I had solar panels, but I was usually out when they were producing the most. Then I'd get home, cook dinner and run the dishwasher just as the solar was dropping off. I bought a Jackery SolarVault 3 Pro to save some of that daytime power for later.

The battery covered some of the evening use, but I also started wondering why I always ran the dishwasher straight after dinner. It had a delay timer I'd barely used. I started loading it as usual and setting it to run around lunchtime the next day.

I realised I'd been pressing start most nights without really checking how full it was, too. I started waiting for a full load before setting the timer, so it ran less often. Some evenings all I did was put the plates in and close the door.

Are bamboo paper products (toilet paper, tissues, paper towels) actually a better, more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice than tree paper? Are there any cons?

For context, we are based in a county in Kenya. One of the reasons we started the org is because our county, despite receiving a substantial amount of rainfall, has the smallest percentage of forest coverage in the country. Deforestation and high dependency on agriculture is among the major reasons for this. Even the wetlands are being cleared for agriculture, which is just sad. There is also a huge overeliance on wood fuel and charcoal.

We currently have over 500k seedlings in our nursery and have planted a little over 10k and distributed over 200k across the county and neighbouring counties. Apart from trees, we have also introduced clean water through boreholes to reduce river pollution and have a plan to implement cleaner cooking fuel sources like solar. How would you advise an organisation with few resources to go about this and what do you think should be our first priority?

Unity Is Strength

Family!!

Why do we build a family? How long can we stay united as one? And why do women often strive so hard to keep a family from falling apart?

We build a family to love, support, and accept one another. Above all, we learn to stand together as one. But why is this unity so important?

Each of us has different likes, dislikes, goals, interests, and abilities. Yet, when we belong to a family, these differences need not divide us. Instead, they can become the source of our uniqueness and collective strength.

How does this happen?

When a mother and father live selflessly, supporting one another and putting the family's well-being first, their children observe and learn from them, often without even realising it. They begin to embrace the values of love, respect, and acceptance. Gradually, they learn to stand by one another and live not just for themselves, but for each other.

When a family reaches this level of understanding and unity, it becomes incredibly strong. No external force can easily break the bond between its members, because everyone learns to stand up for the family and do whatever is necessary to protect its well-being.

However, unity does not mean blindly following the most powerful person in the family.

True unity allows every voice to be heard and every individual to be respected. This is where democracy quietly blossoms within a family.

What is the need for democracy at home?

Democracy may seem old-fashioned, time-consuming, and slow. Listening to everyone, understanding different perspectives, and arriving at a mutual decision may take time. But when we learn to work together rather than impose our will on one another, something extraordinary happens.

We develop an unbeatable strength, experience an unimaginable kind of magic, and, most importantly, create an environment where truth can prevail, even in the most challenging situations.

Once a person experiences the power of such unity, it becomes a way of life. They begin to understand its value and find it difficult to abandon the path of mutual respect, cooperation, and collective well-being.

So, for the greater good, let us learn to rise above our petty differences, set aside our egos, and embrace the spirit of togetherness.

Building a strong nation begins with building a strong family.

This Navaratri, let us honour the feminine energy within each of us—the strength to nurture, the courage to protect, the wisdom to accept, and the power to unite. Let us celebrate the divine feminine not only in the world around us but also within ourselves.

Happy Navaratri! 🙏🌺

Unity is strength. Acceptance is the foundation. Love is the bond. And democracy is the spirit that keeps a family together.

https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/

One thing for each which is easy and maybe even little bit still something

So like which plants are best ? Does it matter if I put invasive species in my garden since they don’t connect to the actual wild land and do indoor plants do much

I’m looking into no waste shampoo and conditioner bars and just wonder what I should look for to make sure I’m buying something that will actually clean my hair; I found some on Etsy that I like but want to make sure I’m not just buying a random block of goo. I also want to know more about toothpaste and tooth powders and what is needed to keep teeth healthy and where I should try starting to find a more sustainable alternative to traditional toothpaste so I don’t have to keep buying from big companies and lessen my waste.

I've been thinking about switching to reusable bags and wanted to know what people actually prefer.

Jute bags have that natural, rustic look, while cotton canvas bags are simple and easy to customise. Both seem like good options, but I'm curious about how they hold up with regular use.

If you've used either of them, which one would you recommend? Is durability the biggest factor for you, or do price and appearance matter more?

How are people getting the plastic labels off of glass bottles? I feel like it is nearly impossible to get labels off of things to put them into the recycling. How are other people managing this and making it easier?

Hi, I live in a very hot and wet climate and I walk quite a lot. I want to wear socks with sandles to keep cool and also keep the brambles from scratching me up too much. Any suggestions for good sustainable options?

I have big feet, I wear a US men’s size 13 shoe usually

Only around 20 countries on the Planet remain that are self sufficient in Oil and supply the other 180 countries. By 2040 the number could be down to just 10.

Several countries that used to be major exporters have reached Peak Oil Decades ago and now rely on imports themselves.

Germany produced 170 000 Barrels of Oil a day in 1968 at their peak. Now? 30 000/day. They need 2 Million a day.

Romania produced 300 000 Barrels of Oil a day in 1976 at their peak. Now? 50 000/day. They need 200 000 a day.

France hit the peak in 1988 with 67 000 barrels/day. Now its down to just 10 000/day. They need 1.5 Million.

The UK peaked in 1998 with 2.8 Million barrels/day. Now they are down to just 600 000/day. They need 1.4 Million every day.

Indonesia peaked at 1.7 Million barrels/day in 1977, now they are down to just 600 000 Barrels/day. They need 1.7 Million/day.

Japan peaked in 1996 with 20 000 Barrels/day. Now they are down to 3000/day and they need 3 Milion/day.

South Korea is basically the same.

India peaked in 2011 with 800 000 Barrels/day. Now down to 600 000 Barrels/day. It needs 5 Million/day.

Even Australia peaked at 600 000 Barrels/day in 2000 and is now down to just 250 000/day. It needs 1.1 Million a day.

There are only around 20 countries left that produce more oil than they consume and can export any meaningful quantities. The problem is that around half of them are projected to run out if oil around 2040.

Brazil is projected to use up their proven oil reserves in 12 years at current production.

Norway in 10.

Mexico in 8.

Oman 14.

Argentina 10.

Angola 7.

Colombia 7.

And even the USA - 9.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves

They dont even have to run out of oil. Its enough when their production falls to a level that they dont meet their demand. By that point they will be forced to import oil as well.

And by 2040 there will be only around 10 countries left with a surplus of oil that can supply the other 190 countries.

This will force almost everyone to go Renewable and ramp up Green Energy massively. Out of pure necessity. Which is often the best driver of innovation.

We've had the same artificial Christmas tree for about 8 years now. a few branches are bent, and one side is noticeably flatter than the other. Every December we just turn that side toward the wall and nobody seems to notice. We were thinking about replacing it this year, so i've been looking at different trees, including a few from costway. Some look really nice, but i keep wondering how they'll hold up after 10 years of being packed away and pulled back out.

My mom still has the tree she bought when i was in high school. One of the bottom branches won't stay in place anymore, so she hangs the same big ornament over the gap every year. She says she'll replace it when the whole thing falls apart. Meanwhile a friend has gone through three artificial trees in about seven years. One had broken lights, and another didn't survive storage very well. I know producing artificial trees has an environmental impact, so replacing ours just because it's a little uneven feels wasteful. But when it eventually does need replacing, i'd rather choose something that'll last a long time. Has anyone here kept the same artificial tree for 15 or 20 years? I'm curious what actually wears out first.

i know that promotional products and time limited goods are heavily overproduced and thrown away. the only thing that personal actions can do, in my option, is reduce the spread of money, and lower the production of goods in the future if projected sales are lower

does taking these products have the same effect of influencing purchase amounts for these companies? because on one hand, if these goods are not taken they likely are going into the trash (unless it's food or maybe something like a reusable plastic water bottle thats made of a recyclable plastic type). but on the other it is informing future purchases of promotional products by this company, and more taken will likely lead to a greater amount in the future.

however, if i take a promotional item and use it for a normal product life span, thats one less additional item purchased.

idk, thoughts? i think this is a general thing about unsold product waste vs used product waste, which is more benefical to obtain and use?

Widespread forest and peatland fires in the country have posed scrutiny against the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), with blazes allegedly found inside concessions of member companies that also threaten a local orangutan population.

source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/09/24/rspo-integrity-tested-as-wildfires-hit-orangutan-habitat.

Ok so I feel sick about this and kinda shy to even post it but our team just had a very public eco friendly mailer mixup.  We sell skincare online and switched to a new mailer after our marketing lead said we needed something more sustainable. The samples were labeled compostable, and someone added a big line to the packing insert saying customers could put the mailer in their curbside recycling bin. I was the one who approved the final artwork because I thought the claims had already been checked. They had not.  The mailers were meant for industrial composting, not normal recycling, and our city does not even have a pickup program for them. So for three weeks we sent thousands of orders with an insert telling people to recycle packaging that could contaminate the film stream. A customer emailed with a photo of the insert and asked why the mailer had a compostable logo but recycling instructions. I forwarded it to our team with the words “this cannot be real” and then realized the customer was still copied. omg.  We pulled the insert, paused the next shipment, and now I have to help write a correction email that admits we got the disposal instructions wrong. I’m terrified someone thinks the whole sustainability claim was fake. Has anyone else had to fix a packaging mistake like this?

Saw these posters in London today. Are we really still considering new oil and gas after the summer we’ve just had? Glad someone’s bringing this up ahead of the by-election.”

I work in the mining/resources industry, so this is mostly based on what I've been seeing within my own industry rather than an argument against AI more broadly.

I'm definitely not anti-AI. I think there are some genuinely positive applications for it, including within mining and mineral exploration. There are obvious applications across mining where AI could improve energy efficiency, processing, maintenance and resource use.

What I find harder to reconcile is seeing large corporations make very public commitments around decarbonisation, renewable energy and sustainability while simultaneously rushing to integrate AI into seemingly every aspect of their business.

From what I've seen, corporate discussions around AI seem overwhelmingly focused on productivity, cost reduction and keeping up with technological change. There seems to be far less discussion around whether every application actually provides enough value to justify its environmental footprint.

And I don't think responsibility for this should sit entirely with individual companies either.

Governments and regulatory bodies need to catch up.

As AI adoption accelerates, there should be clearer standards around energy consumption, water use, emissions, infrastructure and environmental disclosure. Companies shouldn't be left to decide for themselves what constitutes "responsible AI", particularly when the incentives to adopt it as quickly as possible are so strong.

If a company has made sustainability and decarbonisation central to its identity, I think it's reasonable to expect that same company to scrutinise the environmental consequences of its AI strategy rather than treating digital infrastructure as environmentally invisible.

Curious to see what others around similiar or different indsutries see this?