A group of more than 170 employees of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday published a Declaration of Dissent from policies under the Trump administration.
The employees said the administration’s policies “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
“Since the Agency’s founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished this mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people. Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration’s focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise,” the declaration states.
>400 brave EPA signatories & 3,500+ Supporters have voiced support for preserving the EPA’s mission to protect health and the environment.
We need everyone in this fight. Take action:
Read the EPA Declaration of Dissent here
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Sign your support here
— Stand Up for Science! (@standupforscience.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Jeremy Berg, former editor-in-chief of Science magazine and one of the signatories to the letter, said that, in addition to the 170 named scientists and academics, there were roughly 100 others who signed anonymously for fear of retaliation, including 20 Nobel laureates, reported The Guardian.
The letter is a rare rebuke by EPA employees who could face repercussions for criticizing the weakening of federal support and funding for environmental, climate and health science.
“I’m really sad. This agency, that was a superhero for me in my youth, we’re not living up to our ideals under this administration. And I really want us to,” said Amelia Hertzberg, an EPA environmental protection specialist who was put on administrative leave in February, as The Guardian reported.
The administration is working to shut down Hertzberg’s department at the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. The work Hertzberg did for the department was focused on vulnerable groups impacted by pollution, such as young children, the elderly, people living in communities with higher pollution levels, pregnant and nursing people and those with chronic and pre-existing conditions.
“Americans should be able to drink their water and breathe their air without being poisoned. And if they aren’t, then our government is failing,” Hertzberg said.
The EPA responded to the letter with a statement saying the policy decisions “are a result of a process where Administrator (Lee) Zeldin is briefed on the latest research and science by EPA’s career professionals, and the vast majority who are consummate professionals who take pride in the work this agency does day in and day out,” reported The Associated Press.
The statement from the EPA denounced what it said were the Biden administration’s “attempts to shut down American energy and make our citizens more reliant on foreign fossil fuels.”
Berg, who was director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences from 2003 to 2011, said partisan criticism was not the motivation for the employees’ declaration, The Guardian reported. Rather, they hoped their dissent would support the EPA in getting back to its mission, which, Berg said, “only matters if you breathe air and drink water.”
In the declaration, the EPA employees outlined five major concerns: the disregard of scientific consensus with the purpose of benefiting polluters; dismantling the research and development office; reversing EPA progress in the country’s most vulnerable communities; undermining public trust; and “promoting a culture of fear” that forces staff to make a choice between their well-being and livelihoods.
Zeldin’s push to reorganize the agency’s research and development office was part of a broader effort to gut its environmental justice and climate change wings and slash its budget. He is also attempting to repeal pollution rules that were found in an examination by The Associated Press to save approximately 30,000 lives and $275 billion annually.
“Your decisions and actions will reverberate for generations to come,” the authors of the declaration wrote, addressing Zeldin. “EPA under your leadership will not protect communities from hazardous chemicals and unsafe drinking water but instead will increase risks to public health and safety.”
“Administrator Zeldin, we urge you to honor your oath and serve the American people. Going forward, you have the opportunity to correct course. Should you choose to do so, we stand ready to support your efforts to fulfill EPA’s mission.”
Nobel laureate Carol Greider, one of the letter’s signatories who is a professor of molecular and cellular biology at University of California, Santa Cruz, described the heat wave on the East Coast last week as evidence of climate change.
“And if we don’t have scientists at the EPA to understand how what we do that goes into the air affects our health, more people are going to die,” Greider said, as reported by The Guardian.
When asked about fears of retaliation or repercussions, Greider said she was “living the repercussions of everything.”
As labs lose funding, graduate students who Greider meets with on a regular basis said they’re concerned about pursuing careers in science. It becomes a long-term problem if support is taken away from the next generation of scientists, Greider said.
“That’s decades worth of loss,” Greider said.
The post EPA Employees Sign ‘Declaration of Dissent’ Over Trump Administration Policies appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-declaration-of-dissent-trump-policies.html
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promise. The jewelry brand’s sleek, timeless pieces are thoughtfully made by seventh-generation craftspeople using 100% recycled gold and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds.
Aurate also has a curated collection of vintage fine jewelry from cocktail watches to signet rings up to 50% off.
10. SOKO
Best for: modern, minimalist artisan-made jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Above-Market Artisan Wages, Black-Owned
Price Range: $78 – $298
SOKO is an innovative Black-owned ethical jewelry brand using mobile tools to bridge the barriers for artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. In partnership with SOKO, independent artisans can operate a “virtual factory”, earning 5x more than an average artisan workshop in their local areas.
The jewelry is made with 24K gold or silver-plated brass — an affordable metal that also happens to consist of 90% recycled content on average. Other materials include reclaimed horn and bone, locally-sourced teak wood offcuts, and ceramic beads made by a fair trade women’s collective in Kenya.
10. Raven + Lily
Best for: affordable artisan jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Artisan-Made, Women-Led
Price Range: $40 – $240
Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and jewelry brand verified Fair Trade by the Fair Trade Federation. The women-led brand partners with artisan women around the world who use natural materials to craft both classic, elegant pieces and statement jewelry.
11. NAKIIT
Best for: one-of-a-kind, solo-handcrafted pieces
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Recycled Silver & Gold, Zero-Waste Scrap Recycling
Price Range: $21 – $485
As a small, slow-minded jewelry brand, NAKIIT’s founder + owner handcrafts each piece with intention. In fact, every piece of jewelry the brand sells is made by the founder herself!
Nearly all of NAKIIT’s ethically-made jewelry is either made-to-order or one-of-a-kind, ensuring a minimal ecological impact and the highest attention to quality.
As if we could love this brand even more, NAKIIT also sources recycled sterling silver and gold, plus recycles any remaining metal scraps or dust after production.
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Best Fair Trade Fashion Brands With Style and Heart
Affordable Ethical Fashion Brands
Consciously Curated Marketplaces for One-Stop Ethical Shopping
The post 11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine