Around the world water is becoming frighteningly scarce. Droughts that have lasted for decades are occurring in places like the American Southwest, central Chile, and the Congo basin. According to Carbon Brief, over the past 50 years multi-year droughts have impacted every continent except Antarctica. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, between 2016 and 2019, "3.29 billion hectares of reported land were affected by drought, equivalent to 48.86% of the re

Happy Earth Day 2026 and Happy 5th Anniversary to Cleaner Greener Planet! Earth Day reminds us to stop and appreciate the natural world around us. It also serves as a reminder to each of us to do our part to take care of it. I started Cleaner Greener Planet 5 years ago in the hopes of making a small, but positive impact. My feeling was that if I could inspire even just a small number of people by passing on news of environmental victories and educating them on what they can

It's fair to say 2025 was a difficult year. A year of environmental and political chaos and social destabilization from multiple wars and climate disasters. This past year also saw the defunding of major renewable energy projects in the United States, this despite the reality of climate change being felt all around us. All of this has led many to become pessimistic about the future, but it is important to appreciate the victories and remain hopeful by focusing on what went we

If you read environmental news you might assume the world is on a runaway path to self-destruction. The United States dropped out of the Paris Climate Agreement, government contracts to increase renewable energy production are being suspended or cancelled in favor of fossil fuel energy sources that produce carbon and pollute air and water, and the attitude among many new leaders is that climate change is not a priority. But, it is not all doom and gloom. There are still so m

I typically start off the new year writing about the positive things that have been done over the past twelve months to improve the environment. Reading about wins for nature and the planet keep me hopeful, and I hope it does the same for anyone who reads Cleaner Greener Planet. I still plan to do this, as many good things did happen in 2024, but given the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles and other natural disasters that have happened around the world this year, I wanted fir

One of the most powerful tools we have to help make positive change is our vote. The people we chose to represent us in government make decisions and pass laws that impact all of us, now and into the future. So, if you're 18 or older, make sure you exercise your 15th amendment right to vote, and do it by November 5, which is the last day to turn in a ballot. If you have not registered to vote yet, visit usa.gov to learn how. Of course, there are lots of issues to consider bef

When it comes to sustainable companies that support the environment, I don't know that there is a better example than Patagonia. When he was young, founder Yvon Chouinard loved to rock climb and started making climbing equipment in his garage and selling the products out of his car. That was a success, and he later expanded his product line and ultimately grew Patagonia into a multi-billion dollar outdoor gear and apparel company. Patagonia became known for its high-quality,

I decided to learn more about what sort of jobs there are available for those interested in helping create a cleaner, greener, planet. This is the first post in an ongoing series I'm calling, "Green Career Profiles." WHAT DOES A GLACIOLOGIST DO? A glaciologist is someone who "studies the internal dynamics and effects of glaciers." For example, how glaciers move, how the impact global climate, and in this day and age, unfortunately, how quickly they are melting. Glaciers also

While the changes we see in our everyday lives may be daunting, it is important to stay positive and remind ourselves that good things are happening, too. Renewable energy has been at the forefront of climate researchers and scientists for years, and we are beginning to see the benefits. Electric cars and busses are becoming more popular, as are homes powered by solar energy, as these green technology becomes more efficient and cheaper. Even rental car companies are offering

This summer, I was fortunate enough to attend Elizabeth Kolbert's presentation in Aspen, Colorado. She is an environmental writer for The New Yorker and the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Sixth Extinction, a book that uses scientific evidence to show the devastating impact humans have had on the planet and what can be done to turn it around. Her latest book is called Under A White Sky: The Nature of the Future, which warns of proposed solutions to our climate crisis tha

This article explains how arid parts of the world where water and climate fluctuations are being felt more severely, such as Israel, are coming up with ways to combat it. One startling fact from the article is that nearly 4 billion people experience extreme water scarcity for at least one month out of each year due to the climate crisis. Not only is water as a whole becoming more and more scarce, but fresh drinking water has also become a huge issue worldwide. Many people in

Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg, both very well known environmental activists, have taken different approaches when it comes to saving our planet. Both activists speak to large crowds and world leaders and are both effective in communicating an important message. It is hard to compare such powerful, yet different people, but when talking about the effectiveness of their different approaches and the way they handle the stresses of climate change, it is important to look deeper

How can I live carbon neutral? Here's a simple answer...PLANT A TREE!!! Let's do some quick math. Go Tree Quotes reports that an average pine tree absorbs 0.13 US tons of carbon per day, which means 8 trees absorb 1.04 tons per day. The average American produces 16 tons of carbon each year, according to Nature.org. That's one of the highest rates in the world, as the global average is 4 tons. By planting one pine tree, once the tree is mature, it will neutralize an individua

According to NASA, the Earth's atmosphere has warmed 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution (around the year 1900). While that might not seem like a lot, the changes have been dramatic and seem to be accelerating. This week, the Weather Channel reported that the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains could experience "snowless winters" as soon as the late 2040s. That's scary. Also this week, record high temperatures were shattered across the western U.S. and Canada

It seems the best way to launch our blog is to explain exactly what it is we’re hoping to accomplish. So, here we go… OUR MISSION We at Cleaner Greener Planet want to help our readers make choices that are good for the environment. To do this, we will inform readers of ways to minimize our impact on the environment, and hopefully inspire people to do their part to improve the health of our planet. At Cleaner Greener Planet you will find information on our own favorite sustain