Blog

By: Emma Brown On the outskirts of D.C., there’s a quiet little lot that makes for the perfect spot to lay out the picnic blanket and have a little snack. Except, there’s no need to bring your own food – those are foraged. The Emerson Food Forest of Hyattsville is one of several of its kind in the DMV area. Boasting a variety of native plants, from persimmons to papaws, the “forest” is a public food source. The site is a project of Forested, a local organization that seeks to

By Kelley Dennings When Virginia’s governor enacted stay-at-home orders I didn’t run out to get toilet paper. Instead I went to the hardware store for all the container-friendly, spring-vegetable starter plants I could find, including celery, leeks, lettuce and broccoli. My motivation was to support my mental health during this time. I wasn’t worried yet about feeding my body. I generally keep a full pantry, and I had five to seven days’ worth of food, which I thought was ple

By: Skylar Petrik COVID-19 is impacting all of us. If, like many people, you’re cooped up at home, you may find yourself dreaming of park days or beachside hangs with friends. But just because you may be spending less time in nature, doesn’t mean you’re less likely to make eco-friendly life choices. And, while more of us at home means less greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, there are additional ways you can do more for the environment. Following are a few, simple e

By Christy Halvorson Ross We are in a 24/7/365 battle globally and locally to reduce our carbon footprints, reverse climate change, and improve the health of the Earth. There are so many ways to contribute on an individual level to a healthier planet…on the roads, in the grocery store, with your consumer habits, and your recycling practices. You can also make a huge impact on your environmental footprint in your own kitchen. Read on to find out how. Reduce your food packagin

By Patty Simonton Women around the world are looking at entrepreneurship as a way to make a real and lasting impact in their communities and beyond. Women are questioning the lack of healthy, responsible, affordable snack options for our children. They’re wondering why we, as a society, continue to tolerate single-use plastic and fast fashion despite the social and environmental impacts. They’re looking around in our grocery stores and noticing that most of the fresh-cut flow

By Erica Meier For children and adults alike, Halloween is all about the treats. Fortunately, we’ve got a few tricks to share about how to find delicious eco- and animal-friendly treats. We’ve even got a few ways to turn your pumpkins into treats for everyone to enjoy, including our wildlife friends! Buying healthy treats – for us and our planet This time of year, stores are loaded with Halloween treat options – however, many of them aren’t healthy choices for our bodies or o

By Hana G. Fashion has a major impact on the environment. Each year, the United States, alone, sends about 21 billion pounds of textile waste to landfills. Most clothing is made of materials and chemicals derived from fossil fuel-based crude oil. This means that it’s nearly impossible for clothing to decompose. If burned, the materials that make up clothing release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. When clothes are buried with other waste in landfills, moisture and heat

By Cameryn Aliya Burnette, Co-Founder and Vice President, Howard University Water and Environment Association Going green can be difficult to commit to due to the sheer variety of choices you’re faced with in the process. I was confronted with many new questions when I first went green. Natural materials or cruelty-free? Do organic labels matter? and Am I really bout to drop a band on just one dress? I dived into sustainable living headfirst so you don’t have to. Here’s my li

By Lesly Baesens With the holiday season upon us, food is at forefront of people’s minds. However, these joyous occasions also present an opportunity to consider what frequently becomes of our leftovers – food waste. U.S. households are responsible for wasting a staggering 238 pounds of food per person each year. Each scoop of mashed potatoes that ends up in the trash, carries with it the resources used to produce, transport, and process that food. This waste of resources is

By Heidi Bishop As the new administration’s impact on energy policy unfolds, increased interest in pursuing “clean coal” technologies have likely put Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) more squarely on your radar. The new “America First Energy Plan” makes no mention of solar, wind, or other renewable energy resources but does state a commitment to “clean coal technology, and to reviving America’s coal industry, which has been hurting for too long.” For DC EcoWomen active in ene

By Maheen Ahmad We all want to make smart, eco-conscious consumer choices. In the quest of becoming a conscious consumer, I began to do some digging. I was able to scope out some of DC’s greenest, most sustainable establishments. I used the following criteria to identify green businesses: The business is certified by one or more third party organizations; The business incorporates environmentally sustainable materials in their products and operations; The business contributes

By Amy Loder It’s official. Every time I shop for clothes, I suffer from fashion overwhelm. It means that I am buying less these days. Even though I am buried in options, I feel paralyzed from trying to unclothe the production practices of the different fashion brands. I want brand transparency, and I want to know more about the people who cut the fabric and stitch my garments. As a former fashion industry professional, I pay close attention to fashion-related headlines. Rece

By Amy Loder As an EcoWoman, you recycle, use reusable shopping bags and bring a water bottle wherever you go. But are you being mindful during your morning routine? When I took a look at my morning routine, I decided to make some changes that are better for my health and kinder to the environment too. 1. Shower Power My shower goals: to use less water and choose products that are both good for my body and less harmful to the water supply. For body: Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile

By KC Stover There has been increasing attention paid to the role of insects as a protein source for humans in the place of meat. Insects do not create the same climate and human health impacts as livestock and they can be raised on a vegetarian diet. Many cultures around the world enjoy insects as an integral part of their diet. There are over 88 countries where insects are consumed regularly and over 1900 species of edible insects worldwide. Image: Leandra Blei The concept

By Elizabeth Hubley This salad is everything I love about spring – crisp, tender asparagus; the first juicy vibrant tomatoes of the season, creamy pasture-raised goat cheese, and a light dressing featuring sweet local honey. A satisfying crunch from toasted hazelnuts brings it all together. In each recipe I create, I choose ingredients that are good for you, people, and the planet. I believe that we have the power to support our bodies, strengthen our communities, and live ou

By Tamara Toles O’Laughlin I recently attended a briefing on the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) sponsored by the Ayres Law Group and it set my wonky heart ablaze. It featured panelists from advocacy, policy, economic, and legal backgrounds who vividly discussed the future of this calculation which is intended to bring environmental damages or externalities back into the conversation on federal enterprise regulation. While eating up the jargon and enjoying the jockeying between d

Classic Neutrals, all made in USA: Suno, $595; Milly, $425; Vera Wang, $1750 Not sure what to wear to the DC Ecowomen Gala? Something eco-friendly, of course! The #1 most eco-friendly place you can shop is, of course, your own closet, but if you realllllly can’t find anything that gets you excited, then donate or consign those dresses you’re not digging, and start the hunt for a new one. One of my favorite ways to shop sustainably is by shopping for secondhand and vintage dre

Does your furry friend have an outsized carbon pawprint? Written by Caroline Selle, the Zero Waste Girl Each morning, as the cats wind around my legs and meow for their breakfast, I wonder exactly how much damage their canned cat food is doing to the earth. I make every effort to keep my own life sustainable, my carbon footprint low, but I adopted two carnivores. Dogs can be vegetarian, but cats can’t. They need taurine in their diets, an amino acid that only comes from anima

The gifts that go under the Christmas tree seem to get all of the attention, but what about the gifts that fill the stockings, hung by the chimney with care? Stocking stuffers are small, but with a little bit of attention and care, they can be just as exciting as the wrapped boxes around the tree. This year, instead of shopping for last-minute tokens that hold hardly any value, try creating your own stocking stuffers out of recycled items. Why recycle, you say? Well, not only

Keep Your Face Chemical Free: Choosing Safe Makeup Written By EcoWomen Guest Blogger Brenna Mannion It’s that time of year again: spending the frigid month of December in heels, a party dress, and a face-full of makeup, making the holiday party rounds. It’s often hard enough putting together an outfit – who has time to stop to think about what odd chemicals may be lurking in our favorite cosmetics? In an internet age where over 1,000 foundations are just one click away, and c