Let's compost people!

INCIDENT:
My friend was recently on television demonstrating the ease of worm composting. It's easy and practical! After you watch her segment you will be sold too! What's great is that this segment was on Fox, reaching an audience that might not have been exposed to the benefits and ease of composting.



MORAL:
I am super excited to start composting. I have already been saving all of my food scraps for the worms that should be arriving any day now. My kitchen compost pail is already full of delicious decomposing food. It's like getting a new pet... except there are lots of them and they are very hungry hermaphrodites... oh, and you don't have to walk them. What more could you want?

Get rid of the junk mail... please!

INCIDENT:
I sure do get a lot of junk mail. Everyday I go through my mail and end up recycling the majority it. What a waste of paper! And you can't even use it for scrap paper. So between the credit card offers, mailers, and crap from present and previous affiliations who have sold my information (I secretly hate you!), I am swimming in old growth forest in the form of glossy postcards and pre-approved credit card applications. It appears that our society might have our priorities all in a muck.

MORAL:
What can we do to stop the craziness? Well, it will take some leg work (or money if you have it to spare), but we can all cut down on the junk mail.

First up to bat is the website Green Dimes, which will pay you to get rid of your junk mail. What? Yes. They will pay you a dollar, give you a magazine subscription, or plant a tree if you join at the basic level. They claim that they can get rid of 90% of your junk mail for at least 5 years. Not too bad. If you have a little more dough you can get their Premium or Bundle service where you get a lot of extras like monthly junk mail list monitoring and more trees planted... not bad for a $20 one-time fee (protection good for 5 years).

Another option is Catalog Choice. If you are already receiving paper catalogs, then this might be a good option for you. You can opt out of receiving the paper catalogs. But you need the actual catalogs so that you can get off the proper list. This might also be helpful for those who get tempted to buy things when that new catalog arrives... you know I am talking to you.

And finally the big one is opting out of the credit card offers. So the good ole government has come through with a website to opt out of these offers. You can call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com for details. You have to provide your name, telephone number, address, date of birth, and social security number. You might be wondering about providing your social security number but I assume that since it is a government website that it is legit.

So with these tools in hand you should be well on your way to reducing your junk mail and saving some trees. Next task saving the world.

Earth Day Every Day

INCIDENT:
In honor of Earth Day I thought I would share this great compilation of two films addressing industry's effect on the earth. It speaks of the negative influence of industry on people and the planet. The video is excerpts from the short film "Birth of Industry" featuring independent film star Diane Gaidry (check out the film "Egg" - part I and part II) interspersed with footage from the movie "Beaches" where Bette Midler does a stage performance of her song "Oh, Industry." In "Birth of Industry" Diane Gaidry plays the metaphorical role Mother Nature as she watches her son grow rapidly before her eyes and be drawn to industry and its evils. But in the end, Mother Nature has her revenge.


Video compilation by mlvc816 includes clips from "Birth of Industry" (Directed by Gabriela Tollman; Starring Diane Gaidry, Karen Black and Ed Flanagan) and "Beaches" (Directed by Garry Marshall; Starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey)

MORAL:
I really love how these films were combined almost seamlessly. This video compilation conveys an important message. As we sit and reflect on how industry has affected our societies and the earth, you begin to wonder if the benefits of technology and industry have been worth it. Do we really know what we have sacrificed?

Global Problem

INCIDENT:
I thought I would diverge from my normal "empowerment of the individual" posts and look at the global picture. But I want to preface my thoughts with the statement that I do truly believe we should "think globally and act locally." So please keep that in mind.

It is easy to get caught up in the little picture. I mean the little picture is really equated to our day-to-day lives. But I have always believed that it is important to question everything (at least once in awhile). It is easy to assume that things that we consider constants will remain that way. But really everything is changing. And certainly the earth is one of those things.

MORAL:
We are told to recycle, reduce, and reuse. We are told to boycott certain irresponsible companies. We are told not to buy bottled water. We are told to use public transportation instead of driving our personal cars. In fact we are inundated with these types of messages everyday. And while these are all well and good, aren't these just bandaids for a much bigger problem? Why are we not critically questioning the way we live as people? Or our processes?? And not only the obvious processes such as manufacturing, farming, industrial, etc. but also financial, governmental, health, science, etc. I am talking about questioning how we have developed as a society and asking whether there is a better way. We have created a society that is not sustainable. So aside from superficial gestures that allow us to continue this wasteful lifestyle (though be it a bit less wasteful... it is wasteful nonetheless), what can we do as humans to change how we interact with each other and the planet?

I have no answers or suggestions. It is a monumental task. And the unfortunate thing is that they say monumental change does not occur until something devastating happens, and even then it is not certain if that change will last. But we have to be willing to make drastic changes in how we live. Now that we see and are all too aware of our fate if we continue this path, will we have the resolve and courage to do what is right? Or will we wait as we always do and resort to more bandaids?

Socially Responsible Design

INCIDENT:
What is socially responsible design? It is merely design that addresses societal needs or is it something more?

Socially Responsible Design

MORAL:
When I saw the slide show on socially responsible design I was inspired. We all could be doing more in even the most seemingly insignificant ways. But it also had me questioning what is socially responsible design. It has many facets so many things can fall into this category. It should address a basic societal need such as food, water, and shelter. This was exemplified in the things that the International Herald Tribune chose for their piece. But shouldn't it also be environmentally sound? Or universally accessible? And shouldn't the solution use regional materials and skills?

Global House Warming

INCIDENT:
My friend recently celebrated the near completion of his eco-friendly house. This house is evidence that it really does take a village to build a house. He was able to make the personal journey of remodeling a house into a community effort.

If you are interested in the process of remodeling a house, or in the difficult decisions that need to be made in trying to be eco-friendly, or how an individual's decisions can have real impacts on a neighborhood, or all/none of the above, you need to check out his very well written blog.

Grow a House

MORAL:
What if this heightened level of detail and care was given to each endeavor that we undertake? Can you imagine the implications to everyone's quality of life?

It is amazing what can happen when you open your house, your trust, and your heart to friends and strangers. It is quite a risk. But when you approach people with honesty, many times they respond with honesty. We each can learn a lot about humanity when we are prepared to meet the obstacles and challenges that go along with life's lessons.