Cleaner Greener Planet 5 years ago in the hopes of making a small, but positive impact. My feeling was that if I could inspire even just a small number of people by passing on news of environmental victories and educating them on what they can

It's fair to say 2025 was a difficult year. A year of environmental and political chaos and social destabilization from multiple wars and climate disasters. This past year also saw the defunding of major renewable energy projects in the United States, this despite the reality of climate change being felt all around us. All of this has led many to become pessimistic about the future, but it is important to appreciate the victories and remain hopeful by focusing on what went we

It is hard to believe that it has been four years since my first blog post, but today, Earth Day 2025, marks 4-years since Cleaner Greener Planet launched. It has been a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a highly rewarding four plus years. And I hope to keep this going for years to come! On this day, I want to encourage you read about of Earth Day (earthday.org), whose mission is "to broaden, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Ea

If you read environmental news you might assume the world is on a runaway path to self-destruction. The United States dropped out of the Paris Climate Agreement, government contracts to increase renewable energy production are being suspended or cancelled in favor of fossil fuel energy sources that produce carbon and pollute air and water, and the attitude among many new leaders is that climate change is not a priority. But, it is not all doom and gloom. There are still so m

I typically start off the new year writing about the positive things that have been done over the past twelve months to improve the environment. Reading about wins for nature and the planet keep me hopeful, and I hope it does the same for anyone who reads Cleaner Greener Planet. I still plan to do this, as many good things did happen in 2024, but given the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles and other natural disasters that have happened around the world this year, I wanted fir

Want to be the best version of yourself? Want to be someone who helps others feel good about themselves? Want to be a positive presence in the world, someone who is uplifting and inspiring to others? There's a simple way to it — each day practice kindness! "Roots and Shoots 1-Click actions" help young people get ideas of how they can make a positive impact in the world. I am doing the "All Kinds of Kindness" which challenges you to do a simple act of kindness each day for 21

One of the most powerful tools we have to help make positive change is our vote. The people we chose to represent us in government make decisions and pass laws that impact all of us, now and into the future. So, if you're 18 or older, make sure you exercise your 15th amendment right to vote, and do it by November 5, which is the last day to turn in a ballot. If you have not registered to vote yet, visit usa.gov to learn how. Of course, there are lots of issues to consider bef

When it comes to sustainable companies that support the environment, I don't know that there is a better example than Patagonia. When he was young, founder Yvon Chouinard loved to rock climb and started making climbing equipment in his garage and selling the products out of his car. That was a success, and he later expanded his product line and ultimately grew Patagonia into a multi-billion dollar outdoor gear and apparel company. Patagonia became known for its high-quality,

I decided to learn more about what sort of jobs there are available for those interested in helping create a cleaner, greener, planet. This is the first post in an ongoing series I'm calling, "Green Career Profiles." WHAT DOES A GLACIOLOGIST DO? A glaciologist is someone who "studies the internal dynamics and effects of glaciers." For example, how glaciers move, how the impact global climate, and in this day and age, unfortunately, how quickly they are melting. Glaciers also

This is an interesting TED Talk about the Mongolian nomadic culture and what we can learn from their way of life. Khulan Batkhuyag is a communications professional from Mongolia who helps people make behavioral choices that are good for their well being and the environment. She also works with young professionals in Mongolia and guides them to making their businesses more sustainable. In the TED Talk, Batkhuyag discusses nomadic hospitality, how they look out for one another,

No matter where you are in the world, you can create positive change. Summer is the perfect time to get outside and do something good for your community. Volunteering helps others, helps our planet, and makes you feel good! Below are a number of national organizations with chapters in most states. If one of these does not work for you, google environmental organizations in your town to find local opportunities. You can also organize a community trash clean up, plant a communi

I am happy to announce that it has been 3 years since we launched Cleaner Greener Planet. Earth Day, every April 22, is the day we celebrate the earth, giving thanks for the many benefits we receive from our planet. It is also a day to personally renew our pledge to take care of the planet so it will remain vibrant and healthy for generations to come. Earth Day began on April 22, 1970. That date marks the beginning of the environmental movement in the United States. However,

It is important to have a positive relationship with the earth, but also with your own mind. Oftentimes in our world of constant stimulation, we get so caught up in what we have to do or our concerns about the future that we aren't able to sit in the still and let our minds rest. "Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson Our generation, the first that has grown up with phones, has been conditioned to crave constant doses of serotonin through tech

While the changes we see in our everyday lives may be daunting, it is important to stay positive and remind ourselves that good things are happening, too. Renewable energy has been at the forefront of climate researchers and scientists for years, and we are beginning to see the benefits. Electric cars and busses are becoming more popular, as are homes powered by solar energy, as these green technology becomes more efficient and cheaper. Even rental car companies are offering

I was fortunate enough to meet unequivocally one of the most selfless givers of our time. In September, I was volunteering for Action in Africa, when I saw a few people walking down the path. As they came closer, I saw that among them was one of my great heroes, the environmental icon, Dr. Jane Goodall. As she passed by she looked up at me. I was star-struck, but had a huge smile on my face and said, "Hi." Dr. Goodall smiled back, waved and said, "Hello." Just to engage with

This summer, I was fortunate enough to attend Elizabeth Kolbert's presentation in Aspen, Colorado. She is an environmental writer for The New Yorker and the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Sixth Extinction, a book that uses scientific evidence to show the devastating impact humans have had on the planet and what can be done to turn it around. Her latest book is called Under A White Sky: The Nature of the Future, which warns of proposed solutions to our climate crisis tha

This article explains how arid parts of the world where water and climate fluctuations are being felt more severely, such as Israel, are coming up with ways to combat it. One startling fact from the article is that nearly 4 billion people experience extreme water scarcity for at least one month out of each year due to the climate crisis. Not only is water as a whole becoming more and more scarce, but fresh drinking water has also become a huge issue worldwide. Many people in

Dear CGP Readers, It was just over two years ago we started Cleaner Greener Planet. Our first post on April 11, 2021, explained our mission with the blog. Our first real post was titled "The Story Behind Earth Day" and it was posted on April 22, 2021, so we like to consider Earth Day 2021 the official anniversary of Cleaner Greener Planet. Today we should appreciate the beauty around us. But let's do more than just be grateful, let's try to do one good thing to show our thank

While it may often seem like there is no hope for the environment and that no progress is being made, if you look past the doom and gloom, you will find that good work is being done. People tend to gravitate towards the negative happenings in the world and the news media makes it their business to headline the worst of the worst. However, things may not be as bad as the media makes it sound. In the article, "Cheer Up! The World Is Better Off Than You Think," New York Times co