Blog

Americans waste an estimated 30-40% of our food supply every year. There are a few important ways we can reduce this: purchase less food initially, use all food purchased, and eat all leftovers. Composting offers another way to reduce your food waste. Vermicomposting, which uses worms to break down food faster, is an easy option that everyone (even renters and those without backyards) can do. Below, we offer a DIY composting tutorial on starting your vermicomposter.

2018 is wrapping up– and here at Cool Choices, we had a busy and exciting year. 

From our experience in northeast Wisconsin, we know that people want to do the right things. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge—or perhaps a fun workplace game—to make it happen.

It’s nearly Thanksgiving! Here at Cool Choices, we’re excited to spend time with family and friends, as well as enjoy delicious food! While we can’t reduce the stress of hosting family and cooking the meal, we have a few suggestions for reducing the holiday’s impact on the planet.

Congratulations to Kohler Co. on their third Cool Choices employee engagement program! This program focused on Kohler Power Systems, Kohler’s division that manufactures generators and related products.

Congratulations to the Wylie Independent School District for completing their second Cool Choices sustainability engagement program! Wylie ISD is a public school district northeast of Dallas that serves more than 15,800 students from Wylie, Texas and neighboring communities. Nearly 275 staff across 23 schools and administrative buildings participated in the month-long Cool Choices program in October. This program follows their first program last April.

Early into her presentation, Victoria Barrett accidentally jumped too far ahead in her PowerPoint. “Well,” she said, turning back to her audience. “I’ll just keep talking.” Barrett was presenting the years of activism that have culminated in her suing the federal government for its lack of action on climate change. She’s dedicated to pushing ahead for justice, no matter what the challenges. 

She’s 19.

Humans follow social cues all the time—which means sustainability professionals can accelerate change by making sustainable practices more visible.

For many, reducing car usage can be intimidating, but using more sustainable methods of transportation is a critical part of fighting greenhouse gas emissions. Biking also has other benefits, like being healthier, getting discounts, and rarely having to worry about finding a nice parking space.

In our current game in Northeast Wisconsin, we are lucky to have many passionate players. One of them, Linda S., reached out to us to let us know about her successes and struggles of living a mostly car-free life in Appleton, WI. We asked her a few questions about what it’s like to be a cyclist in her city. 

The IPCC’s sharp warnings about climate change are prompting an increased sense of urgency. Every sustainability and climate change advocate wants to motivate change faster. We want to engage everyone and to inspire them all to take meaningful actions that reduce emissions.

So let’s do it already.