EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

Should You Turn on Dark Mode? In recent years, dark mode has become a trend in the world of tech. Many say that it looks dope and that it saves battery life. This post explores whether or not you should turn on dark mode from an environmental perspective.  Related: Is Dark Mode Good for the Environment? What is Dark Mode? Dark mode, also known as night mode or dark theme, is when the background of an app, user interface, or website displays light-colored text or graphics on a black or dark gray background. Last July, EarthPlex transitioned to a dark mode. That means our site's background is now black, and the text in our posts is light gray. See the image above to compare dark mode (right) to a standard/light mode (left). Should you use it?  To determine whether or not you should use dark mode, we will look from an environmental lens. The answer is yes. You should use dark mode because it saves battery, which means that your device will use fewer resources, for it will not need to

 Why You Shouldn't Feel Climate Anxiety Teens have more anxiety these days than ever before. This is likely due to internet usage and social media . A relatively new type of anxiety has emerged in recent years: climate anxiety. However, this is not something young people should feel, and we will explore why.  What is climate anxiety? Climate anxiety is a type of anxiety related to the climate crisis. It is a concern that the world is going to end or that climate change will have massive effects on the planet. Because climate change is covered a lot on the news and is a topic of interest among young people, this anxiety is fairly common.   Why it is unnecessary If you feel this anxiety, it is important to realize that stressing out about climate change will not alleviate the threat. Climate change will undoubtedly cause changes in society, but humans are adaptive creatures. We can build structures that can withstand disasters like earthquakes and tornados, and we will likely coloni

Why Arbor Day is so Important Today is one of the most important environmental holidays: Arbor Day. Everybody should be informed about the importance of this holiday and why trees are necessary to sustain life on Earth.  For you: We Need Trees What is Arbor Day? Arbor Day is a holiday when people are encouraged to plant trees. It's observed on the last Friday of April and has been celebrated since the 1870s . Millions of trees have been planted on Arbor Days. Why it's Important Global warming is caused when too much carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. That causes our planet to heat. Humans and human activity increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. How do we combat this? Trees. Not only do trees absorb carbon dioxide; they also create oxygen which humans and animals need to breathe. Also, trees provide us with food and boost the economy . How to celebrate Planting trees is the greatest way to celebrate Arbor Day. Every tree planted has monumental impacts on our plane

South Park's ManBearPig: Symbol of the Climate Crisis ⏱Read time: 2 minutes South Park is one of the longest-running shows of all time; they recently released the Vaccination Special, the second episode of the 24th season. South Park also created a character called ManBearPig that accurately represents how people viewed and used to view the climate crisis. Season 10 Episode 6 (April 2006) of the series is titled ManBearPig . The origin of ManBearPig In the episode, (then) former Vice President Al Gore visited South Park to warn the children of ManBearPig, a monster that would destroy the planet. The children helped Al Gore "fight" ManBearPig because they thought that the Vice President didn't have friends. To oversimplify the episode, Gore got the kids stuck in a cave because he thought he was saving the world from ManBearPig, and the episode made Gore look ridiculous. ManBearPig never made an appearance in the episode, leaving the audience to believe he didn't ex

Sustainable Tourism in the Covid Era By Xander Smith, age 17 With the distribution of millions of vaccines throughout the world, the beginning of the end of the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have begun. Because of this, many people are starting to feel more comfortable to travel abroad again and are planning summer getaways. However, in order to make sure beloved locations are able to endure an influx of tourists, we need to remember to travel sustainably.  Sustainable tourism is the act of traveling somewhere while making little-to-no impact on the environment and local culture, and a positive impact on the local economy. This can be seen as staying in a locally-owned Airbnb and eating at locally-owned restaurants opposed to staying at a large resort owned by a big corporation. This becomes much more complex however when Covid is involved. Each country has responded to the pandemic in different ways and are currently at different stages of recovery. Thus, it is vital to only travel to c

 Review | National Geographic's Recycle Roundup Game ⏱ Read time: 2 minutes Let's take a break from the usual posts on the EarthPlex website and discuss a game... for kids. National Geographic (NatGeo) is one of the greatest sources for environmental education.  They have social media accounts showcasing Earth's beauty (be sure to follow EarthPlex on social media) , a library of documentaries on Disney Plus, and a website with articles, photos, and games. I found one of their many games, and it's called Recycle Roundup .  Description NatGeo's description of Recycle Roundup  looks like this: "Help clean up the park! Your job is to sort the stuff people throw away and put it in the proper bin. Is it recycling, compost, or trash? Get facts about climate change and tips on how you can help save the earth."  Basically, you're a monkey that has to pick up materials falling out of the sky and place them in the correct bins. Gameplay I was honestly very confu

Meet Lily Morse, the New Executive Director of the Green Schools Campaign! EarthPlex has interviewed many members of the Green Schools Campaign (GSC), and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to learn more about Lily Morse, the new Executive Director. We discussed a range of topics including her involvement in climate organizations and being a girl in the Boy Scouts program. How did you first find out about the Green Schools Campaign? I was virtually trained as a Climate Reality Leader in July 2020, and I met Simon and a few other people who were founding members of the Green Schools Campaign. I thought it was a great cause and reached out to get involved! What is your role as the Executive Director of the Green Schools Campaign? I basically think about and help implement the big picture: How can we grow? How can we keep people involved and working towards transitioning their school? How can we keep a positive and loving team environment? I work closely with all of the GSC director

  Our Planet  Review  ⏱Read time: 1 minute Nature documentaries are quite boring for some, but for others, they showcase Earth's natural beauty. Narrated by David Attenborough, Netflix's  Our Planet is arguably the greatest nature docuseries of all time. The series consists of eight episodes that take place in different biomes. One episode takes place in the high seas, and another takes place in the jungle. Review My biggest complaint is that my TV is too small to capture the beauty of the cinematography. I am sure that Our Planet  would look crisp on a 100 inch TV, but I am unable to test that out. Every episode of the series tells stories about the plants and animals that inhabit Earth. The show is also action-packed, as it showcases animals hunting for food (which is bolstered by intense music and David Attenborough's lovely narration). Thoughts I highly recommend watching Our Planet if you like nature and have a Netflix subscription. The 2019 series effectively exhibi

 Reacting to Instagram Posts from Youth For Our Planet ⏱ Read time: 1-2 minutes Youth For Our Planet describes itself as " the global youth movement calling for world leaders to take ambitious and urgent action on the oceans, biodiversity, the climate and sustainable development."  EarthPlex is going to provide commentary on some of their posts. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Youth For Our Planet (@youthfor_ourplanet) If you enjoy nature documentaries, watch the ones in this post. Additionally, if you would like to write a review of a film related to nature or the environment, check out how to submit a post to EarthPlex! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Youth For Our Planet (@youthfor_ourplanet) Forests are an essential part of life on Earth. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) , "Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity." Damaging forest ecosystems means damaging

The Problem With Eating Fish  ⏱ Read time: 4 minutes Netflix recently released an original documentary called Seaspiracy  that exposes the issues occurring in the world's oceans. If you want to post a review of Seaspiracy or another film related to the environment, visit our "Submit a Post"  page for details about creating EarthPlex posts.  Months ago, I declared that I would (for the most part) stop eating red meat , and I have spent the past 9 months eating very little red meat and a lot more fish. Last August, I labeled fish "The Miracle Meat for the Environment,"  but it's necessary to explore the environmental downsides of eating more fish.  Overfishing As demand for seafood increases, more and more fish need to be taken from rivers and oceans. Because we fish at a rate faster than fish can reproduce, we endanger the populations of multiple aquatic species.  Overfishing doesn't just affect fish. Species that hunt fish have declined in population for

Instagram Accounts Young Environmentalists Must Follow Instagram is one of the most popular forms of social media among Gen Z. There are a plethora of accounts that cover environmental justice, and we're going to highlight just a few of them. EarthPlex - (@earthplexmedia) Of course, we must mention our own Instagram account! We post on Instagram each time we release new content on our website, so be sure to follow! Also, by following us on Instagram, you get early access to our upcoming posts! Altruists (@altruistslb) Altruists empowers Gen Z to make social change in their communities! KeepEarth (@keepearthorg) KeepEarth posts extremely useful content about world issues. Their posts maintain a consistent and attractive appearance.  Youth v. Oil (@youthv.oil) Youth v. Oil is "fighting against the oil industry and for climate justice!" YOUTH.IFY (@youth.ify) YOUTH.IFY describes itself as "a global youth-led platform dedicated to connecting Gen Z environmentalists for c

Facts You Must Know About Solar By Enrique from Solar NRG Since 2009, the cost of installing solar panels has dropped by a whopping 70 percent prompting more companies and individuals to switch to renewable energy. That’s an important figure to consider if you are deciding whether or not you can afford to have solar panels installed in your home. You’d be interested to know that a house with solar panels sells 4.1 percent higher than homes without. These and other fast facts would help you weigh the pros and cons of switching to solar power. The world needs to rethink its relationship with non-renewable sources of energy. Businesses and industries are gradually realizing the benefits of partially sourcing power from renewable sources. Forward-looking homeowners are seeing the cost-reduction and long-term benefits of investing in a photovoltaic installation. This infographic shows that solar panels reduce electricity cost by Php 2.50 per kWh! Check out this enlightening infographic, and

The Eco-Friendly Prius that Kills its Owner ⏱ Read time: 1.5 minutes The Onion  is a satirical news source with some of the funniest articles known to man. They also have a YouTube channel with hilarious videos. Nothing on The Onion is true , but I am going to take one of their videos WAY too seriously: New Prius Helps Environment By Killing Its Owner . Keep in mind that this video is from 2012, and if it were released today, there would probably be more talk of Tesla and electric vehicle startups. First, I cannot believe how professional the video looks. The reporters sound so serious, and the "commercial" sounds so real (except for the stabbing of course). I now understand why The Onion tricked 8-year-old me into thinking that the new MacBooks would only have one keyboard button !  If you don't feel like watching the video, the concept is a car called the Prius Solution that impales its passengers, so the passengers' carbon footprints reduce to zero. This is a ridic

The Environmental Impact of Social Media ⏱ Read time: 1-1.5 minutes Social media changed the way we live and transformed the twenty-first century into a time where information is at our fingertips. Today, apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are among the most downloaded in the world, but how exactly do these apps impact the world we live in? Related:  TikTok Spreads Environmental Awareness - Here's How The Good Social media accounts spread awareness of climate change and environmental issues. Hundreds of accounts post frequently about the environment and how to protect it. People take their advice and live greener lives thanks to social media brands and influencers. Additionally, messaging through social media is more efficient than snail mail because it uses no paper.  The Bad Social media uses servers, and those servers demand tons of energy to function. While it may seem that social media only uses your phone's electricity, it also runs on supercomputers that we do not

  Gardein Plant-Based Chick’n & Rice Soup Review ⏱Read time: 1.5 minutes I love soup, and I know I'm not alone. It's salty, filling (depending on the soup), and - of course - meaty. Chicken soup is a favorite among Americans, but there are environmental concerns. Because chicken requires the farming of livestock, getting it from farm to bowl pollutes the atmosphere. What if people could enjoy chicken soup without the guilt associated with increasing their carbon impacts? That's where Gardein's plant-based soups come in. Enough chick'n? Recently, I tried Gardein's  Plant-Based Chick’n & Rice Soup. I've had my fair share of chicken soup alternatives in the past, but I have noticed that most of them have very little chick'n (the chick'n is made from plants). I wanted to know if Gardein would have the same issue. To my surprise, there was a lot of chick'n. It was comparable to the amount in real chicken soups. That brought up another question

 Greenwashing - What it is and How to Spot it ⏱Read time: 3 minutes Demand for eco-friendly products  is on the rise, and along with it, companies are finding ways to take advantage of earth-conscious consumers. How do they take advantage of us? Greenwashing . What is greenwashing?    Greenwashing is when brands use sustainable advertising to convince consumers that their product is good for the environment when it's really not. The Girl Gone Green  gives a good example of greenwashing in the video above.  How to spot it    If you see a product that makes claims about its environmental impact, search the internet to see if it's really making a difference, or just trying to fool you into paying for a product that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. There's a plethora of information on the internet, so if a major brand is running a sustainable ad campaign, you can probably find good information about it.  My experience    A while ago, I had experience with a greenwashing

 Bitcoin's True Environmental Impact ⏱ Read time: 1.5 minutes "Bitcoin to the moon!" has been said a lot lately as the value of the currency soared more than 450% between March 2020 and March 2021. I always liked the concept of Bitcoin; it's unregulated by governments and completely digital. If Bitcoin and cryptocurrency doesn't require the printing of paper money, it should contribute very little to carbon emissions. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Environmental Impact According to a CNBC article , Bitcoin's carbon emissions are greater than that of The Netherlands. Massive amounts of electricity are required for Bitcoin transactions. Even though Bitcoin seems completely virtual, computer systems work behind the scenes, and that work can emit fossil fuels into the air and worsen the effects of climate change. However, Bitcoin transactions do not have to use fossil fuels; other clean and renewable energy sources can power it as well, and they actuall

A message from our Founder and President, Nathan Schneider: I founded EarthPlex last May with the mission of giving teens a voice in the battle against climate change. At the time, I felt unsure whether or not EarthPlex could post consistently, but I can proudly say that we haven't missed a post. I am also grateful for all of the climate leaders that I have had the opportunity to interview . I have been working on EarthPlex alone, but I decided to expand the team. EarthPlex is now searching for a Creative Director. The Creative Director will help EarthPlex to expand our social media presence, which will allow us to grow our platform. Interested in becoming the Creative Director? Learn more and apply with this link! Second announcement: we've changed our domain to earthplexmedia.com  and our Instagram account to @earthplex_media to reflect our growth. EarthPlex began as a blog, but it's now a platform for teens to write about the environment. We are a media organization, n

Climate Change: Economic or Social Issue? ⏱Read time: 2 minutes Climate change is one of the most important issues amongst Americans, especially to young citizens. The environment is one of the many key issues that people care about; other issues include welfare, racism, and healthcare. Most issues fall under one of two categories: social or economic. We will define economic issues as the issues that affect our economy and the wealth of a society. Economic issues include taxes and wealth inequality. Social issues are harder to explain. We will define them as issues that affect people in a civilization, such as racism and gender equality. Is climate change an economic issue? Climate change is an economic issue if it affects the economy, and it does. One way that the effects of climate change could devastate economies is through natural disasters. While climate change doesn't necessarily cause an increase in the number of natural disasters, it exacerbates them. Wildfires  and hurrica