PunkinFutz Survival Guide No. 43

RESOURCES, EVENTS, TIPS, AND SUPPORT ALL IN ONE PLACE, EVERY MONDAY.

Eco-friendly? Organic? Biodegradeable?
TRUTH or MARKETING?
It's Complicated!   

At PunkinFutz, we have considered the environmental impact of our choices since the beginning of the company.  It is definitely an ongoing learning process.  For example, we require ALL of our products to pass the strictest environmental standard published, which has been California's Preposition 65 for the past 35 years.  We also test our packaging to this same standard!  All of our office supplies, from 100% post-consumer paper products to our bamboo utensils are held to the same standards.  We have learned some surprising things along the way and thought we would pass them along.

These logos represent all the "green" standards recognized and recommended by the EPA, which are documented in full here.  Just because something says it is eco-friendly, doesn't mean it is.  Check the facts.
Did You Know.....?
We have learned a lot about environmental concerns while sourcing components for our products.  Every choice we make is intentional.  Sometimes, the right choice is not obvious.  Years ago, when we asked our raw material suppliers for their environmental testing, no one was doing it.  Now, almost everyone is.  But we don't just take their word for it, PunkinFutz retests everything.  You can check out our testing here.  
  • What is Vegan Leather? Don't be fooled by the marketing hype.  This PVC replacement to animal product is neither good for the environment nor for humans.  
  • Each year, 300,000 tons of neoprene are produced worldwide.  While neoprene itself is not toxic, the process to produce it can be. In addition to using carcinogenic chloroprene for production, it does not biodegrade well and 380 tons reach landfills every year.   
  • The truth about bioplastics: at PunkinFutz, we wanted to use recyclable and biodegradable materials for our packaging and our office products.  We found this was more complicated that we expected.   
  • California Proposition 65: If you really want to keep yourself up at night, take a look at all the chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, developmental delays, etc.  You can search them here.   
  • What does Organic really mean?  One time, we tried to source small cotton pouches.  The supplier marketed them as "Organic."  When we asked if they had been processed with chemicals, she didn't know.  She marketed them as "Organic" just because they were cotton...we found a better source of real, organic cotton pouches. 
Everyday Environmental Heroes 
Check out these kids who are making a difference
Acknowledging the Women of Climate Science and Environmentalism during Women's History Month

In 1856, the first person to ever publicly offer scientific discourse on Climate Science and global warming was a woman suffragette, Eunice Foote.  And because she was a woman, her contribution was undocumented until 2016!  Read her story here.  (She also went to the same all-girls high school I did, although not at the same time 🙂
Game-changing environmentalist, Jane Goodall.




And clearly no discussion of Climate Science, Environmentalism and Women would be complete without acknowledging Time Magazine's Person of The Year for 2019, Greta Thunberg.  If you've never read the story of how it all started, it's inspirational.  Wow.
JUST THE FACTS
Teaching environmental and Earth Science
Free & COOL Resources
Free Earth Science Curriculum, recommended by NYC DOE (there is an amazing amount of material here from ck12.org)
Children & Nature Network Resource Hub: great links to other sites, including how to build a rain water re-use system and how to start a salmon hatchery!
Celebrate Urban Birds! Such a great idea for City kids!  Includes activities to promote awareness, data collection methods, etc. 
Cornell University's K-12 Educational Site has terrific downloadable science activities and curriculum by age group.  
North American Association for Environmental Educators (NAAEE) has monthly free webinars that teach teachers to teach about the environment.  I loved the one about Environmental Education and Indigenous Knowledge.  A lot of this work focuses on equity in education.
Ten Ways to Teach Your Kids About Nature (spoiler alert: lead by example :-).
The Environmental Protection Agency's K-12 Educational Resources covers everything from acid rain to noise pollution.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a considerable number of educational resources.  My favorites are their student opportunities, including a virtual summer camp and online science fair.
You might want to check out the United Nations  Sustainable Development Goals  and the United Nations Environment Programme.  Don't miss their MapX implementation.  I filtered for drought conditions, deforestation and war and got interesting results.  
Free PunkinFutz Programming for Your Carbon-Footprint-Conscious Fun
Feeling stressed?  Author & Meditation coach Yael Shy will teach us how to use mindfulness-based tools in times of challenge. She will also lead a short meditation that is accessible, practical, and perfect for seasoned meditators and die-hard NON-meditators alike.
Don't miss recess for the FINAL installment of The Jade Series. PunkinFutz's special friend Mrs. Ashlee reads Jade's Detective Bureau!  Come find out what Jade is up to in her latest adventure.  

A  B I T  O F  F U N

This is such an amazing extended single camera shot.  Watch it with the picture maximized.  Happy Monday!
A drone went bowling.  Hollywood noticed.  
Please note, PunkinFutz is in no way affiliated with any of the organizations covered in this newsletter.  PunkinFutz receives no compensation, directly or indirectly, from any organization or entity mentioned.