We love the Earth so much, we needed a little more than one day to celebrate! Which is why we launched Earth Month+ again this year, and are sharing a whole bunch of Earth-loving activities & events to help you get outside, appreciate nature, learn about how and why we can protect it, and well…celebrate …

As the country celebrated another America Recycles Day this past week, we looked back at some of the new reports, major announcements, and state of recycling in the U.S. today.  America (Doesn’t Really) Recycles Day A Greenpeace report out at the end of last month exposed some ugly truths about plastic recycling in the U.S. …

How to help the environment: 1) push to increase funding for water infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay and 2) dive into environmental initiatives and issues in Virginia.  Hey Bay, (Chesapeake) Bay Water infrastructure includes water supply, flood management, proper sewage and drainage systems, and coastal restoration infrastructure. Investing in this infrastructure, according to Chesapeake Bay …

ePlastic bags trapped in debris on local, Fairfax County streambank. Photo credit: Emily FoppeA plastic bag fee ordinance will be discussed at a public hearing on September 14 at 4:30 PM in the Board Auditorium of the Fairfax County Government Center. While this legislation is framed as a tax, the ordinance would be more similar …

Recent news highlights plastic pollution challenges in Virginia and gives insight on the work being done, as well as what more be done. This article notes 60% to 80% of trash in Earth’s oceans comes from our behavior on land and while this is absolutely true, there are intricacies at work when looking at plastic, …

Federal Funding The  Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) largest ever proposed budget, set at $11.2 billion, includes $10 million in grants for initiatives surrounding recycling innovation. These grants would aim to assist municipal governments with their recycling programs, in addition to providing aid for improving local waste systems. If Congress passes this budget later in the …

Top notch greenhouse gas results post-pandemic Did you know, greenhouse gas emissions (i.e. CO₂) dropped 33% during the pandemic? According to new research, levels of carbon dioxide (a problem child greenhouse gas) fell drastically in both Los Angeles and Washington D.C./ Baltimore. This may not come as a surprise to you, as people weren’t able …

Plastic Pollution in Your Backyard! Have you ever wondered what your county’s most polluted plastic product is? If you live in Fairfax County, plastic bags are the top litter offender! What’s more, plastic bags are 1) notoriously hard to recycle (1-3% recycled per year) and 2) millions of dollars in each state are spent cleaning …

…but so do insecticides for local pollinators! According to recent news, Prince William’s County has recently found evidence of West Nile virus in local mosquitoes. The city is applying insecticides to target adult mosquitos and Public Works continues to monitor for further cases. What’s more, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) monitors cases found in …

Using science to go back in time Using museum specimens dating back to 1900, scientists recently found plastics in fish stomachs starting in 1950 and increasing with time to today. Small plastics have been found across many species in different places, but this research is the first of its kind– studying how small plastics change …