EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

 Should You Use Biodegradable Products? Plastic often ends up in the ocean, which is why we have a major pollution issue. Aquatic animals die because of plastic ingestion, and that's because the plastic lingers in the ocean and doesn't disappear. What if plastic products that end up in oceans and other ecosystems could disappear? That's the purpose of biodegradable products.  What is biodegradable? Biodegradable products can be broken down by microorganisms, so instead of existing for decades - or even centuries - they break down after a few months. Biodegradable products currently exist, but the prices need to come down before they become the industry standard. Do biodegradable products help the planet?  Because they quickly break down instead of disrupting ecosystems for centuries, biodegradable plastics help the environment. When regular plastics are disposed of improperly, they harm animals and hurt the planet. Biodegradable plastics negatively alter the planet, but t...

 Hippeas Vegan Cheese Puffs Review Some vegan food has slowly become indistinguishable from the meat or dairy that it tries to emulate. Even though most vegan snacks still have a ways to go before they taste perfect, some plant-based snacks taste like they are made from animal products. I had the opportunity to try Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar cheese puffs. They are a chickpea-based snack meant to taste like cheese puffs. Thoughts These cheese puffs shocked me because they tasted a lot like real cheese puffs. If I had eaten these not knowing they were vegan, I would be surprised to find out. One fundamental difference is that Hippeas are less messy than its non-vegan counterparts. When I eat snacks like Cheetos, I get Cheeto hands. I didn't have this problem with Hippeas.  More thoughts If you like cheesy snacks, you should absolutely try Hippeas. It tastes delicious and is better for the environment than snacks that require animals to make. Cheese production relies on cows tha...

The Climate Platform for Teens Turns 1 EarthPlex turns one today, and May 25 marks one year since the first post! We are so grateful for a successful first year of our story. At this point, we have published more than 120 posts relating to climate change, covering topics such as technology, coronavirus , and holidays . EarthPlex was founded in 2020 as a blog but quickly evolved into a platform allowing young people to write about climate change.  One of the most rewarding parts of running this website is sharing the stories of various climate leaders making positive impacts . These stories and interviews are meant to inspire young people to make a difference. We are excited to continue the story of EarthPlex, and we need your help! How? This website is powered by teens' writing. Visit our "Submit a Post" page to learn how to feature your work on our site! If you are social media savvy, we recommend applying to become the Creative Director by visiting our application for...

Google Maps Will Stop Showing the Fastest Route  Google announced that its popular GPS app would stop showing the fastest route by default, but instead show the most fuel-efficient route. This is controversial, but Google had valid reasons to do this. The good thing about this decision is that it will protect the environment. The most fuel-efficient route uses less gas than the fastest route, and often, the most fuel-efficient is also the quickest. In addition, this will save drivers gas money. Similar:  Your Guide to Sustainable Driving It is fair to be critical about this change because it will slow people down, and although the most fuel-efficient route probably isn't much slower than the fastest route, people want to arrive as soon as they can, so this option may bother many users. However, users have the option to default to using the fastest route.  Google's new change to Maps is controversial, but it could be a positive change for the planet. Google should let us k...

 Electric Scooters vs Cars: Which is Cleaner?  Electric scooters, also called escooters, have mysteriously appeared in cities over the past couple of years. This has raised questions about the environmental impacts of these scooters. Should people use these scooters instead of driving?  Related: Electric Scooters - When to Use Them and When Not to Gasoline cars Cars that run on gasoline emit fossil fuels into the air, worsening the effects of climate change . If you would drive a gasoline car through the city, electric scooters are a more sustainable and eco-friendly way to get around. Hybrid and electric cars If you own a hybrid vehicle, it is also best to use an escooter. Hybrid cars use gas, so they are still worse for the environment than electric scooters. Electric cars do not use gas, but electricity still requires energy - and it often doesn't come from clean sources. Electric cars and electric scooters both use electricity, but because the scooters are smaller i...

Was Joe Biden Right to Rejoin the Paris Agreement? Joe Biden became the President of the United States on January 20. One of his first accomplishments was re-entering the Paris Climate Accord to lower emissions and curb the effects of climate change. Was this a wise decision, and what even is the Paris Agreement? Related: Why American Youth Depends on the Paris Agreement What is the Paris Agreement The Paris Climate Accord (a.k.a. the Paris Agreement) is an agreement between almost every country on Earth to lower carbon emissions. Countries voluntarily decide how they will keep Earth's temperatures from rising too much. Why we left In 2017, Donald Trump announced that he would pull out of the Paris Agreement because it disadvantaged the United States. He said that countries like China could pollute while the USA had to work to lower its emissions. Is Biden Right? Soon after he was sworn into office, President Joe Biden entered the Paris Agreement once again. This was a controversia...

Important Changes to the EarthPlex Mailing List The EarthPlex mailing list has been a huge part of our platform, but due to changes in our RSS feed infrastructure, followers will stop receiving emails from EarthPlex in a few months. However, there are even better ways to read our posts! Google News Be sure to follow EarthPlex on Google News, so you can read all of our posts from the Google News App! Instagram (@earthplex_media) Every time EarthPlex posts, we create an Instagram post letting you know. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and turn on post notifications. Bonus: You also find out our posting schedule every Sunday! Even though EarthPlex will no longer have a mailing list, there are other ways to read our posts. Be sure to check our website Mondays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (that's when we post).

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 nee...

 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 wil...