Energy technology company Jetstream Wind recently announced plans that it will develop the world's first sustainable zero-emissions power plant. The plant will use power from renewable resources such as wind and solar power, which will then be converted into hydrogen and transferred back to the grid as available power, according to the New Mexico-based company.

The process is completely sustainable, doesn't create any greenhouse gasses and produces distilled water as a byproduct, a promising prospect for parts of the world without access to freshwater.   Read more...

On a recent afternoon, I went to a pottery shop outside of Tokyo and happened to meet the head potter who had stopped by to check on her staff.

After looking around the shop, I asked the potter if she had a few minutes to chat and explain her work to me. The first thing she talked about was how a potter never knew what was going to wind up coming out of the kiln. "Each kiln opening," she said, "was somewhat like Christmas morning. Sometimes you got many wonderful gifts, and sometimes you wound up with coal in your stocking, like when most of the pieces explode in the kiln due to severe changes in atmospheric weather conditions."   Read more...

Very few services exist for those who live without shelter in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. I want to change that! Prosperity House, a project of Many Paths World Service, is a high-quality, unique soup kitchen to serve the only evening meal to those who live without permanent shelter in the San Fernando Valley.

We believe that the whole being must receive attention, spirit, mind and body. We have just launched our largest campaign to raise $250,000 within 1 year to serve our first meal. This will allow us to build and sustain Prosperity House for these citizens who go hungry each night. Until there's not a need, we need to feed.   Read more...

The Great Kindness Challenge is one day where kids around the world dedicate themselves to performing as many acts of kindness as possible, using the checklist of 50 suggestions published on our web site.

On Saturday, August 8, we aim to have over one million youth participate in this one-of-a-kind global event. The Great Kindness Challenge is presented by Kids for Peace, whose mission is to cultivate every child’s innate ability to foster peace through cross-cultural experiences and hands-on arts, service and environmental projects.   Read more...

Our greatest asset is also our greatest challenge. How can that be? The answer is actually very simple. It is a single word that makes all the difference in the world. That little, powerful word is choice.

Every minute of every hour of every day, we make choices. Even choosing not to make a choice is a choice. How we respond to all of life’s occurrences is a choice. So make good choices. End of story.

Or is it?   Read more...

The Novato Charter School is a tiny public elementary school in Novato, California, built and run by a small group of administrators and faculty with the help of a highly involved parent body. Absolutely everything that has happened at this small school (a Waldorf methods/best educational practices amalgam) is the result of individual dedication and vision. In 2001 the Novato School District offered the school a site. It was nothing more than a chunk of asphalt, the desolate former Hamilton Air Force base landing pad.   Read more...

Do you think others see you quite differently than you see yourself? As time has past I know I view myself as my much younger self. In my mind I am still that 20 year old that danced on SoulTrain, so many years ago. My children cannot imagine me ever being that cool. I wish I had pictures of it.

As children we looked at everything with wonderment and awe. Perhaps we just need to give ourselves permission to release those dreams we once had, the hopes and desires that so often get waylaid by what life tosses in our path. Who or what is in our way, those limitations self-imposed or constraints we allow to define us, we can change those things. It only demands an active choice.   Read more...

KEEN Inc., a leader in hybrid outdoor performance products, including footwear, socks and bags - is running an exciting contest with the chance to win a week-long volunteer vacation at an animal rescue society near Cape Town, South Africa. Entries are being accepted until August 21, 2009, at keenfootwear.com/southafrica.

The trip is organized by i-to-i, a U.K.-based volunteer travel company which has sent more than 20,000 people to volunteer in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America since 1996.   Read more...

With the vast amount of "green" information out there it's easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to knowing what you should be doing. Just remember that every little bit counts, and making a few small choices this weekend can make a big difference. Making green choices helps us create a healthy environment for our planet and our bodies, something we can all get on board for. Here are a few tips to help you have a green weekend and save you some cash at the same time.   Read more...

Nine shark attack survivors gathered in Washington D.C. this week to lobby Congress to pass a Senate bill outlawing shark "finning" in U.S. waters. Shark finning, the practice of slicing off a shark's fins and throwing the body back into the ocean to die, is mainly practiced in other parts of the world where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy. The bill, which already passed in the House of Representatives last March and is supported by federal fisheries, will make existing shark-protection laws easier to enforce and help close loopholes in the existing U.S. shark-finning ban. A firmer stance by the U.S. will bring global awareness to shark conservation and help to influence policy on a global scale.   Read more...