Hands build. Hands heal. Simply stated, an environmental hand print is the good one does for the world. This contrasts with the well-known environmental footprint that signifies the damage one does. The best one can get with a footprint is no impact at all. The potential of a hand print is unlimited.
There are lots of examples of the environmental hand print The science educators of Ecology in Classrooms and Outdoors (ECO) teach first through fifth graders about streams and the soil. Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring
"When I was a boy ... I had dreams" are Captain Abu Raed's first words to the group of hopeful children surrounding him on the hill top in Jordan. The dusty dry soccer area circled by Roman columns and the airport become the settings in the award winning film, Captain Abu Raed. The older widower and several children from the village learn life's joy and lessons. It is a tale of truth, dreams, compassion, forgiveness, courage and sacrifice. Read more...
As the saying has it "one man's trash is another's treasure," yet with a little bit of creative thought you can turn your trash into your treasure. That's exactly what has inspired a new wave of sustainability that goes beyond practicality and into decadence.
The idea of artistic living is a growing trend in eco-friendly culture, which has already witnessed a significant growth in consumer interest when it comes to modular living and organic decor. Even non-greenies are getting interested now that being green has brought with it a new level of stylish eccentricity.
And what comes more easily in this economy than an assortment of empty wine bottles after you've just thrown a smashing get-together? With the preference being on sourcing cheap entertaining ideas, most people now see staying at home with a good meal and great wine as a viable alternative to spending money on restaurants and clubs. Read more...
José Gómez-Márquez, the MIT Technology Review's Humanitarian of the Year, is making innovative medical devices for use in poor countries. Márquez's inspired creativity in the field of medicinal invention is producing tools that medical workers in poor countries can count on. Based on the notion that medical devices are often complicated and expensive to fix, find or replace, he makes simple new creations that are easier to fix than the standard version. Some are designed to be difficult to break in the first place and require no power. Read more...
Confetti in brilliant colors illuminate the magic of Paris on canvas as only Angelique can create. Opened her 10th show in Paris on August 27 at the Seven Seventy Gallery, 18 rue Dauphine, Paris 75006. Angelique reveals the hidden romance and joy of Parisian life.
With palette knife and bold colors Angelique blocks out the air, roof tops, cobble stone streets and cafe street scenes with ethereal illusions. Each has a notion of mystery and curiosity. To capture the unusual colors and light, Angelique delicately balances a canvas while climbing a drain pipe to the roof. She sets up early in the morning to capture the spring light hitting the bronze roof tops with clay chimney pipes. Often shuttered windows are open offering another breath of life. Read more...
As a sustainability consultant in Buenos Aires, I recently attended the first ever green building conference in the country. Though the organizers expected less than 100 participants, the room packed with more than 200 architects, engineers, developers, property owners, and public representatives, eager to learn about other countries' experiences developing their green building sector. Currently, 12 projects are LEED registered in Argentina and the first, Madero Office, will be certified soon. Read more...
The name of this winery popped out at me while browsing through a book on interesting wine factoids. Grace Family Vineyards planted their vines in 1976, long before Napa was known as a wine growing region. It also turns out that the owner, Dick Grace, and his family have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to children’s charities in Mexico, Nepal and India as well as helping the homeless of San Francisco and constructing health clinics around the world through the Grace Family Foundation.
The Grace Family Vineyards is a very small Napa Valley winery focused on extremely high quality. It is one of the most unique wineries in existence due to it’s owner, whose son Kirk manages the vineyard which is farmed organically using biodynamic techniques. Grace has adopted many Buddhist beliefs and tries to use the winery and its profits as “a catalyst for healine our planet." Read more...
Books are whispers of the past heard well into the future. Lydie Hakizimana opened her bookstore Drakkar Ltd. in Nyarutarama, Mountain Center in Kigali, Rwanda three years ago. Lydia sells new and used books with an emphasis on educational material and text books for students at the local schools and universities. With the return to academics for many Rwandans, Lydia has a created a welcome niche.
However, though the genocide is over, the lingering result is a collective ambition for survival, success and deeper faith, which is reflected in Lydia's current recommended reading list. Read more...
The United Cerebral Palsy's Transition Employment Center or TEC Students in Pensacola, Florida recently took an all expenses paid "trip" to Egypt! The Global Corner International Learning Center visited TEC and transported the students to Egypt by presenting interactive lessons.
About forty students began their trip with learning that Egypt is located in Africa, and that most of the country is compromised of a desert. Students also actively participated in the introduction by learning to say hello, teacher, and goodbye in Arabic, and then saying the words to one another. Read more...
Last month I visited Norway, to attend the folk and world music festival in the small town of Førde. It turned out to be a major event -- one of the largest of its kind in all of Scandinavia -- with an audience easily twice as numerous as the town's usual population (11,000).
One of the highlights of Førde 2009 was a fantastic "unplugged" performance by Skáidi at the former bank building of Førde, a beautiful wooden house from the nineteenth century. Skáidi is a very unusual duo, consisting of Sami joiker Inga Juuso and jazz bassist Steinar Raknes. Read more...
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