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...
DoGooderTV enables nonprofit organizations to present new videos and existing media assets to new audiences. DoGooderTV offers compelling stories of nonprofits then gives you a direct way to donate to the organization, join, volunteer or simply find out more information.
In addition to direct donations, people can also create community around issues that are important to them, develop a giving circle, and easily connect their friends with the organizations they care about. Read more...
"Carol Lee?" On our flight to New Orleans, the "Fasten Your Seat Belts" sign had just come on. Carol Lee was reading her book. She lifted her head, "What do you want to do in life?" I asked. I expected her to say she wanted to travel to Europe. Carol Lee turned to me and said, "I would like to hold babies." "Hold babies?" I was stunned. "You've got grandchildren." "I would like to work in a hospital nursery and just hold the newborns." Newborns? Her desire was one to ponder, which I did with each salty peanut I crunched. I looked out my little round window at New Orleans in the distance. Hold babies? Was she serious?' So begins this charming real-life story on the art of holding babies. Click here for full story. Read more...
Buddhist teacher, former inmate and founder of several prison service organizations Fleet Maul talks about life behind bars. Even in the hostile prison environment, Fleet found that people would eventually reveal their humanity, which inspired him to rededicate his life to spiritual practice and service. Read more...
Imagine iconic structures like the Sears Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge in darkness. During Earth Hour on Saturday, March 29 at 8 pm, cities across the globe will be powering down for one hour. Lights and unnecessary electrical items will be turned off from San Francisco to Bangkok. 24 cities, thousands of businesses and millions of people are expected to participate. Will the world take notice?
Website: www.earthhour.org Read more...
Dutch researchers have built a windmill that directly desalinates seawater, using highpressure and reverse osmosis.
Full Story: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229102053.htm Read more...
Conscious Dancer Magazine presents Bodies in Motion, A Transformative Movement Seminar all weekend long inside New Living Expo in San Francisco on April 25th 26th 27th, 2008. Three days of ongoing classes, performances, and workshops in 5 Rhythms, AcroYoga, Afro Cuban, BioDanza, Breathwork Contact Improv, Hoop, Middle Eastern, Nia, Qi Gong, Soul Motion, Hip Hop, Sufi, Tango and many more
Think of it as a smorgasboard for the soul! Bodies in Motion is the largest and most exciting collection of modalities ever assembled under one roof in the Bay Area. Coinciding with the kickoff of Bay Area National Dance week this free workshop sampler represents 27 different forms and flavors of energy movement arts. Read more...
That's just for starters. The Masdar World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi attracted 11,500 people from 230 companies last week. Bidding to become the "world leader in renewables," the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi pledged $15 billion to the Masdar Initiative, whose goal is to develop alternative energies with lower environmental impacts. This same week, ironically, President Bush abetted the Prince's effort as he imperiled the future of the US renewables industry with a threatened veto of federal subsidies for the fledgling renewables industry--if Democrats financed renewables by rescinding $17.6 billion in oil companies tax breaks. Read more...
As Ray Anderson was preparing to give a speech at Interface, the billion dollar carpet company he founded, he had a stark realization."I was running a company that was plundering the earth," he recalls. While Interface fully complied with the law, Ray knew that wasn't enough. So he challenged his employees to find ways to turn it all around, and forestalled objections from his own stockholders. "He bet his entire company," remembers one colleague. And the bet paid off. Today, Interface has cut fossil fuels by 45%, reduced water usage by 49% and slowed its landfill contribution by 80%. Plans are underway for it to be a fully "restorative enterprise" by 2020. Oh, and along the way? Interface has saved over $336 million. Read more...
Chris Jordan makes consumer culture into pictures, EcoPod will keep not only keep you burial Star Trek worthy but biodegradable too, & Damn Good Design with hair mats, a room in a box, and the Soap Bank. Read more...
One of the keys for success in our lives is to improve the relationships with all the people in our life.
I have previously written about improving all your relationships but a few weeks ago, I learnt and began to apply this one simple trick which will improve all your relationships quite quickly. This is nothing new by the way, and I am sure I read somewhere a while ago about appreciation circles. Read more...
The National Geographic Society introduces its first Geotourism Challenge collaborative competition to identify and showcase innovators in tourism development, management and marketing. The one-of-a-kind online competition, at www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge, will raise awareness about how tourism can help sustain, enhance and preserve local culture and environment. Three winners will each receive a cash prize of $5,000 and all finalists will have an opportunity to present their innovations at a Geotourism Challenge Summit this fall. Read more...
Global Water Challenge (GWC) and Ashoka's Changemakers have partnered to launch "Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis," an online collaborative competition to discover and support entrepreneurs large and small who offer groundbreaking approaches to the most pressing water and sanitation challenges. The Coca-Cola Company is contributing a lead grant of US$1 million to support the collaborative effort to find and fund truly innovative solutions that address the water crisis. Read more...
MIT students are at it once again. They have come up with a cheaper more precise way to fit prosthetic legs for those in India, especially rural areas where in the past has been more difficult to reach because of lack of power.
They have created a systems where a mold is taken from the person's stump by placing the stump into a container filled with tiny glass beads and covered with soft silicone rubber, and then creating a vacuum with a hand cranked device so that the beads seal tightly around the limb. This "negative" mold is filled with more glass beads (referred to as "sand") to form a positive mold--an exact replica of the stump--and the socket of the prosthetic leg is made to fit that replica. Alternatively, the two steps can be done with plaster of paris instead of the sand--a process that doesn't require electricity but does use heavy, non-reusable plaster. Read more...
Dear EarthTalk: I notice occasional solar panels on roadsides, powering individual streetlamps or signs. Is any research being done to expand on this idea and implant solar collectors in roads, parking lots or sidewalks to generate power in a similar but bigger way? -- Emily Eidenier, via e-mail
The concept of using road surfaces to generate clean solar power is actually already moving beyond the idea stage. Roads absorb heat from the sun every day and are usually free of sightline obstructions that could otherwise block the transmission of light rays. And if the roads built for cars and driving are partly to blame for global warming, why not make them part of the solution too? Read more...
You must be a registered user to post to the Exchange. If you are already registered Click here to login or Click here for our fast, free registration.