Powering a Greener Future

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By JohnPosted In: EnvironmentTagged: , , ,

“Recycle My Battery,” a nonprofit organization founded in 2019, has established more than 1,000 recycling collection points and collected over 625,000 batteries for proper disposal. The New Jersey-based initiative was created by Nihal Tammana when he was just 10 years old after learning about a lithium-ion battery explosion at a waste facility.

The organization’s primary mission addresses a significant environmental concern: improperly discarded batteries can contaminate ecosystems and pose safety hazards. Research conducted by the nonprofit demonstrates that alkaline batteries can alter soil pH to levels that inhibit plant growth, while lithium-ion batteries present fire and explosion risks when compacted in waste facilities.

Through community education programs and “The Battery Challenge” initiative designed for schools, Recycle My Battery raises awareness about proper disposal methods while making recycling accessible. The organization emphasizes that battery recycling produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy and water consumption compared to raw material extraction.

With approximately 1,000 volunteers worldwide, the nonprofit has expanded internationally, collaborating with Australia’s largest battery recycling company and seeing its educational materials featured in German textbooks. The organization is also developing innovative technology to harvest residual energy from used batteries—a project validated by researchers at the University of Waterloo.

Recycle My Battery aims to reach one million recycled batteries by the end of this year and create measurable positive impact through targeted waste reduction efforts. In the words of its now 15-year-old founder, “if I can make the Earth a better place to live, you can…. If you can, we all can.”

Hilary Swank’s Hilaroo To Connect Strays and Children

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Hilary Swank, the Oscar-winning actress, has recently focused her energy on a more monumental cause; animal welfare.

Last month, Swank visited Romania and got involved in a number of Vier Pfoten projects aiming to “connect rescue animals with institutionalized people.”

Bucharest, Romania’s capital, teems with over 30,000 stray dogs. Last year, a law initiated a program that rounds up the dogs and places them in a shelter for 30 days. If they are not adopted in time, they are euthanized. Vier Pfoten is one of several non-profits working to alter the effects of the law.

Swank, inspired by the organization’s efforts, has brought the battle to the United States in the form of ‘Hilaroo,’ a similar organization that will help children and rescued animals.

“I believe that is so healing to these kids who don’t trust people anymore,” she said. “The unconditional love of an animal is very healing and teaches them about not just unconditional love but about a relationship, about responsibility, about anger management.

“I believe in a ‘no-kill’ policy. Hopefully we are getting to a place where we have ‘no-kill’ universally and just a more caring attitude in general to all animals.”

Jack Johnson Supports the Kokua Hawaii Foundation

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Jack Johnson, singer, songwriter and former surfer, recently announced a new album to benefit a Hawaiin environmental charity called the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. The album, entitled Jack Johnson and Friends – Best of Kokua Festival, will feature live recordings from performaces of the last six years, including tracks with Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Dave Mathews and many others.

Johnson also launched a Kokua Festival benefit concert in Hawaii last month, pledging the proceeds from recording sales to the cause, which works to promote green education in schools throughout Hawaii.

Lastly, Johnson will tour Hawaii alongside John Cruz and Paula Fuga, performing in seven intimate, all-acoustic gigs, also to benefit the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.

This is a video made by Jack Johnson and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation last year:

Environmental Protection

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The International Rivers Network (more commonly known as International Rivers) was established to help the environment in general, but more specifically the rivers and the neighboring communities.  Set up more than a quarter of a century ago, the charity focuses on how to preserve the rivers in their most natural habitat.  The construction of dams are fought harshly against and International Rivers tries to encourage water saving habits.  As well, the organization seeks ways of preventing tough floods.

International Rivers works with other organizations too, in order to efficiently achieve the best results.  Particularly active are those individuals and communities impacted directly by dam constructions, as well as those wanting to protect the environment while looking out for its future.  As well, there are many experts in the field seeking ways of looking for alternatives to destructive river projects.  The main thrust of the work takes place in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

American Bird Conservancy

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The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – established in 1994 – is focused on the conservation of wild birds and their habitats across the nation.  Whenever there is any kind of threat to birds, the ABC is on the case.  In this capacity it is able to advance the whole concept of bird conservation.  The ABC also encourages individuals and groups to work with it, “regardless of their political, economic, or social point of view [through] innovative, fair solutions to difficult issues.”

The ABC works for the following principal causes:  the development and maintenance of a reserve system for the 82 bird-triggered Alliance for Zero Extinction sites and the sites for declining birds in the Western Hemisphere as well as improving the area’s bird conservation capacity.  As well it seeks to protect key wintering habitat for various Neo-tropical migrants and improves communications.

To date, the ABC has enjoyed success in network development of more than 40 globally significant biodiversity reserves in the following countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.  As well, there are plans to double this number.  By protecting these reserves, birds are protected as well as biodiversity, local and global communities.  Various endangered species will be protected through the reserve system as well.

Women’s Environmental Network

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The Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) is a UK-based organization set up to “educate, empower, and inform” those to whom the environment is important.  One of its main activities in this realm is campaigning on environmental and health issues, but from a woman’s point of view.  Formed in 1988, the WEN seeks to connect women, health and the environment.

Environmental Issues

According to its website, the WEN has worked out that with today’s huge amount of consumption, three planets would be necessary to adequately sustain our needs.  Given that this is due only to increase, soon five planets would be needed as figures shown the population will exceed nine billion by 2040.

Women and the Environment

So the question that is to be asked, is why is this so much more of an issue for women than men?  Apparently, this is because women comprise 66 percent of those impacted by “climate-related disasters in developing economies.”

What’s also sad is that fewer and fewer individuals are connecting these days to “simple pleasures like communal outside spaces and growing their own food.” So there needs to be a change in the way in which we are living.

Women Green Pride

On the flip side of all of this, there is actually a lot being done in this realm, especially by women in the UK.  For example, there is a bunch of groups led by women who “every day, take conscious actions to consume less, to use resources more effectively, to raise awareness at grass roots levels about climate change and to engage women and men in community-based projects such as allotments and orchards.”  So there is much being done.  But there is obviously also, still much more that can be done too.