Published

2 years ago

August 8, 2024

Alice Rush

Eddie Ahn has been an environmental justice attorney for more than 15 years. In his work as the executive director of Brightline Defense, he and his group have ensured that the offshore wind, building decarbonization and increase in electric vehicles happening in California will benefit underserved and low-income communities in the region. In recognition of his efforts, he was inducted into the California Energy Commission’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame in 2021, and had a tree planted in his honor in Sacramento.

^{Eddie Ahn’s author photo}

More recently, Ahn became a published author. His graphic novel Advocate: A Graphic Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice tells many stories, including that of his family’s liquor store business in Texas, his journey away from that future and into the world of nonprofits, and even a detour into his time as a poker player. But much of the text focuses on his environmental justice work. “I’m trying to explain nonprofit work and even what it means to work against something as catastrophic as climate change,” Ahn told EcoWatch.

^{An excerpt from Eddie Ahn’s new graphic novel}

Are you trying to demystify what nonprofit work is? And what might you say are some of the more unrecognized aspects of environmental justice and climate work?

I did want to use the medium itself as a storytelling vehicle to explain this career. You know, the nonprofit world is very hard work. It can be a lot of repetition. It can be a lot of menial tasks. But I’d like to think in trying to do all those aspects of work, that one becomes intimately connected to the notion of labor, what it means to serve communities.

A lot of what I do at Brightline is extremely lean. I think one theme in the book is essentially my cheerfulness around work, being willing to do it all and then of course, recognizing there are limits to that, too, that one person can only do so much as well. And there’s a larger reflection in the book about not needing to be superhuman as well.

How rewarding is your nonprofit work for you?

I hope the reader gets a sense that even the joy of discovering different communities, of getting to learn different stories, different perspectives, it’s not common in a lot of other jobs. I’ve been able to, for instance, talk with Doctor Espanola Jackson, the community leader who’s represented in the book, who worked in Bayview – Hunter’s Point for a very long time, and that she was generous, you know, to spend time with me.

She took me under her wing and then essentially shared a lot of stories in her own experiences. She was extremely generous with her time, in other words. And, yeah, I don’t think that happens in a lot of other occupations. That is the joy – to be able to meet different community members and then, be a part of their lives in ways that one would normally would not be able to be.

Would you tell us how important locality and community is to you, and how that’s reflected in the book?

One thing I really wanted to heavily represent in the book is a sense of place, and that’s why I think comics was a unique medium to try to explore environmental justice. A lot of maps are featured in the book that give the reader a sense of, where are we? The expanse of the Bay area, public transit systems, those are all aspects I wanted to literally draw out and so that the reader can be a part of it. There’s a certain kind of Tolkienesque joy you get from it, too. That’s where we’ve been and this is where we’re going, that sense of a journey as well.

There’s a phrase in the book – “I believe in empowered communities, sustainable environments.” Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?

I’ve always tried to avoid getting into a rut of feeling like I have to fix everything or solve everything. I think of the broader arc of what needs to be done to even address climate change.

It does require a lot of communities working in collaboration with each other and essentially getting on the same page to address something as widespread and catastrophic as the climate change that events that are happening now. To empower communities really comes from a sense of giving communities the tools they need to try to address environmental issues and equity issues for themselves.

The sustainable environments portion was really trying to look at aspects of those solutions and then figuring out, okay, is this really a sustainable solution? I’ll give you an example. One subject matter we work on a lot is offshore wind. This is about wind turbines that are being proposed, off the coasts of the United States, but potentially on the Gulf and Great Lakes. The hope is that it’s not just building technology for technology’s sake. Are we connecting these turbines to the right kind of grids? Are we making sure that the hundreds of millions of dollars that are going to flow through these projects, can local communities even share in those benefits, whether it’s jobs or community benefits? Part of it is trying to look at it with that equity lens at the end of the day, and then pushing the envelope around, how can we do better?

Going back to the empowered community’s piece, we should always be trying to understand what local communities want and then honoring that to some degree. Trying to understand, here are the gaps that exist in local communities, and here are the needs that can be addressed, the introduction of this new technology. I do think there’s a broader issue in the environmental movement of feeling disconnected from the solutions that are being proposed.

You’ve worked on three different regional commissions in the San Francisco area. In the book, you mention how hard it is to make decisions, even in the context of climate change, on these commissions. How so?

One of the things I’ve had to learn as a commissioner is to consume lots of information. Particularly around something like transportation, where the policy pieces are very complex. The gist is you can get lost in the sea of information. I think if there’s one good thing out of my legal training that I can talk about more and more nowadays is that it did prepare me to consume lots of lots of information and parse it quickly.

Could you tell us about the electrical box art that you created that you mention in the book? (Ahn’s vinyl wrap art is on 10 electrical boxes throughout San Francisco.)

I’ve been surprised they’ve lasted this long. They survived a lot of climate change events like bomb cyclone storms, heat waves and wildfire ash.

What would you say is the best way to tackle climate change? What’s the strategy from your point of view?

Well, it is a huge question. I think it’s a question of scale, it’s a question of timing and urgency. You can, in theory, organize all the people and all the different government agencies and communities to work together. But if you get there in 50 years’ time, it’s probably too late. Given the way climate change events are happening now, it seems to be that’s where we’re headed. It’s tough to be an optimist. But getting people more connected on the ground to what’s happening at the federal government is key to address these issues.

Part of it is just a humbling realization that there’s no single solution to it all, whether it’s a piece of legislation or a key technology, there’s no magical solution that will ever solve something like this.

For example – my father, as you know from the last chapter, has been going through a series of health issues that aren’t clearly defined. It just seems like a regression into a worse and worse state. But you do what you can, you manage the situation to and if that’s as good as it gets, you make your peace with it.

I hope that’s not the case for climate change. I’d like to think we can get to enough solutions and ideas that can get us to a much better state than where we’re heading toward. And that’s why I continue to do the work that I’m doing right now.

The post ‘My Cheerfulness Around Work’: Speaking With Environmental Justice Attorney and Graphic Novelist Eddie Ahn appeared first on EcoWatch.

https://www.ecowatch.com/eddie-ahn-interview-ecowatch.html

Green Living

Mother Nature’s Medicine: 4 Natural Remedies for Healthy Kids

Published

6 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Alice Rush

The global market for natural health products now exceeds $300 billion, and parents are leading the charge — looking for gentler, plant-based alternatives to synthetic medicines for their kids. Some natural remedies have centuries of traditional use behind them. Others have meaningful clinical support. And a few carry real safety caveats that are easy to miss when you’re shopping for a more natural medicine cabinet.

Four ingredients cover a lot of ground: coconut oil, essential oils, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Here’s what the evidence says about each, including what to watch out for, especially with younger children.

Note: A trained medical professional is always your best resource for treating serious ailments. This article provides general information, not medical advice. Never delay or ignore professional care based on something you read online.

This article contains affiliate links that help fund our work.

Coconut oil has many beneficial uses. Image courtesy of Phu Thinh Co.

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil earns its place in a natural medicine cabinet through sheer versatility. Applied topically, it works well as a balm for chapped cheeks, a diaper rash treatment for babies, a soothing after-bath moisturizer for dry skin, and as a carrier oil when diluting essential oils for topical use. It’s also a perfectly serviceable cooking oil — just keep separate containers to avoid cross-contamination between cosmetic and kitchen uses.

Look for unrefined, virgin coconut oil — it retains more of the naturally occurring medium-chain fatty acids (including lauric acid, which has demonstrated antimicrobial properties in lab studies) compared to refined versions. Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is a consistently available option.

2. Essential Oils: Effective, But Use With Care

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts potent enough to have real therapeutic effects, and potent enough to cause real harm if misused. For kids, the most useful are:

Lavender oil soothes minor skin irritation, helps with relaxation, and has mild antiseptic properties. It’s one of the gentler oils for children. Plant Therapy Lavender Essential Oil is a reputable, widely available option.
Tea tree oil (melaleuca) is a well-documented antiseptic useful for skin rashes and has shown effectiveness against head lice. NOW Tea Tree Oil is a reliable choice.
Eucalyptus oil supports respiratory comfort when diffused and can be used in a natural chest rub for older children. Plant Therapy Eucalyptus Globulus is a good starting point. For children under 2, eucalyptus in any form should be avoided. For children ages 2–4, use only with extra caution and well-diluted.

Eucalyptus age limits: Eucalyptus age limits: The blanket warning “never use on children under 10” guidance circulating online is an overstatement. The European Medicines Agency concludes that eucalyptus used by inhalation, topically, or as a bath additive is appropriate from age 4, and that oral use is restricted to age 12 and up. Do not apply near the nose, mouth, or face of any young child. Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young’s Essential Oil Safety (2nd ed., 2014), the field’s standard reference, supports this more nuanced reading.

Lavender and tea tree and hormonal concerns with boys: Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a link between topical use of lavender and tea tree oils and hormonal disruption in prepubescent boys. Aromatherapy (diffusing) is the lower-risk alternative for this age group.

Always dilute essential oils. Undiluted oils should never be applied to a child’s skin. For children under 2, use a 0.5–1% dilution in a carrier oil (like coconut or almond oil). For ages 2–6, 1–2% is appropriate.

No peppermint for children under 30 months. Peppermint oil can increase seizure risk in very young children and should be avoided.

For a comprehensive reference, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s essential oil safety guide for children is a solid starting point. And check with your pediatrician before introducing new oils, especially for children with respiratory conditions.

Sweet honey on the spoon — Honey is much more than a sweetener. Image courtesy of Rachel.

3. Honey: Powerful Medicine — With A Critical Exception

Raw honey does considerably more than sweeten tea. Applied topically, it’s an effective treatment for acne, particularly raw honey, which retains more antimicrobial compounds. Manuka honey from bees that pollinate the New Zealand mānuka bush has demonstrated well-documented antibacterial properties and is worth keeping on hand for wound care and throat soothing.

For throat relief, a spoonful of honey dissolved in warm water with lemon is effective for children over 1 year old. Look for raw Manuka honey rather than processed honey in a plastic squeeze bottle, which has been heated and filtered to the point of losing most of its beneficial properties.

Critical Safety Warning — Honey and Infants: The FDA, CDC, and American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend that honey never be given to children under 12 months of age — in any form, including baked goods, cereals, or foods that contain honey as an ingredient. Honey can harbor Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause infant botulism, a serious and potentially fatal illness. Infants’ digestive systems are not mature enough to neutralize the spores. This restriction applies to raw honey, pasteurized honey, and honey in cooked or processed foods. After age 1, honey is safe.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar’s acidic properties make it useful for a handful of topical applications. Two cups diluted in bathwater can help soothe eczema flares; diluted 50/50 with water, it’s effective for sunburn relief and itchy skin.

Its strong taste makes internal use a tough sell for kids, but they can still benefit from external applications. As with honey, quality matters: get an unfiltered, unpasteurized brand that retains “the mother” — the strand-like protein-enzyme matrix that forms during fermentation. Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is the go-to product and is widely available.

A note on internal use for older kids and adults: ACV is acidic enough to erode tooth enamel if taken undiluted or frequently. Always dilute in water and consult a healthcare provider before making it a regular supplement.

These four ingredients are a good starting point for your own natural healing remedies. Simple and straightforward, most will be readily available at your local health food store and are a cinch to apply or administer.

Building Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

These four ingredients give you solid coverage for common minor ailments — skin irritation, dryness, colds, scrapes, and more. Most are available at natural grocery stores; the essential oils are easy to find online from reputable brands like Plant Therapy, NOW, and Edens Garden, all of which publish third-party testing data.

Start simple, read the labels carefully (especially age guidance on essential oils), and keep products stored out of reach of young children. When in doubt, your pediatrician is the right call.

Editor’s Note: Originally written by Madeleine Summerville on April 8, 2015, this article was updated in March 2026 to reflect current pediatric safety guidance, including honey/infant botulism warnings and updated essential oil age recommendations.

The post Mother Nature’s Medicine: 4 Natural Remedies for Healthy Kids appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/living-well-being/mother-natures-medicine-4-natural-remedies-for-healthy-kids/

Green Living

Infographic: Tips for an Environmentally Responsible, Low-Maintenance Yard

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2026

Alice Rush

Spring is officially here, inspiring gardening plans as well as dread of lawn chores. Before you immerse yourself in another year of yard maintenance, we have a question for you: When was the last time you reevaluated your yard maintenance tactics and outdoor plant selections? An environmentally friendly approach to a low-maintenance yard can save you money, time, and effort while it benefits the local ecosystem.

By carefully selecting the right plants, including natives and perennials, you can minimize watering and yearly plantings — resulting in less work for you and a lower water bill. And by employing natural gardening techniques, such as composting and companion planting, you can keep your soil healthy and keep pests away — without chemicals.

Naturally, a healthy and biodiverse yard looks different depending on your climate and region. Are you familiar with the plants that are native to your region? It’s exciting to choose the optimal plants for your garden because you know you’re giving them the best chance of success — plus, you’re helping the surrounding ecosystem.

Before selecting your plants, be sure to check the noxious weed lists or your county extension office to make sure you don’t pick invasive plant species. Some low-maintenance plants may be invasive in your region. For example, English Ivy, an attractive, low-maintenance vine, is an aggressive invader and on the noxious weed of the United States list.

With careful plant selection and eco-friendly gardening strategies, you’ll enjoy a low-maintenance yard, save money, and benefit Mother Earth too! Check out the tips and plant recommendations in the following infographic from HomeAdvisor.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on March 31, 2021, and was updated in April 2026.

The post Infographic: Tips for an Environmentally Responsible, Low-Maintenance Yard appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/home-garden/infographic-eco-friendly-low-maintenance-yard/

Green Living

Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: Coastal Flooding in 2050 With Climate Scientist James Renwick

Published

2 days ago

April 1, 2026

Alice Rush

Listen to “Earth911 Interview: Coastal Flooding In 2050 With Climate Scientist James Renwick” on Spreaker.

Turn back the clock to hear an early warning from James Renwick, co-author of the upcoming 2021 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNIPCC) report and head of the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, joins Earth911 to discuss the prospects for coastal flooding due to climate change. He shares troubling but important insights into how much seas have already risen since the 1800s — about one foot — and the potential for up to two feet more flooding in the coming century. He also reports the UNIPCC will acknowledge that the critical 1.5C warming threshold is locked in unless the world takes radical action to reduce emissions immediately. Humanity has already committed future generations to potentially disastrous climate impacts, he says.

James Renwick, a lead author of the 2021 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and head of the School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.

Renwick explains how much water is stored in Antarctica and the projections for economic and housing losses along the U.S. East Coast, which is particularly prone to flooding because of the configuration of ocean currents. He also discusses the growing accuracy of climate models and how accelerated warming seen in recent years appears poised to continue speeding ice loss at the poles. But, Renwick argues, the international climate dialogue has shifted from resistance to acknowledgment of climate impacts and growing national and local action, which gives him hope. “Things are moving in the right direction,” he told Earth911’s Mitch Ratcliffe. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The upcoming COP26 meeting of global leaders, which was postponed to the fall of 2021 due to the pandemic, will feature many nations’ increased commitments to reduce emissions. In the meantime, he urges individual citizens to speak out and choose sustainably produced products, as well as support effective local remediation projects, such as tree-planting programs. Each of us can make a difference. Start your journey with this conversation with Professor James Renwick.