If you’re a member of a nonprofit organization that is working towards making your neighborhood, city or college campus a greener place, just like the Climate Institute or Keep America Beautiful, or if you know of a local nonprofit organization that deserves to be recognized for its outstanding environmental efforts, then you should nominate them for GreatNonprofits’ Green Choice Awards.

If you’re a member of a nonprofit organization that is working towards making your neighborhood, city or college campus a greener place, just like the Climate Institute or Keep America Beautiful, or if you know of a local nonprofit organization that deserves to be recognized for its outstanding environmental efforts, then you should nominate them for GreatNonprofits’ Green Choice Awards.

So, what is the Green Choice Awards? Our friend Shari Ilsen, who works for the GreatNonprofits’ organization, sent Green Student U this great post to explain the green awards contest:

“Green Causes Are Great, But What Are They Actually Doing?
Special Earth Day Contest Seeks the Answer

How do you know you’re making a difference?  This is the question behind the GreatNonprofits Green Choice Awards, launched April 1 to identify the best environmental nonprofits out there.

Whether you sporadically recycle or wear recycled clothing, you know how important it is to take care of our planet and its dwindling resources.  But it’s hard to know that your time, your money, and your support are going to green causes that are really accomplishing something.  GreatNonprofits aims to fix this problem by turning the question back around and asking…you!

By gathering reviews from folks who have been personally involved with environmental organizations (especially you, the very-active college student!), essentially the entire world will be able to gauge the impact being made.  The Green Choice Awards – which run until April 15th – identify the best small, medium, and large environmental nonprofits based on the most positive ratings and reviews.

These organizations will be featured in national media, and those of you who write reviews of the winning organizations will have the chance to win great prizes like earthy-friendly wines from Fetzer wineries, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream coupons, a free stay at the chic Joie de Vivre hotel chain, and Whole Food gift certificates.

For more info and to enter the contest, take a few minutes between hitting the books and go to the Green Choice Website. Post your review – good, bad, whichever! – of organizations that you’ve volunteered with, donated to, attended an event, or any other experience you think the world should know about!”

Green Student U would like to thank Shari, along with Emilie Cole and her outreach efforts, for this information.

If you want to share your favorite nonprofit organization’s efforts with the rest of the world you should definitely nominate them for this nonprofit award. You might just help them have a bigger impact on the environment than you think.

Let’s face it: we can’t avoid climate change. There is no such thing as ‘average weather’ anymore, and as long as global warming continues to devastate our surrounding environment every living creature will be in danger.

So, if we can’t avoid global climate change then what can we do about it?

The first step you can take is to get educated about climate change. And that’s where the Climate Institute steps in…

Let’s face it: we can’t avoid climate change. There is no such thing as ‘average weather’ anymore, and as long as global warming continues to devastate our surrounding environment every living creature will be in danger.

So, if we can’t avoid global climate change then what can we do about it?

The first step you can take is to get educated about climate change. And that’s where the Climate Institute steps in.

Our friend Corinne Kisner from the Climate Institute sent us some great information about the organization:

Founded in 1986, the Climate Institute was the first non-profit organization established primarily to address climate change issues. Working with an extensive network of experts, the Institute has served as a bridge between the scientific community and policy-makers and has become a respected facilitator of dialogue to move the world toward more effective cooperation on climate change responses.

The Climate Institute’s mission is to…

• CATALYZE innovative and practical policy solutions toward climate stabilization and educate the general public of the gravity of climate change impacts.
• ENHANCE the resilience of humanity and natural systems to respond to global climate change impacts especially among vulnerable groups (e.g.Native American tribes and Small Islands).
• WORK internationally as a bridge between policy-makers, scientists and environmental institutions.

The Climate Institute also offers an entire collection of articles about climate change, ranging from topics on Clean Energy Sources to Climate Change in Pop Culture. You can see the list of articles here.

There’s even a Green Campus section on the website that offers college students resources on global climate change. You can find a link to Green Student U there!

Green Student U would like to thank Corinne for providing us with information about the Climate Institute.

Remember, we can do something about global climate change if we learn about it and do our part to protect the environment.

It’s impossible to ignore what has recently happened to the people and surrounding environment of the Southeastern Asian country of Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

According to an article on CNN.com, the death toll in Myanmar thus far is estimated at 100,000, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in Myanmar history…

It’s impossible to ignore what has recently happened to the people and surrounding environment of the Southeastern Asian country of Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

According to an article on CNN.com, the death toll in Myanmar thus far is estimated at 100,000, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in Myanmar history.

This is just one image from the New York Times that shows the effect of the cyclone:

You can see the rest of the images here.

The cyclone that ripped through the country has not only killed thousands of people and damaged entire homes and villages, but it has left people injured, sick and without any family or friends.

One 68-year old fisherman, Thein Myint, lost all 28 members of his entire family, according to NPR.

The disaster has also left thousands of unclaimed bodies still floating in the water and has forced many people to live in tight-knit shelters, both of which make the survivors very susceptible to spreading diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cholera.

Even though aid from outside sources is strictly regulated by Myanmar’s government, there are still many countries and organizations out there fighting to help the victims of the disaster.

The efforts of some countries include Canada sending 2,000 emergency shelter kits and the U.S. military sending cargo planes full of water, mosquito nets and blankets.

It seems like we are worlds away from Myanmar, but we can still do our part to help the victims and their environment recover.

Here are a few ways that you can help:

Will ship safety, health, shelter and other materials to Bangkok. There is a supporter that will match your gift donation dollar for dollar, up to $250,000, if you donate now.

Buy an item, sell an item on eBay or make an online donation to contribute to the Myanmar relief effort, or any other global cause or fundrasing mission.

Google users can donate to UNICEF or Direct Relief International. When you donate, so does Google, and they’ll donate up to $1 million.

The American Red Cross has contributed $250,000 to relief efforts, has shipped shelter kits and emergency supplies, and has volunteers that have distributed containers to Myanmar survivors for safe drinking water.

Works with organizations such as International Development Enterprises (IDE) and Madre to provide water, shelter and other emergency supplies.

Has an office in Myanmar to help the survivors get proper shelter, drinking water and power.

There are many other organizations and people who are committed to helping the victims of the Myanmar cyclone disaster.

By making a small donation or even spreading the word about relief efforts for Myanmar, you can make a difference in the lives of these people who truly need your help.

I came across a company called CharityUSA.com that does a world of good deeds…literally. They own and operate a list of websites that are part of the GreaterGood Network, which offers online users a way to help people and animals around the world who are in need.

Part of living an eco-lifestyle involves supporting a sustainable planet, and we can’t have a healthy planet when the people and creatures living in it are suffering…

I came across a company called CharityUSA.com that does a world of good deeds’literally. They own and operate a list of websites that are part of the GreaterGood Network, which offers online users a way to help people and animals around the world who are in need.

Part of living an eco-lifestyle involves supporting a sustainable planet, and we can’t have a healthy planet when the people and creatures living in it are suffering. That’s why these websites are so great: they let you extend your helping hand to people who you would never get a chance to meet in your lifetime, but who would be forever thankful for your help.

Just a Click Away

The sites within the GreaterGood Network all tackle serious issues like hunger and breast cancer. Luckily there are many things you can do to show your support. Check out the sites:

The Hunger Site

Founded in 1999 to eradicate world hunger, the Hunger Site visitors have given over 300 million cups of food to over 74 countries, including Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

• Shop at the store and get cool items like the Cultivate Peace Bracelet, which gives extra food to the Mercy Corps’ Darfur Refugee Fund, or the Jot-A-Thought Mini Journal, made from recycled paper.
• Click here to give free food.

The Breast Cancer Site

Founded in 2000 to give free mammograms to women who can’t afford them.

• Shop at the store and get the Band of Support Pink Ribbon Bracelet as a reminder of breast cancer awareness.
• Click here to give free mammograms.

The Child Health Site

Founded in 2002 to help improve the quality of health for children, it helps over 1,000 children every day.

• Purchase an African Infant Feeding Mercy Kit or help Supply Dolls to Refugee Children.
• Click here to give free healthcare.

The Literacy Site

Founded to promote literacy among children of low-income families, it delivers books to children around the world.

• Buy an Open Books Open Minds Lunch Tote or a Light of Hope Candle and send these children some good books to read.
• Click here to give free books.

The Rainforest Site

Founded in 2000 to help preserve the world’s rainforests, it has preserved over 5,650 acres of endangered land.

• Get a Rainforest Site Signature Mug or a Rainforest Site Microfiber Bag to help save some land.
• Click here to protect endangered land.

The Animal Rescue Site

Provides food and care to over 27 million animals in shelters around the world.

• You can Protect 10 Shelter Dogs with Vaccinations or Provide One Week’s Worth of Care to a Rescued Chimpanzee.
• Click here to give free food and care.

These are some great sites that cover a wide range of issues, and I hope that you find at least one interesting enough to visit every day.

Keep America Beautiul, one of the nation’s largest, volunteer-based non-profit organizations, combines education with hands-on stewardship to make America’s communites cleaner and greener.

They recently kicked off their Great American Cleanup campaign today in California, and it included visits from state officials, community tree planting activities and other environmental initiatves…

Keep America Beautiul, one of the nation’s largest, volunteer-based non-profit organizations, combines education with hands-on stewardship to make America’s communites cleaner and greener.

They recently kicked off their Great American Cleanup campaign today in California, and it included visits from state officials, community tree planting activities and other environmental initiatves.

Jill Greenwood, our friend from Keep America Beautiful, sent this to me to share:

‘A major news story today will undoubtedly be the Texas Presidential Primary, but the presidential campaign is not the only important campaign this year.

Keep America Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program, is rallying Americans to campaign for a cleaner, greener America.

Unlike the presidential candidates, the organization is making a rather unusual campaign promise ‘ this year, it will ‘fight dirty’ and focus on improving communities nationwide. The national kickoff to the Great American Cleanup campaign will take place, today, March 4.

• The event will take place at the California State Museum with the Sacramento River as a backdrop
• Dignitaries such as Mayor Fargo, Henry Losano, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Director of USA Freedom Corp., and other city and state officials will be present.
• There will be a ceremonial tree planting with dignitaries on site immediately following the event (10 a.m.)
• Volunteers will blanket the area and will be conducting cleanup activities in various zones throughout Sacramento

Keep California Beautiful, California State Parks, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol and other state agencies will host the national campaign kickoff and coordinate local and statewide volunteer efforts to fight against dirty streets, waterways and public spaces by removing litter and illegal dump sites, greening up parks and other public spaces, holding recycling drives, painting out graffiti, hosting educational events, and more.

Other cities participating in this statewide event include: Bakersfield, Glendale, Oakland, Riverside, San Diego and San Jose.’

This is a great campaign that will continue through May 31, and I hope that it remains a success.

If you’d like to find out if a cleanup is taking place near you, or if you’d like to organize your own cleanup, you can go to the Keep America Beautiful Volunteer page.