No Logo is one of the books that has made a big impact on me. I read it ten years ago when I was very excited about all the terrible consequences of globalization. Naomi Klein, a Candian journalist, wrote a powerful book about how large companies play an ever increasing role in our daily lives; they even influence the study material at high school. Klein also looked into the hidden practices of the big brands like Nike, McDonald’s and Shell, and the attempts by the new but rapidly growing movement of antiglobalisation activists. No Logo quickly became the bible of the movement.

This weekend at the bookstore I saw the 10th anniversary edition. In the new introduction, which I quickly skimmed, I read that last year Absolut Vodka launched a bottle without a label and without a logo, “to manifest the idea that no matter what’s on the outside, it’s the inside that really matters.” Starbucks had opened a coffee shop without putting the brand name on the store. It was as if Klein wanted to say: Look, the brands are finally taking a step back... Nice examples, though I personall feel that these companies have simply found a clever way to come across as being very self-aware and authentic.   Read more...

Russell Simmons, the founder of GlobalGrind.com, wrote an essay in April 16th’s edition of The Huffington Post, where I am also a blogger. Here is the gist of it.

“Two weeks ago, I went back to my old neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, to support the launch of the pilot program of the national Peacekeepers, an initiative that seeks to deter crime and violence by introducing a strong presence of community men into unstable neighborhoods to make their streets safe for women, children and seniors. I was inspired to fund the pilot program after the wave of youth violence that has engulfed our nation. I, like so many community members, am fed up.   Read more...

Our cyberworld is so fun sometimes. When I got home from PeaceWomen, there was an email in my inbox from curator Joan Athey of Peaceworks Now Productions. She wrote:

Hi Dr. Corso:

I am the curator of an exhibition and author of a book on the 1969 Bed-in for Peace in 1969 in Montreal. So far it has been seen by over 100,000 people in Liverpool, in NY state and it opened at Coventry Cathedral last week in England. I am so proud of that.   Read more...

I grew up during the Cold War. And much to my shame, that meant I knew next to nothing about the vast nation now called Russia. The stories I heard about the then Soviet Union were all government propaganda, so my understanding was distorted, fear-filled, and negative.

Yet now as I grow into my later years, I find myself wanting to go back and retrieve parts of my self that were left incomplete or dismissed. One way of doing that is my tendency to blend outer journeys with ceaseless emotional adjustments and inner explorations.   Read more...

What can a small clothing company teach us all about environmental consciousness? A lot, it turns out.

From the eco-mecca of Portland, Oregon, Nau (pronounced “now”; Maori for "welcome, come in") was established in 2005 by a small group of big dreamers whose previous jobs included positions at Nike and Patagonia. Their goal was to shift the nature of business, creating lasting professional & environmental change – simple, no?   Read more...

Nature itself shows us how to innovate, generate wealth and create jobs.

The current “green business” model has failed to achieve its vision and goals. The idea that business would provide more capital and consumers would pay more to reduce our carbon footprint languished even when everyone believed the economy would grow forever. When governments are sinking into debt and millions are unsure they will have jobs tomorrow, how can paying more motivate anyone? This model, rooted in romanticism, can only succeed for those who are wealthy enough to equate a cleaner conscience with a cleaner planet.   Read more...

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, April 22nd is known worldwide simply as Earth Day. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded the day to inspire year-round eco-awareness & appreciation. In our modern times, his message is still as vital as it was in 1970. Unfortunately, Earth Day’s meaning & depth are often lost on many of our planet’s citizens who see it as just one day to live a more conscious lifestyle, returning to damaging habits for the rest of the year.

Living with the Earth in mind is easier & more affordable than ever! Here are 10 simple, everyday things that have a powerful cumulative impact. The “go big or go home” mentality doesn’t apply here – any action is good action, as long as it’s consistent. Try your hand at integrating these eco-conscious habits into your daily life – you might be surprised by just how much money you save & fun you have.   Read more...

How might the French be doing today? It’s a historic day: No newspapers are being delivered as printers and distributors went on strike (language alert: article is in French!) after the national union for the newspaper industry announced, sadly, that there will be no raise for them this year.

Perhaps the folks working at the printing and distribution companies missed the news that there’s an economic crisis hitting the media industry pretty hard. In any case, there wasn’t much sympathy for the outcome of the salary negotiations, and so they decided to just drop their work. And so today there’s no Le Monde, La Tribune or Echos in mailboxes around the country. (A mailbox is the European equivalent for a doorstep.)   Read more...

The anxiety when most of Europe’s airports shut down due to the Icelandic volcano eruption soon transformed into a sense of resignation. People seemed quick in making peace with their unfortunate fate. Some even became outspokenly optimistic. After all, a couple of days without flying saves a lot of carbon dioxide emissions.

All this positive thinking can’t be coming from those millions of passengers who are stranded. For the innumerable people who miss a birthday party, wedding, funeral or holiday, the ban on air travel means a tragic loss of time, money and energy. And I personally wouldn’t mind if my wife and daughter could fly back home soon.   Read more...

Wow is the first word that comes to me from our PeaceWomen experience at Wheaton. Wow, was it fun! Wow, did we learn! Wow, we can’t wait to do it again!

My friend Clinton O’Dell sponsored us at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. Wheaton is a small, beautiful college. We were given lovely living quarters in Austin House, a Bauhaus design, sprawling and gorgeous house. In the middle of a lush forest, we were surrounded by full-length glass walls giving us a soothing view. We were totally comfortable.

The first day we tore off to campus to do all the photocopyin