Freedom On Toast

“Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.”
Kenyan proverb

Earth Day is tomorrow.  Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard at least some of the negative effects our behavior is having on the environment.  Whether it’s excessive water use, using plastic bottles, or any of the many things we do, the good news is we can change!

With the dawn of the internet and the vast amount of information at our fingertips, it’s easy to learn new tricks and tips.  And since nearly everyone has Facebook (or some social media site) it’s easier than ever to spread the word.

Here’s some easy things you can do to minimize your carbon footprint.

1.  Bring your own bags.  When you are asked, “paper or plastic”, proudly reply, “neither, I am trying to save the world!”  Some grocers now offer a discount if you bring your own bag.  Love that!  Save money and the planet. 

2.  Bring your own coffee cup.  Kudos to Starbucks for their “Make a Difference” campaign they ran last week.  They offered a free coffee to anyone who brought their own mug.  Can you imagine how many trees we would save if we just brought our own mugs everyday?  WOW - mind boggling really.

3.  Avoid plastic.  I know we live in a plastic world and trying to eliminate all plastic would be very difficult.  Heck, EVERYTHING comes in plastic now.  But there are some easy products you can eliminate.  For example, don’t buy bottled water.  Bottle waste is enormous and since plastic is photo degradable, those bottles will be with us forever.    See my blog post from April 5th if you want to know more about how damaging plastic can be.

4.  Take public transportation.  I know, it’s not always possible but when you can take public transportation, do it!  It saves you money, saves wear and tear on your car, it’s efficient and saves the planet.

5.  Go paperless.  Get direct deposit set up.  Pay your bills online.  Get online statements.  Just the online statements will save several pieces of paper per month per person.  What would that add up to if we all did that for a year?

6.  Recycle everything!  Don’t just think about paper and cans these days.  Recycle your clothes and household items you no longer use by donating them to a worthy organization.  Especially in these challenging financial times, many people could use a little extra help - and you may just be the person to provide that!

7.  Check out your local environmental programs.  We have a local program that allows you to bring paint cans, cleaners, and chemical products to a drop off site for free.  You can also pick up items for free.  So if you just need a small amount of something, check locally first - you may be able to get it for free!

8.  Embrace the library.  If you love to read, consider borrowing books instead of purchasing them.  It will cut down on the paper use and might expose you to a whole new world of interesting topics.

9.  Most importantly, make a plan and stick to it.  No matter how small you think the steps may be, every little bit will help.  Enlist your family and friends in your plan.  Post your plan on Facebook.  And spread the word.

Happy Tree Planting!

This was news to me.  Maybe I am just slow.  But I had this idyllic vision of the ocean being a beautiful body of water that has the power to be perfectly tranquil or violently tumultuous.  Either way, beautiful.  Then I heard about the Pacific Gyre or the Great Garbage Patch.

Frankly, this appals me.  The Pacific Gyre is an area in the Pacific Ocean that bascially accumulates garbage - specifically plastic.  The Great Garbage Patch moves with the currents and can move as much as a thousand miles in a season.  And the size?  Estimated to be TWICE as large as the State of Texas.  Got that?  TWICE as large as Texas.  Now for you geography flunkies - that’s huge.

The problem?  Plastic.  Plastic is photo degrading.  Meaning it breaks down into smaller pieces but the same amount of plastic remains.  So while it might look like the plastic is going away, it really isn’t.  A plastic bottle is still a plastic bottle even if it is in 1000 pieces.  So all that plastic just remains in the Great Garbage Patch only now all those little pieces look like plankton and get ingested by all the lovely animals.  Not good.

Follow the chain here.  If all those lovely animals - specifically fish and birds, are eating plastic for dinner, what are you eating?  Well, if you are eating fish, you may very well be eating plastic as well.  In case you didn’t know, plastic as a food source isn’t exactly gourmet dining.  In fact, it is downright hazardous to your health.

Want to learn more?  Here are a couple of great videos that give more information on the Pacific Gyre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-CVRFzLoEY&feature=fvsr (warning - strong language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4S23uXIcM&feature=related

Either way, it’s clear that we have some changing to do.  I encourage you to start with your own house.  Stop purchasing plastic goods as much as possible.  Use your own water bottles and fill them yourself rather than adding to the garbage pile.  I LOVE a good beach - but I sure don’t want it to be all plastic.

Meet Derrion Albert.  Not your typical 16 year old teenager.  Honor student.  High School football player.  Walking home from school like thousands of other children.  Killed.  Caught in the middle of two rival gangs at the wrong time.  He was beaten with wooden planks and kicked in the head.  Four young men ages 16-19 have now been charged with his murder.  And it was all caught on video tape by a by-passer.  That in itself is incredibly sad.  But the death of this young man is truly tragic and my heart goes out to his family and all the members of his community who just want peace.

No single effort can change the world.  It truly does take a community.  A commitment.  A dream.  I believe we have heard those very words before.  But Chicago is fortunate.  They have a unique program that IS working to end the violence.   From their website, www.ceasefirechicago.org

CeaseFire is an evidence-based public health approach to reducing shootings and killings. Our methods for reversing the violence epidemic use highly trained street violence interrupters and outreach staff, public education campaigns and community mobilization. CeaseFire is one of the only proven techniques for making neighborhoods safer.

Anyone who knows me knows I want numbers.  We can hypothesize until we are blue in the face, but without the actual numbers, there is no way of knowing progress is being made.  And since this progress saves lives it’s high on the importance scale.

I sometimes don’t like my j.o.b.  Not my business - that’s all great.  But my actual j.o.b.  But I have NOTHING to fuss about when you consider the jobs these folks are doing on a daily - and no doubt nightly - basis.  Having worked in Social Services for the majority of my adult life, I get what it means to be outreach staff and educators.  I can only imagine the stress these folks have.  But even the concept of “street violence interrupters” gives me shivers - and I am not a fearful person.  These folks are IN IT.  They are immersing themselves in the most dangerous situations to save people physically and psychologically.  What an incredible feat.  And it should not go unnoticed.  Because it is this very “hands on” approach that IS most effective.  Sitting down at a conference table just isn’t going to cut it.

So for all the families who have experienced violence - and those who have been so very fortunate to not have experienced violence, just know there are people who are trying to do the right things for the right reasons because the BELIEVE in the cause.  My hats off to all the people who fight this good fight.

So I have a pet peeve.  I bet you are surprised!  <smile>  Here goes - why in the world, do the car manufacturers stick with the same boring colors when they produce brand new cars?  They are clearly Crayola challenged.  Heck, I can go to any store in my area and buy a box of 64 colors - and that’s not even the biggest box!  But cars?  You can pick from the boring array of gold, silver, black, white, red, blue, green and maybe brown.  BORING!  How about a nice periwinkle?  Or a deep purple?  Or a sunshine yellow?  Even M&Ms have greatly expanded their delicious little candies to come in 25 colors now!  These car folks need to expand their terminally gray horizons for sure.

So do I have you thinking, “yeah, why don’t they get more creative?”  I’ll tell you why.  Because people choose options that are familiar and comfortable to them.  Toyota made a cute little pink car once.  How many of those do you recall seeing on the road?  Not many.  Because people choose what’s familiar.

It’s the same dilemma Network Marketers face when speaking with a prospect about a new business opportunity.  The prospect might think what you have to say sounds great!  They might even dream a little about the possibilities of a life without debt…or that dream vacation…or a new purple car (okay, that might be pushing it) but when the question is posed, “are you ready to make a change in your life?” most will shy away and stick with the familiar.  In this case, the rat race.  The 9-5 job (if they are lucky enough to have those hours these days.)  They stick with what’s comfortable and hold on to their safe life.

It truly saddens me that I can’t just go to the dealership and purchase my purple BMW.  With white seats and purple piping I might add.  But what saddens me even more are the countless number of people who have the skills and talent to change their lives - and many others - yet continue with the familiar and comfortable.  I am sad that they aren’t willing to take a chance.  And I can’t imagine what it will be like for those folks as they age and ponder what their life might have looked like if they had only taken a chance. 

So I am calling for a rebellion.  Next time you purchase a car, step outside the norm.  I know that’s a challenge in itself when very few car manufacturers offer anything but the boring.  Just purchase the car with the most unique color and drive it proudly as you show off your bravery.  Maybe if we start with something small, like the color of a car, people will begin to change their thinking and enjoy ALL that life has to offer - not just the mundane.

I had the privilege of being introduced to an organization with hnorable goals.  The organization is called Playing for Change.  From their website (www.PlayingForChange.org):

They are, of course, dependent upon donations which can be made right on their website.

But the work they are doing it truly inspirational.  So take a few minutes to enjoy this video - you won’t regret it!  <smile>

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop..swf?clip_id=2539741

Peace through music sounds like a great plan to me!

Well, we are in a pickle now. If you live in the US or Canada you may not even realize there is a problem let alone a dilemma. But we, the world, are experiencing a shortage of water. Yes, we turn the water off when we brush our teeth now because we are “environmentally responsible.” And all joking aside, that’s a good thing.

But other areas of the world aren’t nearly as…wet as we are. We have all seen the images of a dry, barren landscape in Africa. How about China? What images come up? Panda bears eating leafy, lush bamboo shoots? Fertile rice paddies?

The World Bank predicts that if serous actions aren’t taken, the results will be catastrophic in China. There will be 30 MILLION “Environmental Refugees.” As it stands today, 90% of the groundwater is polluted and 75% of the lakes and rivers are seriously polluted. Every day over 700 MILLION Chinese drink contaminated water. And over half of the nearly 600 cities suffer from a water shortage.

Note to world - DON’T LET THE WATER SITUATION WORSEN.

So here’s the dilemma. Obviously the water shortage is an issue. So the first solution is to save and conserve water right? Hmmm. I wonder if the residents of Australia would agree as they are going through the worse outbreak of Dengue Fever (yes, this can be deadly) in over 50 years. Why? Because the diligent citizens of Australia (and I mean that with the utmost respect) are conserving water in tanks and basins.

So what’s the solution? I regret to inform you that I don’t have the slightest idea. But I will continue to shut the water off when I am brushing my teeth. Granted it’s not a huge step but if everyone took that small step it would surely make an impact.

I think Kermit sang it best but you know “going green” will continue to be an area of interest in this country as we search for energy alternatives.  All in all it’s a win-win situation for everyone!

So how “green” are you?  You may be surprised by the results.  Take a free green quiz and learn about ways you can increase your green score by making some simple life changes.

http://www.greenscore.org/index.php

If the recommendations seem too challenging, you can always buy a natural wax candle and save energy that way!  <smile>

http://enjoysoy.scent-team.com/shop/home.php

The holiday spirit should include great things.  Like peace, love, joy, fun and maybe a little magic.  It should be a time to rediscover the things that make you happy. 

So remember this name.  Jdimytai Damour.  Jdimytai did not experience the great “holiday spirit” as he was killed last Friday.  He did not see peace, love, or joy.  His last visions as he tried to hold back the door at Walmart was of an anxious mob seeking bargains.  As he and 6-10 other Walmart workers tried to hold back the door, the crowd pushed back and the door to Walmart shattered.  Mr. Damour probably didn’t have any idea that he was about to die as the throng of shoppers trampled his fallen body.  Four other Walmart workers were injured as well, including a 28 year old woman who is 8 months pregnant.

Equally appalling is the fact that when shoppers were asked to leave the store, store employees were yelled at by customers, stating they had been in line for hours.  These people knew a man had been killed and they were still after a bargain.

I wonder if the gift recipients will be told that they got that gift because the shopper was able to lead the stampede.  Will anyone boast that they got the bargain by stepping on some guy in the lobby?  Do they know his name?  Will they acknowledge their responsibility?  Will they send an apology to the family?

What has become of us as a society if we are so focused on a bargain that saving $20.00 is worth another man’s life?  That is a scary thought indeed.

So as you go through the holidays, remember Jdimytai Damour.  And remember that the holidays are a celebration of peace and goodwill - not Wiis and new TVs.

Please watch this exciting 3-minute movie and learn how The Power of 10% can help you:

• Develop a “Goal Attainment” Mindset
• Remove Counterproductive Boundaries to Success
• Understand How Small Changes Can Make a BIG Difference
• And most importantly
• Improve Yourself, Your Business and the World Around You

So, take a moment to learn more about The Power of 10%. Please pass this along to family, friends, and coworkers.

So, did you know that 2.4 BILLION - got that - BILLION, was spent on the presidential election? 2.4 BILLION. That’s a whole lot of clams. How much you ask? Let’s put it in perspective.

There are roughly 305,577,168 citizens living in the US. That means every citizen in the US could have been given an extra $7.00 to spend. Okay, so that’s not such an incredible amount per person, a couple gallons of gas, a couple lattes, but that is for each and every person living in the US.

How about this? The average cost of one month of health insurance for a family costs $1057. That 2.4 billion could have paid for 2,270,577 families to have insurance for a month.

Or, it could have provided more than 3.2 TRILLION meals to folks living in Vietnam. I know, Vietnam is a strange and random country to select but finding their stats was easy so you are stuck with it. But think about it - 3.2 TRILLION meals. That’s a lot of people who could have a full belly.

Or, it could and did cover countless number of TV ads, paper fliers (I don’t even want to think about how many trees were sacrificed), buttons, clothes (oops), and who knows what. I mean really. 2.4 BILLION!

Rather than being inundated with annoying ads (and I LOVE politics), how about using that same money for something useful and beneficial to the Country or even the whole world?  I certainly hope THIS issue is addressed.

So, do you have 2.4 BILLION or even a fraction of that amount that you are wanting to part with in a helpful way? My address is… just kidding. But there are countless organizations that desperately need help. And organizations that will hook you up with entrepreneurs who are looking for a break and have a dream to realize. Want to help? Even $20.00 can go a long way in some of the countries.

Check out these great opportunities to make good in the world:

www.AGoodCause.com- aGoodCause.com collaborates with more than 30 charities and relief organizations and more than 900 e-shops. When I shop with one of these shops via AidMaker, a small piece of software, I automatically donate money to my favorite charity.  Donating money in this way is completely free! The shops then send a fixed amount of the price paid for the goods to the charities or relief organizations. We can all make donations in this way by downloading AidMaker at www.agoodcause.com  Think easy AND helpful holiday shopping. 

www.Causecast.org- Be it veteran’s issues or environmental issues, Causecast helps members connect to the causes, charities, and nonprofits they care about.  Find an organization that inspires you and get involved and know your support truly makes an impact.

www.Change.org - Today as citizens of the world, we face a daunting array of social and environmental problems ranging from health care and education to global warming and economic inequality. For each of these issues, whether local or global in scope, there are millions of people who care passionately about working for change but lack the information and opportunities necessary to translate their interest into effective action.

www.Kiva.org - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this idea! 

Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

The people you see on Kiva’s site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs’ profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

So, if you ruled the world, how would you spend 2.4 BILLION dollars?