New York City has unveiled a new ad campaign encouraging people to put down sodas, sugary juices and sports drinks, store-made coffee drinks, and other beverages laden with sugar and high fructose corn syrup in an effort to educate New Yorkers on calorie consumption.
The campaign, which features a graphic image of human fat being poured from a plastic soda bottle, follows a previous a NYC campaign which aimed to reduce obesity in the city by requiring restaurants by law to post the calorie counts of it's food. Posters displayed in New York subway cars informed New Yorkers that "2,000 calories a day is all most adults should eat." Read more...
Both are so inspirational, it's tough to decide which is my favourite resource for just about everything. Read more...
Not sure what it’s doing other than knocking the small white blossoms off the tree. Blossoms that will turn to small smooth round balls of sweet fruit.
Flapping its wings of black and orange. Collapsing them from view. The butterfly waits motionless. I've never seen a butterfly visit this tree. Maybe one comes everyday. But I am too busy reading emails and writing to see the natural world unfold before me. Read more...
The Global Corner International Learning Center has posters of works from Picasso and several paella pans imported from Spain among the many items left over from their Passport to Spain Program. Twenty-nine schools participated in virtual trips to Spain with The Global Corner. Thousands of Escambia County elementary students learned about Spanish geography, language, dance, art, literature, and food during the 2008-09 school year. Using exciting, hands-on activities, The Global Corner helped the students learn more about the Spanish Explorers who founded Pensacola and about Spain today. Read more...
What is perspective? It is more than just how we view everything. Perspective is how we choose to view everything.
Do we really have a choice about our perspective? Read more...
The Opportunity Collaboration is a four-day, purpose-driven networking and problem solving summit commencing on World Poverty Day.
In a focused and intensive series of working business meetings, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, social financiers, grant-makers and agents of change will explore unprecedented levels of collaboration, identify opportunities for leveraging resources across organizations and accelerate proven models for reducing poverty. Read more...
Only a woman would be able to photograph women living in the Muslim world and even some women behind a veil. What sense of truth is present? What perspective is revealed in the eyes of the photographer?
Portraits and Stories of Women in the Middle East exhibit is open to the public in Geneva at the Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC) from September 23rd to January 24, 2010. Read more...
The Pachamama Alliance will lead an Awakening the Dreamer session at the The European Summit for Global Transformation to be held at the World Trade Centre in Rotterdam on the 20, 21 and 22 of november 2009.
The Pachamama Alliance's mission is twofold: To preserve the earth's tropical rainforests by empowering the indigenous people who are its natural custodians, and to contribute to the creation of a new global vision of equity and sustainability for all. Read more...
Executive coach Lynn Harris got tired of reading about the dearth of women in senior leadership positions.
Why, she asked herself, were women not making it to the upper echelons in the corporate world? And perhaps more important, WHAT could be done about it?
Tongue in cheek, Harris says there's a lot of contradictory advice floating around about what women need to do to get to the top:
"People say women should be more assertive, but not so assertive that they are disliked. Be collaborative, but not so friendly that they lack credibility. Be more competent than their male colleagues, but in a way that doesn't threaten the men. Be a role model for other women, but behave more like the men to succeed," she points out. Read more...
But my planet is making me.
Tuesday was the Autumnal Equinox, one of two days out of the year when day and night are of equal length. For a moment, the earth's axis will not be tilted toward or away from the sun but rather level with it.
Our daylight will grow shorter and our nights longer. Read more...
Hi there. I am the founder of a new website that is all about spreading and sharing gratitude and appreciation online. The website is called www.GratitudeLog.com and we already have thousands of active members that share their gratitude and appreciation every day.
GratitudeLog is a website where people come together to celebrate happy moments, send simple gifts of appreciation and brighten up each other’s day. It’s based on the simple practice of expressing gratitude daily for wonderful moments in your life. Read more...
SolarCity and Rabobank announced today that they will partner together to build the world's first electric car charging corridor, which will allow electric vehicles to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a press release.
The corridor will be the first of its kind, enabling people with electric vehicles to travel a substantial distance with four fast, reliable, solar power-enhanced charging stations along the way in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta. The corridor, built in cooperation with Tesla Motors, an electric vehicle manufacturer in the Bay Area, plans to cut charging time to one third the time of other charging stations. Read more...
Throughout Latin America, communities, activists and social movements are fighting dams, pollution, and water privatization -- and they're winning! A new report "Changing the Flow: Water Struggles in Latin America" collects a dozen interviews with water activists from across Latin America, talking about why they needed to take action to protect water, and how they won.
The 56 page report, which can be viewed here as a PDF in English and Spanish, was produced by Food and Water Watch, Red Vida, Transnational Institute,The RPR Network and Other Worlds. Read more...
A brisk burst of air waves off the humidity revealing strong, powerful, majestic trees. Against the crisp blue, trees in the city reach into the sky providing a service for the community like none other.
Bapuji, a former freedom fighter for Gandhi and a retired UN official shares the yogi perspective. He says, "Trees are the ultimate symbol of service to others." He continues explaining trees remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen. They provide shade when it is hot. They offer fruit and nuts for our pleasure. When the branches are heavy with fruit they lower closer to the ground easy for picking. They do all of this and ask for nothing in return. Bapuji's words resonate every time I see a remarkable tree standing tall. Read more...
Recently, as I was about to enter my local supermarket, I noticed an older woman having trouble getting her shoe back on her foot. The problem was that she couldn't find a good place to steady herself in order to bend over and adjust her shoe.
Without a moment's thought, I stepped next to her and knelt down as I asked, "Would you like some help with that?" Read more...
Design4Kids is a volunteer-based community of creative professionals who share their area of design expertise with teens in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. Volunteers come from a variety of professional design backgrounds, including graphic design, photography, marketing, fine art, web development, writing, animation and illustration.
Volunteers for Design4Kids provides week-long workshops where teens learn how to establish a successful design business. The organization works with a non-profit called Fotokids, which is working to end the cycle of poverty for some of Central America's poorest children. Fotokids is an after school program that teaches art techniques to participating students. Read more...
For the past ten years, Luis Soriano, a teacher in the small town of La Gloria, Colombia, has been following the same ritual. Every week-end, he gathers his donkey in front of his house, straps on the “Biblioburro” pouches to its back, and loads them with a selection of books from the eclectic collection he has acquired over the years.
Off on his mobile library, he travels into the hills and through the fields to the villages beyond where children await his visits impatiently. He firmly believes that bringing books to people who don’t have access to them can improve the country and open up possibilities for the future generation of Colombia.
Check out a short film about Luis' work by clicking here.
Read more...
You know the old joke... how many (fill in the blank) does it take to change a light bulb? Well, the real question is: How many people does it take to clean up a broken CFL.
Be extra diligent with the Compact Florescent Lamp light bulbs. Yes, they use 75% less energy than the incandescent light bulb and come in all sizes and shapes now. But be cautioned, there is an unseen cost. The CFLs require special care in handling when inserting into the socket and then extreme careful removal when broken. Read more...
As the nonprofit sector adjusts to a rough economy, more groups are turning to Grassroots.org for solutions. Membership has nearly tripled in the last eleven months for the organization, which gives 501(c)3 groups free technology tools, including web building, web design, graphic design, language translation, and SEO consultation, among other resources.
In Sept. 2008, only 680 organizations used Grassroots.org services. In less than one year, membership has spiked to nearly 2,000 nonprofits, and Grassroots.org has given 501(c)3 groups $1,117,671 worth of technology tools. Read more...
In general, being an architect has little bearing on one's quality as a musician, but in Moscow, that's a different story. All students of architecture there are required to study music as well, so architects are professionally trained musicians as well. Peter Nalitch and some of his fellow students at the Moscow school of architecture started a cover band some years ago.
At first they merely emulated personal musical heroes like Deep Purple, but as time passed they expanded their musical horizon with reggae, rap, country, belcanto and even Bach. Demos sent out to record companies and radio stations yielded no response whatsoever, but all of that changed when the band put some self-produced music videos on YouTube. The song "Gitar" with its Boratesque lyrics and absurdism especially became a cult hit and transformed the band into an overnight sensation. Read more...
Farmers’ markets have gone presidential in the United States. On September 17th, 2009, a FreshFarm Market will open by the White House in Washington, D.C.-- just weeks after President Barack Obama wished for a market during his national forum on health care.
This is a remarkable achievement in the recent history of the return of the farmers markets. In 1994, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized 1,755 fresh produce markets across the United States. Now, there are more than 4,685. The growth has been slow and steady, and is now a recognized benefit for farmers, consumers and ultimately the health of the community. Read more...
Way Basics is yet another conscious business that is proving with commitment and ingenuity our furniture industry can be transformed from an unconscious consumer to a partner in global health.
After ten years of dedication, Way Basics perfected their innovative zBoards that replace the standard, wood-based particle boards with boards made of 99% post-consumer paper. These boards are 60% lighter than their wooden counterparts and are 100% recyclable. They require no tools and are easily assembled into custom bookcases, desks, beds and chairs with industrial strength two sided tape. Read more...
Valérie Grandury's breast cancer diagnosis was the impetus for reinventing her life. Driven against the odds by a will to live, she created a battle-plan against her disease through a total detoxification of her environment. Valérie quit her job in the film business, moved out of the polluted Hollywood hills and into the serenity of Topanga, California.
She dedicated her time to studying the healing power of plants, started meditation and yoga, adopted a raw food diet and became a health and wellness coach in order to guide other cancer patients through their healing journey. Read more...
The Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP) is a peace organization whose mission is to identify and present the processes that promote peace. The principles serving as the cornerstones of IIWP are simple yet profound: Read more...
Hello, I have conceived of a very unique human powered vehicle that is in the final design process, and I am soon to be starting the building of the first prototype. You can find a good description of this invention on my blog.
Without any formal design or engineering training, I have for most of my adult life been a carpenter, woodworker, and musician. Read more...
2012 marks the end of the world - at least that's what the ancient Mayans believed. With over 173 million hits on Google for 2012, mounting interest in this prophecy has become a cultural phenomenon. In his new novel, The Twelve, William Gladstone, an expert on the implications and impact of 2012 and ancient religions, draws on his own life experiences to create the dramatic story of Max Doff -- and his whirlwind journey from birth to December 21, 2012. Read more...
I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again and again, likely 'til the day I die): I'm surrounded by amazing women who are doing incredible work to make positive change in the world.
They come from all races, religions and nationalities.
In the last few weeks three amazing young women in particular have come onto the amazingwomenrock.com radar screen: Masarat Daud, Natalie Carney (see photo), and Ambreen Rahman. Read more...
This is Rosmery. She is one of Reading Village's teen reading promoters who receives funding for school in return for her literacy work with children in her community. She's eighteen years old but just started high school this year. Her father, who only completed the first grade, doesn't much value education. So Rosmery had to drop out for a while to help her family. Going back to school was a personal dream and struggle for her. And then her mother died a few months ago and she nearly had to give up that dream. But she has stood strong against her father to continue her studies and remain in our program. Read more...
Hoping to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality, Ben & Jerry's ice cream has partnered with Freedom to Marry, a leader in the movement to gain nationwide marriage equality, to celebrate gay and lesbian couple's freedom to marry in the state of Vermont, as well as all other states practicing marriage equality. For the month of September the popular Chubby Hubby flavor of ice cream will be renamed Hubby Hubby, and the ice cream makers will be publicly supporting the first gay and lesbian marriages to take place in Vermont. Read more...
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...
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