EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

 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