Spending to make a Difference

I just went to Ralphs and bought organic. I just needed some juice, egges, milk and frut. I spent about $6 more than I would have if I'd just bought regular eggs and juice. But now I have peace of mind and really yummy organic Tropicana juice.

Lately, I'm feeling the effects of what I put into my body. I had a bowl of organic steamed broccoli the other day and had so much energy that night I couldn't believe it. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's true.

In order to make companies change their ways, they need to see it's more profitable to do things with consideration for a healthy earth. It's so important for every individual to make conscious choices with everything they consume and everything they throw away, it's really the loudest political voice we have. I've always known this but didn't really feel like my little money could make a difference. It probably can't, but all my words, actions, and purchases combined could possibly make a difference, and that's the way I'm trying to live my life today.

A Tree People Earth Day

On Saturday, April 22nd, our Holy Earth Day, I rolled out of bed and stumbled down the street to Lawrence Elementary School to photograph the community planting trees. There was a huge turnout. Lisa Cahill, the team leader, first had a basic training session to show everyone how to plant the trees properly. After the tree was planted, an official naming ceremony was demonstrated. The planters hold hands around the tree and shout "Trees need people, people need trees, welcome ____." In this case the name of the tree was Treeza. I learned from one of the parents that the kids at the school were required to come out and participate. But it wasn't just the school kids there, other local members of the community gladly came out, grabbed a shovel, and helped with the plantings. There were lots of dirty hands and even more smiles.
I have to be honest. It was the first time I'd volunteered for something in about 3 years and it felt so good to do good that I want to do good again. From here on out, I'm pledging to donate at least 2 days to volunteer work per month.







Here is a great site about recycling.
http://www.earth911.org/static.html

Brainstorming

Reading the Vanity Fair green issue again got me all fired up. I agree with Arnold and I've been saying it for a long time, in order to make progress we need to make environmentalism hip and trendy. Not only that, but we need to make it more convienent. Vanity Fair and Outside are giving it a good start but there are still millions of people out there who look at you like a freak if you don't eat meat or talk about recycling.

My mind swirls with ideas. I'd like to profile people who are making efforts for the environment. Not just celebrities and big CEO's, but the little people, who are giving their time and energy to help create momentum. I want to help make them look real cool like they are. The more publicity these people get, the more business and recognition they'll get and the more people will follow.

I belong to a hip online business review site called Yelp.com. Anyone can visit a place, experience the service and write about it. Since joining, I've used it to choose more than 2 weeks of lunch spots and recommended places to my friends. Someone should start a site like that just for business that are living up to green standards. If it becomes cool to live green, more and more teenagers and young adults will do it and they are the ones that will have the biggest impact in the near future.

My friend sells dry cleaning machines and told me some disturbing information. He said there are still dry cleaners out there that use toxic chemicals which get poured down the drain and into our water system. There are places that still have the old machines that aren't EF. (environmentall friendly) The worst part is that no one is enforcing the laws. Stuff like this boils my blood.

I saw a guy with a shopping cart going house to house collecting cans and bottles. Imagine if we could get all those hard working bottle collectors to streamline their process somehow that would benefit them and our neighborhoods. For example, local business could collect their recycling and just give it to these people, who are trying to make an honest living. That way, we support local private businesses and help homelessness.

Props to Leo, Robert Redford, Sheryl Crow, Julia Luis Dreyfus and a handfull of others who are using their celebrity for good causes. They inspire me.