Happy Friday!

So we went to the trouble of writing a series on voluntourism, but what does implementing these lessons look like in practical volunteer work?

Today on the podcast, Grace speaks with special guest Rose Capin about her roles at Vanderbilt Alternative Spring Break and Repair the World to learn how concerns about voluntourism factor into these service-based organizations. 

If you would like to continue the conversation with Rose, you can reach out to her at rose.capin@gmail.com 
This month’s Impactfull series on voluntourism: https://novelhand.com/impactfull-site/voluntourism/ 
Resources: @connectingthecause and https://www.connectingthecause.com/ 
Novel Hand: https://www.novelhand.com

We've all seen a photo on Instagram of a white woman holding an orphan-- and most of us have pretty strong opinions about it.

But there's a more difficult question here: how should we interact with humanitarian issues around the world? This March, Novel Hand is exploring our intentions to do good, white saviorism, and how we interact with human suffering through voluntourism.

This month's Impactfull series on voluntourism: https://novelhand.com/impactfull-site/voluntourism/

Novel Hand: https://www.novelhand.com

Last week, I started reading about the health benefits of matcha, and decided that I needed to try it. 

So like every other zombie consumer out there, my fingers typed ‘amazon.com’ into the search bar without my brain even realizing it, I instantly had dozens of matcha options that could be at my door in a matter of hours. 

However, I was quickly sidetracked from my matcha research by a little green symbol in the search results next to the words, “Climate Pledge Friendly.”

Amazon launched its Climate Pledge Friendly program to inform consumers of sustainable products in 2020, and added even more products to the program in 2021. But are products that Amazon deems friendly to the environment actually sustainable, or is it just greenwashing?

Read the full article: https://novelhand.com/climate-pledge-friendly-products-on-amazon/

Create Impact: https://novelhand.com/amazon-impactful-dec2021/

Your morning coffee might be hurting the environment.

When we talk about coffee and sustainability, we often focus on the farming practices of coffee growers. But just as important is the waste that's produced at the point of consumption.

Single-use plastic and other trash created from your morning caffeine kick adds up. That's where EcoRate comes in. This app allows you to rate coffee shops based on their sustainability.

Today on the podcast, I'm speaking with Alex Morgan, the founder of EcoRate. We discuss why waste is an issue at the consumption point of coffee, how EcoRate creates its coffee shop ratings, and why we should be concerned about our Starbucks cups in the first place.

Check out EcoRate: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ecorate/id1567140528

At the end of last month, a Chicago-based nonprofit filed suit against Hershey's and the Rainforest Alliance.

Corporate Accountability Lab alleges that Hershey's and it's sustainability certification are violating consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about labor practices in cocoa supply chains. External reports and investigations by CAL show that child labor occurs on farms that supply cocoa to Hershey's.

In today's episode, Alexa gives a brief overview of the social and environmental problems in the chocolate industry. Next, she explains this novel litigation and why you should care about it.

Learn more about social and environmental issues in chocolate: https://novelhand.com/?s=chocolate

CAL's blog post: https://corpaccountabilitylab.org/calblog/2021/11/2/cal-files-suit-against-hershey-and-rainforest-alliancenbsp

Read the complaint: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5810dda3e3df28ce37b58357/t/618167d28dd7f307c90da0e4/1635870679248/CAL+v.+Hersheys+and+RA_Stamped+Complaint.pdf

We're learning about AVOCADOS this month: where they come from, how they affect the environment, and why it matters.

On today's episode, Natasha talks with Mattie Gottbrath of the Global Citizenship Program at Washington University about food, cultural appropriation, and white saviorism.

They discuss the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation, how to engage with different cultures, and solidarity and charity.

Learn more about avocados on Impactfull: www.impactfull.novelhand.com

Read more at novelhand.com

What is the role of true crime in our society? Will the Bachelor franchise ever get it right? Is AOC actually a capitalist?

On Activism, Meet, we're breaking down all of these issues and more. We're exploring the intersection of activism and pop culture to ask hard questions about our society and the role of social justice in media and culture.

In today's inaugural episode, Alexa explores the ethics of the true crime genre and what Gabby Petito's disappearance says about our consumption of tragedy. Next, she tells a story about her interaction with a progressive member of Bachelor nation and laments the franchise's disturbing new pattern. Lastly, Alexa is joined by a special guest to chat about AOC's on-brand Met Gala dress and why Kevin O'Leary is such a jerk. 

Music by Wataboi from Pixabay

We're learning about avocados: where they come from, who grows them, how they impact the environment, and so much more.

This October, Natasha is exploring the human and environmental side of avocados. In today's episode, Alexa and Natasha discuss why we're focusing on avocados, what we learned from Rotten, and what solutions to the issues in the avocado industry might look like.

Learn more about avocados in this week's article: https://novelhand.com/worlds-green-gold-part-i/

Create impact: www.impactfull.novelhand.com

Follow Novel Hand at @novel.hand to get daily updates about avocados and more!

This month on Impactfull, we're supporting BlackFem and their work to ends wealth injustice.

Katherine talks with Jasmine of BlackFem about what wealth justice is, how financial trauma affects marginalized communities and what impact looks like in this area.

Learn more about BlackFem: https://www.blackfem.org/

Learn more about income inequality on Impactfull: https://www.impactfull.novelhand.com/

Would you compete over social and humanitarian issues?

Last week, CBS announced a new reality show, 'The Activist,' which pits advocates against one another for the opportunity to go to the G20 Summit in Italy this October.

After facing online backlash, the network released a statement saying that the show will be a documentary instead of a competition.

Alexa discusses why the show is problematic, whether there is any good that could come from it, and the nexus of activism and popular culture.

Read Anusha's article about The Activist: https://novelhand.com/activism-or-slacktivism-where-the-activist-on-cbs-went-wrong/