Writings

Environmental Impact of PPE is Mounting. What Can Be Done About It?
Take a walk outside and you’re likely to see masks, gloves, or disposable sanitary wipes scattered about the ground. What began as a sign of due diligence to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is now causing concern among many about the mounting environmental impact of PPE (personal protective equipment). Mark Benfield, a professor at…

Breaking Down the ESG Umbrella with Economist Rocco Ciciretti
When it comes to sustainable investing and understanding the future of corporate reporting many of us are understandably lost. Environmental, Social & Governance ratings are a relatively new phenomenon and as Dr. Rocco Ciciretti points out there’s still a lot to learn for consumers, investors, and for the corporations themselves. I had the great pleasure…

10 Million Enslaved In Bondage Labor Worldwide
In March 2016 police forces and local authorities launched one of the biggest raids on brick kiln factories in southern India freeing 546 workers. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to find and liberate workers duped into bondage labor. The mission shed light internationally on the estimated 10 million people worldwide still working under…

Examining the Challenges, Future, & Benefits of Fair Trade
In 1998 Paul Rice founded Fair Trade USA with the mission to provide quality consumer products without compromising social, environmental, or economic standards. Since that time Fair Trade USA has grown from focusing on coffee to now include apparel, food, and home goods. While Fair Trade USA continues to see consumer demand rise that doesn’t…

What Iceland Can Teach Us About Ethical Clothing
Founded in 1977 by a small group of women, the Handknitting Association of Iceland recently won a major battle in the fight for ethical clothing. You’d be forgiven for not thinking about ethical clothing in the land of ice and fire and yet it pervades throughout every aspect of the Icelandic way of life. The…

Lessons in Self Isolating from an Agoraphobic
Let’s clear up one thing, agoraphobia doesn’t mean you are housebound. For some it does and for others it doesn’t. This is a misconception I wish would go away but movies like the soon to be released The Woman In The Window starring Amy Adams do nothing to dispel this pervasive misunderstanding. A few other…
“You don’t have to give up style to dress sustainably, dogs make everything better, travel is the best therapy, global living wage is achievable, flower gardens are essential, and without a healthy planet none of these things would be possible.” – Cait