EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

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 no...

  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...

 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: 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, not a blog.  To all...

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...

5 Eco Tips from Earth Leaf ⏱ Read time: 2 minutes Caring for the Environment helps people, animals, and our habitat, but it can be challenging to know where to start. Fortunately, @earth_leaf on Instagram  posts tips on how to help our planet. I compiled a few of them and gave my thoughts. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Save the Earth 🌍 (@earth_leaf) There's a reason people say that gum takes seven years to digest, and even if that isn't true, it is true that gum takes a long time to biodegrade . If you're a gum chewer, consider using sustainable alternatives that decompose quicker. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Save the Earth 🌍 (@earth_leaf) Snail mail requires cutting down trees and fossil fuel emissions from transportation. Email emissions are much lower. If you would like to receive emails when EarthPlex posts, you can follow our (FREE) mailing list by clicking the menu icon on the top left corner...