EarthPlex - Climate Platform for Teens

Are School Uniforms the Answer to Gen Z’s Overconsumption Problem? By Charlotte Roberts, age 16 Across millions of TikTok videos marked with the hashtag #haul, the scene remains consistent: a Gen Z influencer unboxing dozens of items worth of clothing, usually at an attractive price to the consumer but a detrimental one to the environment. Viewers can usually count on seeing these outfits appear once in an Instagram story or TikTok clip and then deemed “out of style” and discarded to make closet room for the next shipment. The cycle repeats itself, and with each new trend comes more waste and environmental harm.  While the desire to keep up with the latest trends is not unique to Gen Z, social media, such as TikTok, with 60% of its one billion users being Gen Z, has made it easier than ever for young adults, including high schoolers, to see what their peers and popular influencers are categorizing as trendy must-haves. With over 45 billion views across the TikTok hashtags #haul, #c...

All About Hybrid Vehicles Hyundong Cho, age 13 Hybrid cars are becoming more common in the 21st century. It is no surprise that the technology for building hybrid cars has gotten more accurate and intense. Hybrid car owners may know that their car is earth-friendly but may not know how the car operates. This article is more than enough to get people’s brains caught up on hybrid cars. Ferdinand Porsche is the first person (company) to create a hybrid vehicle. The first hybrid car, Lohner-Porsche Mixte, contains a common four-cylinder engine with two motors to make it a hybrid car (Porsche Cars North America), (Figure 1). Air pollution was becoming a problem for humanity, so many countries took action. Thereby, the car companies focused on electric/hybrid cars.  Figure 1: The first hybrid car, Lohner-Porsche Mixte. Photo from Motorbiscuit. The most popular first mass-produced EV/hybrid was the Toyota Prius and the Rav-4 EV. Even though the Toyota Prius was mass-produced, it was only ...

Boxed Water Review Bottled water is convenient. Obviously, plastic bottles are terrible for the environment (not to mention the marked up prices), but people still buy them. Why? Because they're simple and convenient. What if there could be an alternative to bottled water that has a positive environmental impact? That's the idea of Boxed Water. What is Boxed Water Boxed Water is brand that basically sells water bottles, but they come in boxes, sort of like milk cartons. Above is a picture of a 250 mL box, which I tried.  Review Boxed Water simply tasted like water. The box did not affect the water at all. It was just as convenient as any plastic water bottle I've used. Overall, Boxed Water is just water, but in a more environmentally friendly package.  Buy Boxed Water here! For you:  Is Smartwater Smart? No

 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...

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...

  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...

 I Totally Hated That Oatly Commercial | Super Bowl LV ⏱ Read time: 1 minute Super Bowl LV aired yesterday, and fans from all over the country watched the action-pact, exhilarating, entertaining... commercials. One, in particular, stood out: Oatly. Oatly is a popular Oat Milk brand that EarthPlex plans to review in the future. To get notified when we release new posts, follow our (FREE) mailing list and our social media accounts!   The commercial featured the CEO of Oatly, Toni Petersson, singing about Oatly and that it's plant-based. The advertisement was terrible, which I think was what they were going for. Oatly now sells a T-shirt that says, " I Totally Hated That Oatly Commercial." This is a genius publicity stunt. Cow milk requires lots of land and water, making it an unsustainable method of production. Plant-based milks don't involve animal farming, so they use fewer resources,  and therefore, are an eco-friendly alternative .  EarthPlex has reviewed var...

  Earth Hero App Full Review ⏱ Read time: 2 minutes EarthPlex has been searching for apps that can help increase awareness of people's emissions. When I was searching through the Google Play Store a few weeks ago, I found the Earth Hero app, and I've been using it since then. If you haven't read my first impressions of the app, you should go read it before this full review. Read: Earth Hero: Can This App Lower Emissions? What is Earth Hero? Earth Hero is an app on the App Store and Google Play Store that helps people lower their personal emissions. They have a list of actions that people can take; each action is organized by its impact level and difficulty. For example, switching electricity to clean energy has an impact of 75 (impact is measured on a point system based on positive environmental effects) and a difficulty level of medium.  Earth Hero's goal is for people to become more aware of their carbon emissions so they can lower them.  What I like Overall, I reall...

Earth Hero: Can This App Lower Emissions? ⏱ Read time: 1.5-2 minutes I've been searching for apps that will help me live more sustainably. In the early days of EarthPlex, I reviewed Oroeco, an app that I thought could make an impact... until I tested it. The app was flawed and challenging to use. I recommend reading our review to see my frustration with the app. Recommended: Oroeco Review - Will This App Stop Climate Change? I found an app called Earth Hero with a similar purpose to Oroeco.  When I installed the app (note: I am using the Android version), I was greeted by a beautiful interface. I took a quiz to calculate my emissions. It didn't take me long. I then saw my carbon footprint in comparison to the average American, the average human, and the 2030 target. This made me realize that we have a long way to go. Climate justice is extremely important, and we need to work toward it - fast.  The Earth Hero app has a list of actions that I can take to lower my carbon impact....

Cutie Polluties: Stuffed Animals Killed by Pollution ⏱1-1.5 minute read I watch a lot of YouTube, which means I watch a lot of ads. A couple days ago, an advertisement caught my eye. It was for a line of stuffed animals called Cutie Polluties . The channel's name was even weirder: Liquid Death. I knew I had to watch this video, and it was quite interesting. The video began with a jingle that any commercial for a stuffed animal would, but the middle of the video featured a DHMIS -like turn. I obviously want a Cutie Pollutie  now. According to Liquid Death, "all plastic material used on Cutie Polluties is made from either rPET (100% recycled plastic) or biodegradable plastic." I applaud them if this is true, but I don't applaud the price tag. Each Cutie costs $75, and due to EarthPlex's "fun-size" budget, we cannot order any at this time. What we can do is marvel at this genius idea that whimsically addresses plastic pollution. If you insist on EarthPlex r...

  Thoughts on the McDonald's McPlant Burger  It's no secret that fast food companies have a history of pollution, and although they're still not particularly eco-friendly, they have put in more effort. Burger King announced that they will feed some cows a diet that will cause them to emit less methane , and many fast-food chains have some sort of plant-based meat alternative. McDonald's is late to this trend, but they announced that they will offer vegan burgers at more locations beginning 20. The "McPlant" is McDonald's vegan burger alternative, and it's a big deal. McDonald's is the largest and most influential fast-food chain. That means that plant-based burgers will likely become more popular at burger joints; McDonald's wasn't a leader in this trend by any measure. They've been hesitant to include plant-based burgers on their menu for years, and they still haven't fully embraced it. The McPlant was unveiled alongside a McDonald...

Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Bar Review  Halloween is approaching, and families are buying candy to give out to trick-or-treaters. I don't know if Halloween will be anything like it's been in the past because 2020 has been quite a year. There are a few issues with candy - specifically chocolate. First, it's quite unhealthy (newsflash), and second, it is not very good for the earth. Most chocolate bars require unfair treatment of cows, and we have explored the environmental impact of breeding cows in a few of our posts .  That's where alter eco comes in. They state that their mission is "to pioneer a full circle approach to eating, farming, and doing business – and to inspire others to do the same." As a certified B Corporation, they prioritize giving back to the world, and their tree planting efforts make up for more than their carbon emissions, according to alter eco's website . In addition,  their chocolate is made from clean ingredients, and it comes in co...

 Silk Almond & Cashew Milk Review EarthPlex has explored a variety of sustainable food alternatives. We  reviewed Silk's Oat Yeah milk  but it didn't taste very good. Last week, I had the chance to try Silk Almond & Cashew milk, and I was very surprised. One of the most frequent critiques of plant-based milk is the lack of protein. Silk Almond  & Cashew milk has ten grams of pea protein per cup. That's even more protein than cows' milk! You can read more about the nutrition facts and ingredients on  Silk's website .  Appearance I always start my plant-based reviews with the appearance. This is probably because the products are made to look similar to an already existing product. Silk wants its Almond and Cashew milk to look like cows' milk. Just like Silk Oat Milk, it is an off-white hue that contrasts the color of cows' milk. If this is a deciding factor for you, you may not want to buy it, but for most consumers, taste is more important than a...

Making GMO Crops: Helping or Hindering Climate Change? By Mahir Hossain, age 14 Every book has its cover, and inside every cover of a book has its own story. But even if the book cover looks like a masterpiece, the story could be bland, and vice versa. But what if you could alter that story or the cover endlessly? With GMO crops and new biotech that is looking to reconstruct new species into populations and add to biodiversity, breakthroughs are hoping to rise from the horizon. However, many are apprehensive about “GMO”, and many other labels that can make it perplexing to understand what’s good for your body, the environment, and ultimately the world. If you want to understand how GMO crops can benefit, you have to understand the genetic base. GMO stands for ‘genetically modified organism’ in which special enzymes cut off DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)  of the desired trait from an organism, which is then transferred to a vector, also known as the carrier. The trait is then placed i...

Silk Oat Yeah Review  Recently, I tried Silk's Oat Yeah milk. Oat milk is more eco-friendly than cows' milk and more sustainable than even most plant-based milks. I tried Silk's take on it, and it didn't taste as I had expected it to. Let me explain:       Disclaimer: As I mentioned in my reviews of the Beyond and Impossible Burgers, I’m not a food critic, and my culinary knowledge is quite limited. In case you’re new to EarthPlex, we’re a blog and platform for teens that discusses environmental topics. Also, I had the zero sugar kind, which has a green container. Appearance      I don't know why, but I've been starting my reviews with the appearance. That's important with milk because cows' milk has a white hue. The oat milk, in contrast, was off-white. I've been drinking a lot of soy milk recently (get notified when EarthPlex reviews Silk's soy milk with our [FREE] mailing list), and they share similar colors. Consumers shouldn't need t...

 The Face Mask Pollution Problem  I read an Instagram post from 4ocean‌ earlier today. It detailed the PPE masks that are being found in oceans during the coronavirus pandemic . I highly request reading it and following EarthPlex on Instagram with this link . With millions of tons of plastic finding their way into the ocean every year, face masks disrupting aquatic ecosystems is a fatal problem that is masked (pun intended) by the severity of this pandemic. This problem doesn’t have to be as extreme as it’s been, for there is a simple solution to this catastrophe: reusable masks. I don’t have to go into much detail regarding the advantages of wearing a reusable mask. Consumers can only buy one or two masks that will last as long, or longer, than a box of conventional face masks. A reusable mask requires more resources to manufacture than an individual one-time use mask, but in the long term, they’re a much wiser option. I’ve been using a reusable mask for the majority o...

The Miracle Meat for the Environment Over the years, studies have come out about health issues attached to red meat. Some weeks it will cause cancer, and others, it’s not as bad as people had thought. I, personally, would like to limit my intake of food that has the potential to cause severe problems in my future. That’s excluding the fact that beef is killing the planet (this is an environmental blog; we had to mention the planet!) and cows are treated like slaves.  I Googled the primary nutrients in red meat and searched for other foods with the same nutrients. Most of the nutrients can be found in one other meat: fish. Not all people consider fish a meat, but it’s certainly a food that comes from animals, so we choose to call it a type of meat. Fish have a lot of health benefits and contain a plethora of nutrients, such as Omega-3 fatty acids. Studies even suggest that a fish-heavy diet can improve lifespans. So, why is fish the “miracle meat?” Here’s a hint: we’re a climate a...

The Impossible Burger Review EarthPlex has extensively discussed the Beyond Burger. We reviewed it and we analyzed its environmental impact . Now it’s Impossible’s turn. In this post, I will discuss my experience with the Impossible Burger in terms of taste. Stay tuned for future posts; we’ll compare it to the Beyond Burger and look into its environmental impact. (Get notified upon their releases with our [FREE] mailing list.)  Disclaimer: As I mentioned in my Beyond Burger Review, I’m not a food critic, and my culinary knowledge is quite limited. In case you’re new to EarthPlex, we’re the climate platform for teens that discusses environmental topics. I tried an Impossible Whopper and a burger made from Impossible “ground beef” with some added bread, an egg, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, and pepper. Appearance  Before I get to the taste, let’s discuss the Impossible Burger’s appearance. It looked almost precisely like a burger to me, and somebody could have told...