Several months ago, I had traveled to Oxford to visit an artist, Donald Pass, and hear his remarkable story. A native of England, he has had a dramatic career as a fine artist for sixty years. Educated at the Royal Academy Schools in London, he was a successful painter of portraits and religious works, but was best known for his landscapes, especially for the lyrical abstracts of his native countryside. Yet, in 1969 that all changed. While we sat in his living room, Donald recounted the vision he had forty years ago, which has since been his sole subject as an artist. In 1969, he had gone to sketch at a churchyard in Cuckfield, a small town in Sussex. There he saw what he calls now the Vision of the Resurrection. He explains that he calls it a "vision" for the lack of a better word. "It was really like a veil had been lifted. I was so aware of it going on and yet it was as if I wasn’t there, as if I was watching a film." Read more...
Ode Magazine gives us a roundup of eco friendly fast food, Nalgene water bottles get banned, and we show you some of the worst transportation ideas we’ve seen. Read more...
Hello Everyone, I am Ramesh Haridas Sampat, Founder of Partners in Karma.
I have been thinking about a very simple thing. What do we do with our clothes and shoes when they get worn out and we don’t want to wear them any more? Well, we throw them away, don’t we? Everyone has clothes, shoes and many other personal items that at some point we don’t want to use any more. What do people do with those things? Yes, they are just sitting there collecting dust and some day they all go to trash. Read more...
Leafpond leafpond.com is a unique media space dedicated to the philosophy that artistic living and aesthetics are essential to a rich life experience. We provide an avenue for people of like mind to nourish their creative spirit. In May for our one-year anniversary, Leafpond introduces its new video series, "Conversations With...". Read more...
Filmmaker Nic Askew treats his audience with beautiful short films & stories about Life & the Human Spirt. Soulbiographies, he calls them. One of the movies that touched me deeply was an interview with old men and women in Guatemala. Nic wanted to capture the soul of Guatemala but during the interiew he couldn't understand the local language that the old people spoke. He tried hard to listen to their words. And then he gave up. He started to listen to their voice, he looked in their eyes and face and watched their gestures. He immediately understood what they were saying. He discovered that his attempts to understand their words kept him away from being open with his heart directly to theirs. Read more...
Ships in Gothenburg Sweden pull into port and plug in. The system was pioneered over 8 years ago. Zeebrugge, Belgium, along with Long Beach and Los Angeles, are trying similar technology, which costs about $70,000 to $109,000 for each outlet. But shore-side electricity hasn’t yet replaced diesel oil or heavy bunker fuel. Only a few ships have plugs, not all use the same electrical frequencies,and bunker fuel is cheaper. And much dirtier.
Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping are about twice as high as from airlines. Read more...
Blind people have introduced a bill that will require hybrids to make a noise while in electric mode, Patagonia embraces transparency in manufacturing, and we look at some Damn Good Designs, ZapRoot, helping you go green. Read more...
Hello fellow Ode readers,
I am part of a training program, Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders. Five of us are working together on a conservation campaign. You may know that this has been designated Year of the Frog to bring attention to amphibians - 1/3 to 1/2 are in danger of extinction in part due to an infectious disease that has devastated frogs around the world. Read more...
The five year old who drew whimsical figures with charcoal on the walls of her modest home in the southern village of Gintota, Galle, in Sri Lanka, today is an internationally celebrated children's book writer and illustrator. For over five decades now, Sybil Wettasinghe has been amusing, entertaining and winning the hearts of millions of kids across the globe through her engaging stories and colourful illustrations. Read more...
Aerogel is the lightest solid substance on earth and the best insulator: it withstands extreme cold and the heat from a flamethrower. With an insulation factor 37 times better than that of fiberglass, you’d think it would be ubiquitous. It’s also expensive: $1300 per pound (albeit that’s a lot of aerogel) in large part because it’s made of pure silica. Now a Malaysian researcher has found a way to make that silica from discarded rice husks and cut the cost of aerogel to $125 a pound.
Because aerogel is transparent, if the new economics prove out, it could be used in double-paned windows, appliances, and even walls. It could drastically cut heating and air conditioning costs, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions through lowered demand for electricity and heating fuels. Read more...
Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film. Read more...
LEAF, short for Lake Eden Arts Festival, is a non-profit organization established to build community and enrich lives through the Arts
Last night at Cafe Revolution in San Francisco I learned about a fantastic collaboration between artists and activists who oppose the increased militarization of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
On the walls were photos of the "No Borders Camp" that was set up in 2007 on both sides of the wall between Calexico and Mexicali. Participants camped there for five days "to create an autonomous and unified encampment of peoples from two countries despite the physical, political, and mental barriers that divided them." Read more...
If so, we need pay attention to Paul Polak, who really knows what he’s talking about. In 1987, Polak founded International Development Enterprises, an organization that since has helped 17 million get out of poverty. Now he has written a book entitled "Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail." In it, Polack convincingly shows that we can’t donate people out of poverty (often donations make matters worse), we can’t help the poor by attempting to raise the economic growth of their respective countries, and we can’t expect big business because they, too, don’t know how to effectively help. Read more...
Tunefoolery Concert Ensembles (www.tunefoolery.org) from Cambridge, MA, a group of 50 musicians living with mental illness, has a simple yet powerful message: Emphasize people’s strengths and focus on abilities, not disabilities.
While most psychiatric treatment programs are focused on minimizing the effects of depression, hearing voices, etc., Tunefoolery helps its musicians to move away from the mental health patient role and embrace new identities as professional musicians and performers. This transformation is essential for women and men with long-term illnesses who often get the message that they are not “well” enough to be creative contributors to our communities. As one member puts it: “Tunefoolery is a great example of how non-traditional mental health treatment truly can change people’s lives. Music is powerful medicine! I have a tremendous feeling of belonging with Tunefoolery. I have found great friends here. It’s a job and a creative outlet at the same time.” Read more...
How can there be so much suffering in the world when we know that there is also so much goodness? It seems that there is a fundamental disconnect. The purpose of People in Need - www.peopleinneed.info - is to re-connect people who suffer because of their isolation. We help form relationships between people in desperate, life-and-death situations and people in prosperous parts of the world. These relationships include a yearlong sponsorship that provides aid. But our focus is on the relationship itself, on understanding each other and what it will take to improve our lives. Read more...
When I moved into a transitional neighborhood in 1996 in Atlanta, GA USA, I turned my home into a Peace Center so the youth could come over to create beauty with recycling and art. I supplied a free colored adhesive vinyl which Sign Shops discard, and taught the kids how to apply it to objects like trash cans, former paint buckets, filing cabinets, tables, doors, discarded plastic chairs, an automobile, boxes, pots, and more. One day a company donated cardboard cylinders which we turned into totem poles for our community gardens in bright colors and designs. In the last twelves years, we have created enough art that now we have published an Art Book to show what creative energy can achieve to improve a formerly trashy neighborhood. Check out www.PartnershipsInPeace.org, click on “Photos”, then click on “Art” to see some of our many creations. Read more...
On April 24th I posted an entry about a new forum for discussing world problems. I would like to let you know that this forum has merged with an already existing one, to concentrate the efforts on finding solutions. The new forum is called Think Tank Wiki and you can find it at: thinktank.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page, everybody is welcome to participate in the discussions. Read more...
I wish to share with you all the most amazing, ethical, committed, green, visionary company on the planet.
Organic and Natural Enterprise Group (or ONE Group) is an Australian based company who creates and manufactures the world's first Certified Organic skincare, haircare, personal care, health care and cosmetic products. ONE Group's range of products stand in a class of their own by being independently certified to international food grade standards by some of the world's most respected organic certifying organisations, namely, Australian Certified Organic (ACO), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and IFOAM (Europe). Read more...
It's a stretch, maybe even blasphemy, to compare anyone to Mother Teresa (I was raised Catholic, I know). Still, she and Vanessa Stone have been on my mind lately as I have come to learn about the Amala Foundation. Stone is the gentle force behind this non-profit organization that has, at it's heart, the devotion and privilege to serve children around the world.
Sure, we've all heard about such philanthropy before, but allow me to explain just how this group is changing the world child by indigo child. Read more...
Recently a new forum, regarding worldwide problems and possible solutions, has started. It's a so-called "wiki", which means that it is made in the same way that the internet-encyclopedia Wikipedia is; anyone can edit in it, not only to post comments or start new topics, but also to build the forum itself or participating in discussions about how the forum should be run. The idea is to interest people worldwide and in this way let the forum grow, have contact with each other around the world and discuss on possible solutions for all the problems that threaten our world.
There are no limits to the kind of topics that can be discussed. It is possible, but not required, to become registered (which is free). The language on the forum is English. Read more...
RecycleBank (www.recyclebank.com) is a new and apparently profitable venture in recycling typical consumer waste. A barcode on the recycling bin is read by the waste truck at curbside. Based on weight, the recycled material earns homeowners shopping credits for up to $35 a month. The program is based in Pennsylvania and is looking to expand.
Source: www.worldbusiness.org Read more...
As we like to say, Earth Day is everyday. However, today is a good reminder for everyone to put the planet first in our daily actions as well as our wallets. Next time you are on the lookout for environmentally friendly products such as an LED light bulb or a compost bin, click over to the TheFindGreen.com, the web’s leading shopping search engine for the discovery of ecologically responsible lifestyle goods. Their site allows you to finds organic brands, green stores and environmentally friendly products, all in one place.
This week they will be rounding up the web's best tips for living green in honor of Earth Day 2008.
Read more...
Abu Dhabi, a nation with a huge oil reserve is planning now for a future without oil. They have teamed up with MIT to draft blueprints of a carbon neutral city. Designed to house 50,000 people, this new community will be "completely car-free, with walkways and personal transportation systems instead of roads and parking garages. Some of the walkways will be topped with solar panels, which will offer shade from the blistering tropical sun while also providing electricity for the city."
Click here for the full story: web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/itw-abudhabi-tt0416.html Read more...
On April 22, HeartMath is asking everyone around the world to stop to take 2 minutes and genuinely focus on the feeling of appreciation and gratitude for our beautiful planet.
Ode featured HeartMath in an article a couple years back titled "A change in heart changes everything" (www.odemagazine.com/doc/24/a_change_of_heart_changes_everything). Read more...
On April 15, 2008 The Kindness Center founder, Michael Chase ventured out on a non-stop day of performing spontaneous acts of kindness. Joined by his kindness crew, Michael Hallahan and Tracy Chaplin, they spent a full 24 hours on the streets of Southern Maine looking for anyone that could use a helping hand or a dose of kindness. See some of the heartwarming results at www.thekindnesscenter.com. Read more...
Things you can do on Earth Day, Dutch scientists prove they're dumb, China plans to modify the weather with rocket launchers, and celebrity news, including Miley Cyrus, Madonna, and the new James Bond movie. Read more...
The western Ghats in India are home to "a sequence of green hills and valleys, balmy sunshine, friendly smiles, ample houses -- and countless rivers." These rivers often swell during rainy season to the point that it cuts off the villagers access to mainland life.
This is a story of how one man and a community gathered to build over 48 footbridges. These bridges are now connecting communities, increasing the local economy and helping children get to school. Read more...
Dear EarthTalk: Are there any efforts underway to green the air travel industry? It seems to me that it must be one dirty business from a pollution standpoint. -- Elias Corey, Seattle, WA
Environmental battles over the siting and expansion of airports are as old as the air travel industry itself, but only in recent years have the airlines themselves been under pressure to go green.
And thereâs no time like the present for the industry to take some action: Air pollution from commercial jets is a growing concern among scientists, as is air travelâs role in climate change because of the more acute warming effect of emissions when they are disbursed so much closer to the upper atmosphere. Read more...
The Take Care of Your Share™ Program www.takecareofyourshare.com was started as a means to provide solutions for every citizen that is ready to help "take care of their share" of the environment ... their own homes and yards. Our aim is to provide information to all residents, old and new alike, about what they can do as individuals to help protect the wildlife habitat and natural ecosystems that make our land so special and unique. By focusing on their own homes and property, we believe that each citizen can make a tremendous difference to the environmental health of the entire planet.
By changing a few actions around their homes and yards, each citizen can do their part to take care of the environment. The result is lower electric bills, lower water bills, cleaner natural water supplies and yards that are safe havens for local wildlife. Read more...
In 2006, two friends in Nashville decided to make organic cotton t-shirts with the logo, Cool People Care. Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley wanted to inspire conversations in public spaces. The t-shirts created a buzz and the two friends decided to launch www.coolpeoplecare.org, a website that promotes meaningful change by offering a daily action that takes five minutes or less to complete and makes a positive impact on the planet.
I recently interviewed Sam Davidson. He told me that he felt, “the two big hang-ups people have when asked to make a difference are that they don’t know how, and they don’t have enough time. We wanted to eliminate these two excuses by offering things people could do in five minutes a day or less, and also by providing an events calendar for things they could do and get involved with in their local communities.” The website currently hosts free events calendars for 43 communities, so people can get involved locally. Read more...
I would love to share my new album of conscious alt-folk music with you.
While writing these songs, I felt so in the flow, that they seemed to come through me. To continue the flow, I want to share this music with other hearts in the most fluid way, which I think is the internet as opposed to non-biodegradable CDs. Read more...
I think butterflies can save the world. Butterflies and birds and insects and hummingbirds. See, I'm a real nature nerd. And I believe that the preservation of the future depends on people getting close enough to nature to allow it to restore their sense of wonder. If they see the really cool things, maybe then they'll want to protect them.
So I spend my time running into my yard and recording the little miracles that others find mundane. I write and every now and then I'll give a seminar. Read more...
Johnny Bunko trailer from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.
Ever since I read "A Whole New Mind" (see an article about it here: www.odemagazine.com/doc/23/revenge_of_the_right_brain), Daniel Pink has been one of my favorite writers. The good news is he has a new book out, titled "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko." I can't wait to get my hands on a copy, especially after seeing its trailer. (A trailer? For a book?! You bet.) Read more...
While I feel that the safe (no harmful chemicals) organic skin care and cosmetic movement is rolling along a bit more quickly, it is still frustrating to see so many articles on natural and organic lines that contain toxins, many of which are designed by celebrities. When I first began my search for organic product lines who don't use harmful chemical/synthetic ingredients it was an arduous task, which is why I started OrganicBeautySource.com, an online directory. Those who visit "get it" but there are many who still need to learn the difference between organic or natural and safe organic products. Please visit and I would love to know what you think. www.organicbeautysource.com
Thanks! Read more...
Dear EarthTalk: What makes those so-called "new urbanism" housing developments popping up around the U.S. more environmentally friendly than regular old suburban neighborhoods? -- Rusty Spinoza, Galveston, TX
The husband-and-wife team of town planners Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk are typically credited as the founders of new urbanism, a style of community design that embraces mixed use (commercial and residential) development in pedestrian-friendly and green space-rich neighborhoods—much like the old neighborhoods many baby-boomers remember before suburban sprawl made us all slaves to our cars. Read more...
Last month I spent three weeks in the company of a handful former child soldiers in Liberia who call themselves "Future Guardians of Peace."
When the Liberian civil war ended in 2003, these kids were gaunt, hardened, physically and mentally wounded children. Now in their late teens and early twenties, they are radiant, generous, responsible young people. They have resumed their schooling, extricated themselves from the drug-and-alcohol culture of their war buddies, and are working hard to earn the respect of a suspicious community. Read more...
Jack Barton of Local Projects is dedicated to designing innovative ways of collecting and telling people's stories. The following video tells the story of his design firm and some of its recent projects.
Democrats & Republicans go head to head over who’s convention is greener, rumors of the Hummer’s demise have been exaggerated, Schwarzenegger gives rides to kids on his tank, and how to keep the Treeless Squirrel from becoming your crappy roommate. Read more...
There's a tendency to think that, as a free entry-level texting solution, FrontlineSMS is only relevant for smaller, grassroots non-profits who are most likely to lack the funds or in-house expertise to develop their own solutions. Over the past couple of years I've begun to see otherwise. As a case in point, this coffee project is being run by the UN. Not the suited, New York-based UN you see on TV, but a field-based team of UN staff and volunteers who simply wanted to try something. All they needed was a simple, low-cost tool which allowed them to rapidly prototype their idea. Read more...
One of my New Year resolutions was to be committed to total recycling, which took me a little more effort than the average person, as I use a walker to be mobile. The plastic bins for recyclables at the curb do not work for me, as I can't get them back and forth to the curb.
So my papers and recycling are put in grocery paper bags with handles. Once a month I don't use my go green cloth grocery bags for my grocery shopping, I get the paper bags for my recycling. Otherwise, I always use my go green cloth grocery bags and any plastic bags I acquire from other shopping I take to the store to place in their plastic bag recycle bin. Read more...
The Hyves group "This is not a game" was created to share a T-shirt design for anybody interested in protesting in favour of human rights in China. Just click on the hyve logo (notagame.hyves.nl) and save the image to use in printing your own protest T-shirt. Make many of these for your friends and family.
This graphical design should stimulate but not demand that people boycott China olympics based on human rights violations by the Chinese government: Darfur, Tibet, working conditions, child labour, press repression/censorship, screening of news and internet and so on. Read more...
Bob Randall, a Yankunytjatjara elder and traditional owner of Uluru (Ayer's Rock), explains how the connectedness of every living thing to every other living thing is not just an idea but a way of living. This way includes all beings as part of a vast family and calls us to be responsible for this family and care for the land with unconditional love and responsibility. Read more...
Selling a pair of athletic shoes for as much as $1,723 when it has been made with a few dollars of Chinese labor long has been a dicey proposition in the CSR world. The least Nike can do is make it out of non-toxic materials. Branded as “the "rst performance shoe designed with the environment in mind,” the newly released Jordan XX3 also contains “less waste.”
Source: World Business Academy (www.worldbusiness.org) Read more...
At 5 a.m. on any given day, Anne Mahlum could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia -- with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning last spring, she stopped in her tracks.
"Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot." Read more...
Socially responsible investment assets grew more than 18% between 2005 and 2007, compared to a 3% growth rate for all investment assets during the same period, according to the Report on Socially Responsible Investing Trends in the United States, produced by Social Investment Forum.
One of every nine dollars under professional management in the U.S. is tied to socially responsible investing. Read more...
Wal-Mart last week decided not to sell milk under its own label from cows treated with Prosilac (or “rBGH”), the Monsanto synthetic bovine growth hormone.
In doing so, Wal-Mart follows the lead of Kroger, Safeway, and Starbucks, as well as the European Union and Canada. The effect is not so clear-cut, though, because the powerful dairy industry has long threatened lawsuits against "rms that use labels that proclaim the product to be hormone-free. Wal-Mart is not exempt. Read more...
September 13th, 2007 I embraced motherhood with a beaming face. October 7th, 2007 I bore the anguish of my mother's sudden death. Now seven months later I am still capable of telling my story.
I have grown more than most people at 21 can comprehend. When I first told my mother I was pregnant it was a wonderful horrible surprise. I was not yet married to this person whom I had been with since high school and things had not been easy between the two of us by any means. Although underneath all her frustration, excitement began to settle in. Soon I began getting cards in the mail quite frequently with words of joy and wisdom. You see, mom had just moved to Baltimore one year prior to be with my stepdad. It was the first time in over 30 years that she had move out of Oklahoma, let alone this neighborhood! Anyway the days grew closer to baby Parker's birth she visited more and more. Until finally the day came and mom was right by my side coaching me through labor. Read more...
Patagonia has a great new tool on their website that sets a standard for transparency. Track the impact of any of its product from the beginning through delivery. It also calculates distance traveled, total carbon emissions, waste generated and energy consumed.
Footprint Chronicles(TM): www.patagonia.com/usa/footprint/index.jsp Read more...
One man's dross is another man's gold.
A new “mail back” program launched this month by the US Postal Service will distribute free mailers in the lobbies of 1,500 post offices, enabling consumers to send their obsolete cell phones, empty inkjet cartridges, and other small electronics free of charge to Clover Technologies Group for recycling. Clover is footing the bill for the postage. Read more...
This was the final public message recorded by the late Sir Arthur C Clarke, which closed the global launch of the International Year of Planet Earth, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 13 February 2008. In his unique style, Sir Arthur connects the local with global, and traces the influence of space exploration on the global environmental movement. He ends calling for humanity to listen to the planet's distress call, and respond with knowledge, understanding and imagination. Read more...
Due to an increase in oil prices, the Bahamas are now proposing a shift to renewable energy. Some alternatives include solar panels (especially concentrating trough collectors), hydrokinetics (including ocean wave and tidal systems), thermal conversion (such as OTEC and biomass systems), gasification (including the capture of biogas from landfills) and wind turbines.
Read full story here: www.bahamapundit.com/2008/04/bahamas-pursuin.html Read more...
The Egazini Outreach Project in South Africa is is turning a community that was once filled with terror and injustice into one of possibilities through art and dance. The director of this new outreach program hopes to use this project as an outlet for adults and children to express their creativity. Since the project started, many youths have been kept from using drugs and being involved in crime. Read more...
You can develop a regular meditation practice by converting waiting time into meditating time!
The average American waits 42-60 minutes a day! Read more...
Dear EarthTalk: There are so many energy drinks on the market, but they all seem very high in sugar, coloring and preservatives. Are there any natural versions that offer a healthier kick-start? -- John Hwang, Cambridge, MA
Energy drinks constitute one of the fastest growing sectors of the soft drink market across the U.S. and around the world, with some 500 new varieties introduced in recent years. But it
Shawn Ahmed, former student of the University of Notre Dame is on a mission to end world poverty. After attending the 2006 Notre Dame Forum on Global Health and meeting Dr. Jeffery Sachs (author of the book "The End of Poverty"), he was inspired to travel to Bangladesh for a small, short-term, and self-funded project to see what difference he could make in helping some of the world's worst off. Read more...
My wife and I were out with friends last week, eating at an Indian restaurant in Toronto. Midway through our meal I noticed movement beside me and looked over to see a little girl of six or seven years old, her Dad standing with her, politely waiting for my attention. I smiled at her. She giggled and buried her face in her father's legs. He leaned over and whispered for her to
On the 22nd of March FairMail Peru organized a photoexposition called "Una Gran Excursion" (A wonderful excursion, red.) in restaurant Otra Cosa in Huanchaco, Peru. FairMail's teenage photographers chose this name to go with the pictures they took during the last FairMail photography excursion in February to the Peruvian Andes. The theme of the exposition was the Peruvian Andes. Read more...
"In my next life, I would like to be a butterfly." So begins this simple video montage depicting the paintings and dreams of young students at two informal schools in India run by the non-governmental organization Calcutta Rescue. Calcutta Rescue provides free education to nearly 300 slum children in that city and here, the impetus behind the lush series of water-color paintings on display is voiced by the artists themselves. "I imagined standing by a river like this. I have never seen a river, but I have seen pictures," says one. And another: "I live on the street with my parents, brother and one sister. I would like to have a big house so that we can all live there." Read more...
In 1996, Eve Ensler wrote the famous play titled "The Vagina Monologues" that became an international feminist phenomenon. Not only did the play bring women's issues to the forefront, it inspired Eve to create V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.
V-Day will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2008 with women and men from the U.S with a mega two-day anniversary celebration - V TO THE TENTH - in New Orleans Friday - Saturday, April 11-12 at the New Orleans Arena and Louisiana Superdome. Read more...
What if six people emerged to achieve the "physiologically impossible"? for runners, that was running a four-minute mile. For human beings with type-II diabetes, that was reverse the disease and stop all medications by living a lifestyle that promotes life. Of course the journey will bring up all the human issues and explore the depths and triumphs of humanity's journey and healing of the spirit for all humankind in our times.
Teachers, kids, and parents, be sure to catch the TED talk entitled Once Upon A School by writer Dave Eggers and an exciting volunteer program of the same name that is growing around the US. For the talk go to: www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/233 Read more...
Dear EarthTalk: What are the conservation implications of all the wild colonies of escaped pet parrots that have turned up in and around some major U.S. cities? -- Mike Gifford, Kirkland, WA
At least three dozen different parrot species are now considered threatened or endangered in their quickly shrinking native tropical and sub-tropical habitats (mostly in South America). As such, the health of wild flocks in the U.S. and other developed countries around the world may well be key to preserving these birds that could otherwise go extinct. Read more...
In the past, purchasers of gasoline and SUVs seemed insensitive to the ascent of oil prices. While real wages stagnated, it would seem people financed those $50 fill-ups with home equity loans and credit card debt. As long as money was "free," no set of incentives would change behavior.
An article in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat (CA) suggests things have changed. "
"Carrier bags" are shopping bags in Britain. By any name, the plastic versions are increasingly unpopular, having been banned in San Francisco, Beijing and elsewhere. The proposed U.K. budget requires retailers to charge for them, if they are not scrapped altogether. British retailers reduced their use of such bags by 8%, or 1 billion last year.
Source: www.worldbusiness.org Read more...
In West Oakland, California, where liquor stores have replaced markets, People's Grocery is creating a healthy alternative, offering access to organic produce. Through urban gardens and local farms, People's Grocery supports a culture based on connection to the land, sustainable agricultural practices, and regenerating community. Read more...
Dear American Voter - Send a message!
The upcoming U.S. election will affect people globally, but only Americans will get the chance to vote. Would you like to send American voters a message? We're asking people from all over the world to make video letters that tell Americans how they would vote, and why. Our submissions aren't limited to those overseas - we'd like to hear from Americans, too. Read more...
When Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs publishes a book, it usually has a pronounced effect on the world's agenda. Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, his latest offering, appeared in bookstores this week. Initial critical response indicates it will be driving many agendas in 2008.
"Grim but surprisingly optimistic" seems to be the consensus view of the book. Conceptually, it draws from the same well as Sachs's earlier works: the application of large sums (3% of global GDP in this current case) could eliminate many of the world's problems; this is actually inexpensive compared to the alternative; humanity has no alternative if it is to have a future. Read more...
America added 106 million people from 1965 to 2007. Demographic experts showed 300 million more people living in America in October of last year. They expect an added 100 million by 2040. The consequences will be irreversible and unsolvable. Read more...
The Gyre or Pacific Garbage Patch is a swirling vortex of trash and we have some expert in to talk about it. We also cover some green video games. Read more...
Join me, Cheryl Janis,as I take you to fair trade 10,000 Villages boutique, here in Portland Oregon (with nationwide locations.) The store which is volunteer based, is eco-fabulous, lovely home accessories and furniture handmade with love, supporting villages globally, keeping women in business alive and well, supporting communities that can make a living wage without having to travel to the bigger cities. This is a non-profit organization that you will want to support.
Visit the following link to watch the video blog episode. Please leave your comments! Read more...
Many of you may have familiarized yourself with the concept of cultivating a a "Citizen Base" a the path to a sustainable nonprofit organization. Watch Ashoka's Founder Bill Drayton talk about this key to sustainability--being rooted in a community and forming a citizen base.
The good news is spreading. Happyzine
A growing phenomenon can be seen among what demographers call Generation Y youth (also called baby-boom echo or on-line generation), essentially those who were born after 1978. More and more members of this demographic group want to see social changes and want to be change agents for doing so. Two such people, Alex Hofmann and Deron Triff were already well on their way in business careers in media and entertainment when they learned about Scott Harrison, a Gen-Y-er who is busy digging clean water wells in Africa. Hoffmann and Triff wondered how they could get behind Scott Harrison, get to know him, be connected with him and help him. Then they wondered if they could get behind and help other people like Harrison. Read more...
When the news broke this week about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's alleged involvement with a prostitute the nation was inundated with newspaper reports expressing shock and confusion. Politicians, corporate executives, and various other pundits were outraged by Spitzer's behavior? And healthcare providers began scratching their heads at the apparent level of ignorance about addictive behavior that these responses demonstrated.
In fact, Spitzer's behavior is a classic reflection of a particular kind of addiction known as sex addiction. Read more...
Driving in India is always an experience. Or rather, I should say riding in India is an experience. Believe me, you don't want to drive in India. India has taken aggressive driving to the next level. Why do I say that?
For starters, lanes are optional in India. You can drive in the left lane, the right lane, or really a combination of the two. And even if you're in your lane, that doesn't mean that other people won't also feel the need to be in your lane, riding one inch from the spot you're in. Another fun thing about India drivers is their love of the car horn. The tour bus my group was riding had four different horns! Read more...
Go Green in the SQUBA, a submersible car, China bans plastic bags, and we'll show you ways to green your office. Read more...
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