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When December rolls around every year, the holidays usually come to mind: festive decorations or a menorah adorning the mantle, an imposing tree in the corner filled with gifts underneath, Christmas movies on the TV, maybe a jolly old man delivering presents across the world, or parties dotting everyone’s calendars the entire month. However, some may not realize that December is Universal Human Rights Month, a chance for people across the globe to come together, just like the holidays, to stand up for equality, justice, and dignity for all humans.

Human Rights Day 2025 is on December 10th, an annual event commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. The UDHR is a milestone document that outlines the basic principles of human rights, including the right to life, liberty, and security of a person. According to the United Nations website, it is a “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations,” a global blueprint for international, national, and local laws and policies, and a bedrock of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Today, it is available in 577 languages, from Abkhaz to Zulu, making the UDHR the most translated document in the world.

Did you know that 700 million people live on less than $2.15 daily, the extreme poverty line? Or that 736 million women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner or non-partner? Or, in 2020, Amnesty International documented 483 executions in 18 countries? Unfortunately, these statistics are a reality worldwide. That’s why advocating for human rights throughout December and even beyond is so important.

This year’s Human Rights Day theme is “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials,” which reaffirms the values of human rights and shows that they remain a winning proposition for humanity, especially in this period of turbulence and unpredictability. The campaign emphasizes that human rights are positive, essential, and attainable.

Here are some ideas for how you can celebrate Human Rights Day and Universal Human Rights Month:

• Attend human rights events: Participate in local or virtual events, seminars, and conferences that focus on human rights issues and discussions. Check out what you can do this year!
• Educate yourself: Learn about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its principles. Seek to understand the human rights challenges faced by different communities around the world.
• Advocate for human rights: Get involved in advocacy campaigns to promote human rights, support marginalized communities, and fight against discrimination and injustice.
• Donate to human rights organizations: Contribute to or volunteer with organizations that work to protect and defend human rights globally, including the United Nations. You can also donate to the UN to continue this important work!
• Engage in social justice: Advocate for equality, inclusivity, and social justice in your community and workplace. Support initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion.

Human rights begin with us. They start with the small everyday choices we make, from treating others respectfully to speaking up against unfairness and listening to marginalized people whose voices are usually ignored. This December, choose to celebrate our differences and advocate for human rights for all.

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Living in any harsh climate can take a toll on the skin.  The Mojave Desert has an incredibly high UV index almost year round, making it difficult to achieve that healthy and hydrated glow more easily gained elsewhere. 

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Remember the pandemic that forever changed our health as a society, the way we work, and ultimately, how we learn? While we have largely exited the pandemic era, our society is still dealing with some of the negative effects, especially for public school teachers. According to the standtogether.org article, “7 education trends to watch in 2025,” this includes specialized teacher retention, teacher burnout, and educational leadership.

Even before the pandemic, specialized teachers, foreign languages, special education, even advanced math, were already struggling. This especially rings true for schools in rural areas, which have experienced educator shortages over the years. So, how do we bridge this gap? A lot of it depends on meeting teachers where they are and providing the support they need to feel empowered. This means being mindful of workloads, ensuring that compensation reflects their value, and allowing them to shift away from standardized tests and use methods that best suit students.

This is something that I have personally witnessed: many educators are overworked, overwhelmed, and understimulated. Coming from a family of educators (my father, plus my stepmother and her entire family), when they taught in the public school system, they devoted countless hours to ensuring their students felt supported and uplifted. It was too much.

Also, teachers typically spend hours before and after school working in the classroom and might not be compensated adequately for their job– sometimes even spending their own money to buy supplies and snacks for students. Research shows that over 50% of teachers quitting their jobs cite insufficient compensation as a significant factor. Despite their critical role in shaping future generations, teachers often find that their salaries do not reflect their qualifications or the effort they put into their work. 

So, what sometimes happens with teacher burnout and low compensation? They quit. Constant teacher turnover disrupts the continuity of students’ learning and can have long-lasting impacts on their educational attainment. Consistency in teaching staff is crucial for creating a stable and conducive learning environment. Unfortunately, a high teacher turnover rate disproportionately affects low-income districts and districts with higher percentages of students of color. Almost 40% of teachers in districts where most students receive free or reduced-price lunches plan to leave, compared to just 25% of teachers in districts with fewer such students.

It’s not just teachers who need to feel supported and empowered. Increasingly, schools are recognizing that, rather than taking direction from government mandates, they should be listening to their actual clients: students and parents. Tyton Partners’ 2024 Choose to Learn report illustrates just how important this is: Researchers found that 48% of K-12 parents want to explore different educational options for their children, but lack the knowledge of what’s available. Addressing the challenges school leaders face is crucial for the future of education. Teachers, administrators, and students can all benefit from a more transparent environment where everyone collaborates on making education decisions together. 

Ultimately, when teachers thrive, so do their students. Educators play a vital role in shaping and empowering younger generations to be more driven, empathetic, and mission-minded members of their communities. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Volunteer at a local school
• Support local libraries
• Attend a local school board meeting and participate 
• Show a teacher you care by donating to a teacher’s classroom project

With school starting this month for millions of children across the country (including my daughter, who is starting kindergarten), it’s important to support our educators in as many ways as we can. Cheers to a new school year!

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Imagine riding a bus or train and being forced to abandon your chair needed for transport. Or if you wanted to have lunch with your family at a local restaurant, the staff could refuse to serve you because of your disability. That was the reality for millions of people before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Today, this landmark federal civil rights law protects people with disabilities from all forms of discrimination in the United States.

July is Disability Pride Month, which recognizes the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles that individuals in the disability community face while commemorating the passage of the ADA. This year marks the 35th anniversary of its passing.

According to ADA.gov, ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law, guaranteeing that people with disabilities have the same legal rights as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase products and services, and participate in state and local government programs.

The ADA protects more than 56 million Americans from discrimination in all areas of life, including work, school, and transportation; it didn't just start 35 years ago. Various acts were passed and programs were started throughout the 20th century that helped usher in protections for disabilities that ultimately led to the monumental legislation being passed in 1990:

• In 1946, President Truman signed the National Mental Health Act, which established the National Institute of Mental Health, responsible for biomedical and health-related research. 
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 jump-started the protections of everyone’s civil rights, outlawing discrimination and segregation based on race, color, religion, or sex. 
• Additionally, the Special Olympics was established in 1962 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who played sports with her sister, who had an intellectual disability.

The original version of the ADA was introduced by Senator Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., laying the foundation for its passage in 1990. Modeled after the Civil Rights Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990. The collective efforts of decades of advocacy allowed for the most comprehensive disability rights legislation in history.

Are you interested in honoring this special anniversary in some way? Here are some ideas:

• Enhance accessibility at your school, work, or community by appointing an ADA coordinator.
• Survey websites for digital accessibility and prioritize web pages that need updates.
• Commit to providing easy building accessibility and playgrounds that meet ADA compliance guidelines.
• Host disability awareness events such as races, exhibit works by artists with disabilities, or discussions about the impact of ADA and what it means to participants. 

Consider more ways to celebrate the ADA and learn how to ensure everything you do is accessible to everyone. Happy summer!

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When was the last time you scrolled on your phone and ordered a trendy top, or strolled in the mall and nabbed a super cute outfit in a store display, and paid next to nothing? More than likely, you purchased what they call “fast fashion,” which, unfortunately, has become detrimental to the planet.

According to Earth.org, this term refers to “cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and get pumped quickly through stores in order to maximize on current trends.” It’s called this because it involves the rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothes. This means retailers can pull large quantities of greater product variety and allow customers to get different fashions at a low price. “Fast fashion” was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission in the early ‘90s to allow garments to go from the design stage to being sold in stores in as little as 15 days. 

According to Business Insider, fashion production comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions, as much as the emissions generated by the European Union. The industry dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year.  Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean annually, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emissions from textile manufacturing alone are projected to skyrocket by 60% by 2030.

Not only does fast fashion pose negative environmental impacts, but it also creates societal problems. According to nonprofit Remake, 80% of apparel is made by young women between ages 18 and 24. A 2018 US Department of Labor report found evidence of forced and child labor in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, and others. Rapid production means that sales and profits supersede human welfare.

In her book No Logo, Naomi Klein argues that developing nations are ideal for garment industries due to “cheap labor, vast tax breaks, and lenient laws and regulations.” According to The True Cost documentary, one in six people work in some part of the global fashion industry, making it the most labor-dependent industry. These developing nations also rarely follow environmental regulations; China, for example, is a major producer of fast fashion but is notorious for land degradation and air and water pollution.

To combat this problem, “slow fashion” has come to the forefront, which aims to pump the brakes on excessive production, complicated supply chains, and overconsumption. So, how can you join this movement? 

1. Repair and take care of your clothes: Extend the life of your clothes by following care instructions. Machine wash on the lowest heat setting if you can and hang to dry to save on energy.
2. Wear second-hand clothing: Today, thrifting is so mainstream that it is even covered on the pages of glossy high-fashion magazines, which is a good thing because there are many options for getting second-hand clothes. You can borrow from your family or friends’ closets for one-off events, and there are always one-of-a-kind and stylish pieces from thrift and vintage stores. Online thrifting is easier today thanks to platforms like Poshmark, Depop, Etsy, or Vestiaire Collective.
3. Shop mindfully: In Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, between 50%- 80% of people’s wardrobes are unused. The next time you feel the itch to shop, check your closet first. Do you really need a fifth new dress/pair of pants/crop top in your closet? Chances are you don’t. If you do buy new, support local creators like Mojave Desert Skin Shield, which uses all ethically sourced materials from across the world. They make it easy to purchase high-quality fabrics that last longer, single-composition fabrics that can be easily recycled, or natural fibers that biodegrade more easily.

For more ways to make an impact, Earth.org has a few tips. Here’s slowing down your fashion and helping our planet!

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Did you know that we all depend on the survival of bees? Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90 percent of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land, according to the United Nations. Unfortunately, pollinators such as bees and butterflies are under threat from human activities. 

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations designated May 20th as World Bee Day. The ultimate goal is to bolster measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would make a huge difference in contributing to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminating hunger in developing countries. 

From bees and butterflies to birds and bats, pollinators are the lifeline of agrifood systems, ensuring the reproduction of crops and wild plants alike. They are essential to the production of more than 75 percent of crops globally, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Pollination increases not only the quantity but also the quality and diversity of our food. Bees are more than just pollinators – they are indicators of environmental health. Their behavior and population trends offer insights into the climate and ecosystems. 

So, what is happening to these fabulous creatures? They are being threatened by habitat loss, unsustainable agricultural practices, climate change, and pollution, which ultimately jeopardizes food production, increases costs, and exacerbates food insecurity, particularly for rural communities. Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally. Farmers and policymakers have a major role to play in safeguarding our pollinators. But there are things we can do, too!

There are many ways to help the bees, for those who are particularly invested, you can even consider beekeeping right in your backyard. Yet starting a beehive might not "be" for everyone; there are plenty of actions on a smaller scale that can have a large impact, such as:

• plant a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year;
• buy raw honey from local farmers;
• purchase products from sustainable agricultural practices;
• avoid pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides in our gardens;
• protect wild bee colonies when possible;
• sponsor a hive;
• make a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside;
• and raise awareness around us by sharing this information within our communities and networks!

Get more tips and a step-by-step process of setting up a hive at Almanac.com. On May 20th, you can celebrate World Bee Day by organizing an event that features interactive workshops, discussions, lectures, or trivia questions; have a picnic at the park or plant flowers in your garden; do a local honey tasting; share photos of bees or pollinator-friendly actions on social media using the hashtag #WorldBeeDay; start or join a community or school garden to give locals or young people a chance to learn by doing; or improve your knowledge about bees! There are lots of things you can do. 

Here’s to saving the bees!

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As we turn towards the month of April, we consider ways that we can care for the planet around us. With the celebration of Earth Day on the 22nd and Arbor Day on the 25th, discussions are held pertaining to how we can impact the Earth and the environment for the better. Of course, the environment is directly related to our own human health as well, including that of our skin. By better understanding the link between the environment and our skin health, the more we can act in ways that enhance both for the better.

Ultraviolet Radiation

Perhaps the most well-known environmental effect, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause detrimental damage to the skin. We have felt the painful results of a harsh sunburn, which leaves the skin inflamed and tight. However, even regular, unprotected sun exposure can cause long-lasting effects on the skin, including hyperpigmentation. The rays also trigger free radical production, which can lead to wrinkles, the creation of skin discolorations, and an increased risk of skin cancer. Regularly wearing a quality SPF sunscreen is a good way to help protect the skin from detrimental UV damage. 

Pollutants

Environmental pollutants are not only harmful to the lungs, but they also have adverse effects on the skin’s health as well.These tiny, microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter are smaller than the size of our pores, allowing them to penetrate the layers of skin. This matter is composed of smoke, chemicals, soot, and even plastics or other pollutants. When they enter the skin, these pollutants can clog pores and irritate the balance, causing issues such as acne, eczema, or pigmentation. They can also trigger free radicals, which break down collagen and elastin, leading to the creation ofwrinkles. Keeping your face clean via a double cleanser and opting for skincare with antioxidant support can help keep environmental pollutants at bay.

Moisture

Just as the sun and air we expose our skin can affect its health, as can the quality of the water we expose it to. “Hard” water refers to water with a high mineral content, notably calcium and magnesium. After it is absorbed, hard water can leave alkaline minerals on the skin’s surface, which strip the skin of its natural oils; this can dry out the skin and irritate it easily. Further, rapid shifts in humidity and moisture can be troublesome to the skin as well, as evident in summer when exposing the skin to intense air conditioning and then warm moisture. Utilizing a filtered showerhead can lessen the effects of hard water while keeping a strict cleansing and moisturizing regimen can provide some stability in the face of climate shifts.

Synthetics

The environment of course is composed of natural elements that impact the skin. However, synthetic environmental elements can also adversely affect your health as well. Products such as artificial dyes, fragrances, or other sprays can have ingredients that sensitize the skin, making it prone to irritation and inflammation. Be mindful of any synthetic elements in your laundry detergent, hair products, cleaning products, makeup, and skincare that create high exposure.

At Mojave Desert Skin Shield, we believe that just as environmental factors can negatively impact our skin, our most sustainable wellness practices are born from the Earth as well. By using products crafted from organic ingredients, our line of Ayurvedic-inspired skincare seeks to inspire a return to what naturally helps and heals our skin.

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Every year, when Earth Day rolls around in April, you might wonder how you can celebrate our beautiful planet. While there are many things we can do, having a garden is one of the best ways to honor our home. After all, gardens are essential in creating a healthy and sustainable environment– particularly community gardens. 

So, what exactly is a community garden? It is defined as a group gardening activity in which vegetables and flowers are grown in a common area within the community to provide free and accessible food, including vegetables and fruits, as well as environmental education and the development of social capital in the community. In the United States, the origins of community gardens trace back to the 1890s, when they were established as a response to various social issues, including economic recession, war, and environmental injustice. The gardens served not only as a means for food production but also as a valuable space for communities to connect and revitalize.

Overall, gardens:

• Help improve air and soil quality;
• Increase biodiversity of plants and animals;
• Reduce “food miles” that are required to transport nutritious food;
• Direct access to nutritious food (in fact, community gardeners have been found to consume fruits and vegetables up to 5.7 times per day, significantly more than their non-gardening counterparts)
• Can replace structures and improve water infiltration in the community;
• Can reduce neighborhood waste through composting;
• Positively impacts the urban microclimate.

Food insecurity is a particularly significant concern in many communities, especially in low-income neighborhoods. With food insecurity rates in some areas higher than national averages, community gardens offer an opportunity to improve access to fresh and healthy food options. By participating in these gardens, families can lower their food security concerns by up to 90%, according to “Community Garden Statistics 2023: Essential Data for Thriving Spaces.” Some rural communities facing limited food access have also benefited from community gardens. In one case, a garden produced a substantial 770 pounds of produce, demonstrating its capacity to provide a bounty of fresh food. That’s awesome!

Any way you slice it, community gardens are good for everyone– and the Earth! According to the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA), communities across the United States and Canada cultivate an estimated 18,000 community gardens, which help absorb carbon dioxide from the air, ultimately transforming it into carbon (organic matter) stored in plant tissues. Plants also provide other ecosystem services, like cleaning outdoor and indoor air. Plants absorb gaseous pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxides, through their leaves when up-taking carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. 

Ready to plant a seed for a happier planet? Gardening may appear to be simple, but bringing a community together to plan, cultivate, and maintain a garden requires thoughtful planning and organization. Here are some basic steps to organizing a garden to promote improved public health and the environment:

1. Identify a leader or leadership team to organize the project.
2. Select a site and prepare it for gardening.
3. Organize garden volunteers.
4. Create a sign-up process for community members.
5. Spread the word about the garden to foster community support.

Garden for good this year and in years to come, or engage in other things that invest in the future of our planet. Learn more ways to celebrate Earth Day with a garden. Here’s to celebrating our beautiful planet!

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In the world of wellness, maintaining proper hair care is just as important as skincare. There are many products on the market boasting that they are the solution to healthy, luscious locks.

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The world continues to spin madly on, and in times like these it can be difficult to balance health and wellness with financial constraints. The wellness industry often promotes mindful life upgrades alongside costly remedies that can seem out of touch.

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