How to Make a Difference

Save Your Change and Change Your Community ...

2011-03-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

A Year of Positive Action: Week Fifteen

Save your change and change the world… okay, maybe you won’t save the world but you could sure help your community! If you set aside your loose change each week through the end of the year you will be surprised at how much you accumulate! Then, if you donate this to an organization doing good in your neighborhood you can really make a difference…and you won’t even feel a pinch in your wallet!

Thanks Positivity Nation for this fabulous idea! If everyone contributed just a little, imagine the fabulous resources our community could build ....

Volunteer Mataura

2011-03-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

I need a logo for Volunteer Mataura ... a new volunteer jobs board launching in May both online and offline.

The website will look something like this:

If you'd like to volunteer to design a fab logo get in touch!

How to Build a Culture of Community Involvement

2011-02-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest issues in many small (and not so small) communities is that of getting volunteers for community organisations and events. Often it seems to be the same small group of people doing everything.

Below are a few suggestions to encourage more volunteers to come forward. None of this will result in stampedes of volunteers overnight, but if we think long term about building a community with a culture of active community involvement, they may help.

Set up service awards presented by Council/Community Board/local government - monthly/annually/as appropriate
Volunteer "jobs" board in the library and also in the Messenger
* Make sure that listings say skills required, that training is offered, what skills volunteers will gain etc etc
Volunteer "jobs" expo
Partner with significant employers in the area to have staff community volunteering recognised in some way
Partner with Government agencies/Social Services to have community service/volunteering encouraged
Put a monthly volunteer interview/profile in local newsletters/newspapers (+ sponsored award?)
* Why do you volunteer?
* How did you get involved?
* What do you get out of it?
* What skills have you gained?
* What skills did you need?
* How much time does it take?
Interview as diverse range of people as possible - ie not the usual suspects. Eg The bowls club secretary, Lions club treasurer, a volunteer fire fighter, someone from the Marae Committee, a PTA member, the Rugby club Pres ..

How do you encourage Volunteering in your community?

Lignite Costs the Earth

2010-12-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Interesting to see that while there is some discussion nationally about Solid Energy's plans down here in Southland, there is still nothing in local media ...

Lignite Costs The Earth
MEDIA RELEASE | Coal Action Network
Thursday 9th December 2010 | For Immediate Use

The Coal Action Network today praised the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) for exposing the high environmental cost of Solid Energy’s plans to exploit South Island lignite reserves in her new report ‘Lignite and climate change: The high cost of low grade coal.’

“For too long, Solid Energy has used greenwash, contradictory statements and snazzy promotional videos to obscure the reality of what they are planning to do in Southland,” said Coal Action Network spokesperson Frances Mountier. “In her report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has clearly shown how digging up and using South Island lignite would incur a prohibitively high environmental cost.”

“The reality is stark,” continued Ms Mountier. “Solid Energy has managed to lay its paws on 1.5 billion tonnes of lignite reserves. The PCE’s report states that there are over 6 billion tonnes of economically recoverable lignite deposits in Southland and Otago.[i] If Solid Energy, L&M and the other companies exploit all 6 billion tonnes, they will be responsible for releasing 8.89 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere.”[ii]

“It’s not true that New Zealand is too small to make a difference on climate change. We can let these companies go ahead with their plans, and bring the world closer to the tipping point of runaway climate change, or we can stop them in their tracks, and make a major contribution to the stability of the world’s climate.

“We need to keep the coal in the hole,” Ms Mountier concluded. “We need to send the message that the mining companies must abandon their plans to mine and burn Southland lignite.”

What Attaches People to their Communities?

2010-12-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

What makes a community a desirable place to live?

What draws people to stake their future in it?

Are communities with more attached residents better off?

The Knight Soul of the Community project started in 2008 with these questions in mind. Over 3 years they interviewed close to 43,000 people in 26 communities in the United States. The study found that three main qualities attach people to place:

Social offerings, such as entertainment venues and places to meet,
Openness (how welcoming a place is)
Aesthetics (its physical beauty and green spaces).

What is it that draws you to your community?

Southland's Love Affair with Coal

2010-12-06T00:13:00.000-08:00

I am constantly amazed, that with the spectre of a large opencast mining operation setting up on our back doorstep, there has been very little commentary (read none) covering the less savoury aspects of Solid Energy's plans for Southland.

All we seem to hear about is the possibility of new jobs and more money in our area. But there are other issues that should be being covered so that we can all make well informed decisions about our future.

What about the damage to NZ's clean green image - something we use shamelessly to promote our tourism industry and many of our exports? How much is that worth? Will this project have an effect on it?
I have seen no discussion about the effect on our lifestyles here - more people, more traffic and more heavy traffic are all potential consequences of Solid Energy's industrial plans for Southland. Given that our recent Business Expansion & Retention survey showed that many of our business people have chosen to stay in Mataura because of the lifestyle it offers, surely any potential negative changes to that lifestyle should be being discussed publicly?
Do we know how the waste from the mine and processing facilities will be dealt with? How will the mine and the processing of the lignite effect the local environment?
What about discussion over the appropriateness of mining the coal in the first place, given that it is well understood that coal is one of the dirtiest fuels available. Perhaps it is better left in the ground?
Solid Energy is a state owned enterprise. Where is the discussion over whether or not this is even a direction New Zealanders want them to take? Would the money that has been sunk into this project so far have been better spent on putting our country at the forefront of sustainable energy research?

There is so much more to mining in Southland than just jobs and money. Where is the rest of the story?

Mataura Messenger: December

2010-11-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

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Pike River: Family Support Fund

2010-11-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

Its hard to even begin to imagine how the loss of these 29 men at the Pike River Coal Mine is affecting their community and families. My thoughts - and those of the rest of New Zealand are with them.

Please give generously.

2010-11-19T00:41:00.000-08:00

Photo by J Cunningham, Mataura

I love this picture of Mataura!

We had it printed out today (by the very helpful crew at Jim Marshall Sign Advertising in Gore) and enlarged as part of the Mataura Development Trust display for Sunday's Annual Gala Day in Tulloch Park. It looks awesome!!

Project Mataura

2010-10-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Project Mataura is into its second year as a community and economic development initiative designed to assist turn around Mataura'a Bridge Street's physical appearance, encourage new users for empty buildings, revitalise the Bridge St business district, and assist youth job creating and economic development generally. The initiative is encouraging and empowering local residents to become more involved in discovering and building their community and its economy.

Project Mataura's Community Vision Statement

"In the year 2018, Mataura will be nationally known and respected for the way it has built upon its human, cultural, environmentaland locational assests to create a prosperous, caring, safe, inclusive and proactive community. It will provide a strong sense of civic participation, responsibility and pride; a vibrant and diverse economy and employment base and a healthy quality of life for all residents."

From: Project Mataura Strategy Overview, prepared by Heritage Futures International

The major initiative of the Project Mataura Board is to purchase four of the buildings in Bridge St an hold them in community ownership. Jack Phillips reportedly thinks that private ownership is the key to Mataura's revitalisation - but I feel that private ownership has got our community to where it is now, and that as a community we will be more in control of our future, and more likely to achieve our Vision for Mataura if we, as a community, take ownership of at least some of the commercial buildings in Bridge St.

2010-10-21T01:08:00.000-07:00

I've spent today putting together the November edition of the Mataura Messenger. Its my first attempt at desktop publishing - and I have come to the conclusion that I really need a better program than Microsoft Publisher.

What are your suggestions for an inexpensive, easy-to-use desktop publishing program that will help me to create a beautiful, professional community newspaper?

Sign up here if you would like to receive a copy of the Mataura Messenger each month.

Slacktivism & the Degradation of the Philanthropic Community

2010-09-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

Image by Mindful One via Flickr

"I've written a lot about my feelings on the rise of "slacktivism"--that is, the growing prevalence and acceptance of all the small, simple, easy things people can do to make a difference: Embedded philanthropy, tweeting for donations, virtual volunteering, signing petitions, running races, etc. When I saw this new list of "5 Cool Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW To Make a Difference" (OMG!) I thought I'd fire off another snarky post lambasting this degradation of the philanthropic community." - Jeff Raderstrong 'Change Charity'

There is quite some furore around the internet over the merits (or lack thereof) of "slacktivism" - and I have to admit that I lean quite heavily towards the "I LOVE IT" side of the debate. (I even wrote the list of 'slacktions' that nearly tipped poor Jeff over the edge!)

Far from causing "the degradation of the philanthropic community", I believe these kind of actions give a much broader base to the 'activist' community by engaging people that otherwise might choose to do nothing at all, or due to limited time and/or resources may be unable to more actively support every cause that moves them. In my community I see the value of reducing the barriers to action in order to get people involved in or, at the very least, enthused about the rejuvenation and revitalisation of our town. The easier and more attractive we make it for people to act or to support what we are doing, the more people we have who are prepared to do something.
Sure, we need some people to roll up their sleeves and get actively and passionately involved in solving the problems of the world. And wouldn't it be just wonderful if everyone was prepared to get their hands a little dirty. But, as Randy Paynter of Care2 says "different strokes for different folks".
I believe the real degradation of the philanthropic community lies in judging the efforts of others.

Coal for Breakfast - Gore!

2010-09-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

"A 5:30 start got me to Gore on time for the Chamber of Commerce 'Solid Energy' breakfast. Coal was on the menu, and diesel, urea and all sorts of other energy-rich substances. S.E. man Greg had a slick patter and the Chamber-ites lapped it up, promising as it did, enormous profit and prosperity to them. No mention at all was made of the environment, nor was there reference to the taxpayer and the burden he and she will have to shoulder through the ETS and the subsidies the Government has promised to Solid Energy as a helping hand."

Find out what else Solid Energy spokesperson Greg Visser had to say on Robert Guyton's blog.

Mataura Update

2010-09-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

There's plenty of interesting stuff happening in Mataura at the moment (click on the images to enlarge them for more info):

Greg Visser from Solid Energy NZ Ltd will be speaking at the Eastern Southland Chamber of Commerce "September Breakfast Babble" to give an update on Solid Energy's progress to date in developing options for Southland's considerable lignite deposits
Peter Kenyon will be speaking on 'Revitalising Rural Communities & Small Country Towns' in Mataura on Thursday 9th September 2010. He is a fascinating and passionate speaker on the topic - you can find out more about him at the fantastic Bank of I.D.E.A.S website.

Mataura is looking for a Community Development Coordinator. Its a full time position for a 3 year term. The purpose of the position is to develop Mataura as a positive, healthy, safe environment where people can achieve their best. For the position description and application pack contact Robyn at the Community Connections Centre in Gore cccgore at woosh dot co dot nz.

7 Ways to Finance Your Community

2010-09-01T03:27:00.000-07:00

Image by origamidon via Flickr"I believe the notion of financing ourselves is where we receive the lowest marks as a community - as perhaps it is the most difficult thing to do."

". . . we have allowed our financing to go global, which means our debt and our premiums are traded half way around the world, and we have largely lost our ability to influence them."
- From "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy " by Lyle Estill

I love the idea of communities financing themselves. The rise of big global banks and financial institutions has rendered money abstract, mysterious and impersonal.

What could be more real, open and personal than financing each other? Whether its with a local currency, barter, time banking or a community bank . . . there are so many ways that communities can take back some control over their local economy.

Check out these ideas for funding your community:

Start a neighbourhood home maintenance fund to help homeowners keep their homes in tip-top condition
Start a community bank which returns all profit to projects that benefit the community
Encourage local businesses to start a workplace giving programme to fund local charities and non-profit groups
Set up a community cultural foundation that encourages locals to contribute to help develop arts and culture in the community
Establish a local currency
Set up a time bank
Encourage locals to shop locally and support local businesses

5 Reasons to Enjoy Local Food

2010-08-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

Photo by MattSkal

At the heart of our market thinking is the idea that consumers will always act in their economic self interest, and will always procure goods from the lowest cost producer. In our current world, that can leave our local economy in shambles.
. . .
Although we can put up protectionist trade barriers and cry foul over working conditions and lax environmental regulations in our competitors lands, the reality is that this is how we like it. The free hand of the market is working great. It is in our best interest to get cheaper goods, and voila, we are awash with cheap stuff.
- From "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy " by Lyle Estill

Surely food must be at the very heart of sustainable living. What we eat, how we produce our food and where we get it from affects ourselves, the environment and our communities. Our food choices affect everything from deforestation in the Amazon, to the accumulation of fast-food litter in our streets, to our individual health and wellbeing. And it isn't just the food itself we need to think about, but how it is transported, packaged, prepared, and sold. When you take all that into consideration, the true cost of your groceries could be well above the price you pay at the supermarket.
Here's just a few reasons why going out of your way to eat local is worth doing:

It tastes better
What could possibly be more delicious than freshly picked fruit and vegetables? When you buy locally you know that your produce hasn't been sitting in a warehouse for months or endured kilometres of travel to reach you.
Its healthier
Food produced locally is fresher, more nutritious, less likely to contain additives and preservatives. Not only that, but you can make sure you are buying food that isn't grown using unhealthy chemicals that also damage the environment.
It helps you stay in touch with the seasons
Believe it or not apples don't grow all year round, strawberries only grow in summer, and leeks are best in the late autumn and early spring (at least where I come from they are!). Eating local food helps keep you in tune with nature's cycles.
It helps you support your local economy
By buying from local producers you keep your money in your community longer. You create local jobs and a stronger sense of community.
It helps you get to know your neighbours
Buying local helps you get to know your neighbours, and your neighbourhood. You get to experience new flavours, meet new people, and see new places.

Does Anyone Know What the Point of Prison Is Anyway?

2010-08-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

Amplify’d from www.good.is

Although private prisons have been sold on economic grounds, a study this year by Arizona's own Corrections Department questions whether such facilities can even deliver in terms of cost savings, reports the Arizona Republic. The state's cost study showed that it's often more expensive to incarcerate inmates in private prisons than in state-run facilities, despite the savings that private operators typically promise.

... what is the service that prisons are supposed to deliver? There isn't much agreement on this question. Most people probably have a vague mix of ideas swimming in their head about what prisons should deliver. Prisons should sequester criminals to protect the public; prisons should provide a deterrent to potential offenders; prisons should rehabilitate; prisons should punish riminals by giving them an unpleasant experience that they "deserve."

How the hell do we know if prisons are delivering with a mandate like that? The aims of prison, as understood by the public and articulated by politicians, are often contradictory, or at least apparently so. Do therapeutic rehabilitation programs compromise the deterrent effect of prison, or make the punitive element too weak? Do punitive policies make it hard to rehabilitate?

Read more at www.good.is

Image via WikipediaSurely it is in the best interests of private prison operators to have more people in prison? It seems to me that their very existence creates a lobby group for both harsher penalties for crime, and for the kind of socially destructive policies that create an environment where criminal activity is more likely to take place.

(See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/984o)

Chasing Smoke Stacks

2010-08-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Image by shodan

"Chatham Couny's economic development has been characterized by chasing smoke stacks around. And its a shame that we don't tend to catch that many.
. . .
We did manage to land 3M. It is the last plant that 3M will operate in America, and it came here. Whew, I am fortunate enough to live across the road from the 3M lands, and am pleased to report that all it cost us was our night sky and our silence. Now when we weed our gardens we do so against a constant background rumble. The sales of white noise machines must have plummeted at the Jordan Dam Mini Mart after 3M came to town."
- From "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy" by Lyle Estill

Where I live, we have - in the last 12 months - been blessed with a 24 hour McDonalds. It has created 60 more jobs, more late night 'disturbances' for the police to attend to, more litter, more traffic, and one more junk food outlet.

My town sits on top of New Zealand's largest lignite deposit. There was great rejoicing when Solid Energy moved in. They have bought a lot of land - and bumped land prices up, increased employment somewhat, and have development plans in the works that could result in a significant employment boom as they dig huge, ugly scars in the landscape to extract one of the dirtiest fuels around.

Surely there have to be better development models for our communities than this?

Miscellany Monday

2010-08-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

I read a heart wrenching, eye opening article by Jemima Khan about the recent disastrous flooding in Pakistan. Did you know that so far the international community has committed itself to funding that equates to only $3 per flood affected person (and there are some 20 million of them!) - as a comparison, the amount per person in Haiti was $495. If you want to know how to help, check out this article for a list of reputable aid agencies.
Do the Green Thing has invented World Tap Water Week - and its THIS WEEK! Lets celebrate the convenience of clean, safe, drinkable water delivered straight to our homes! It really is a privilege - and one that billions of people around the world don't get to enjoy!
And speaking of water .... why not donate a blog post to help fund clean, safe, drinkable water to people in developing countries with the Clean Water Blogivation. Not only could you get the opportunity to take part in a clean water expedition to Africa AND earn a $15,000 donation for your favourite water charity ... but every vote for your post (and every time you vote for a participating post) P and G will donate a day of clean water for someone who needs it!

Have you done something nice this week? Why not share it at the Vivo Bello Meaningful Monday Blog Hop. Check out the very awesome random acts of kindness Angie and her family have been performing - and share your own :)

My oldest daughter read me a story yesterday for the very first time. Its so exciting!! She has been making use of the free trial offered at ABC Reading Eggs during their Great Literacy Challenge and has come forward in great leaps and bounds. Its a really fun learning programme - and it comes in Australian, American and British accents!

100 Ways to Make a Difference

2010-08-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

This is a post by Caroline Ganun and was originally posted on her blog at DevelopmentCrossing.com.

Are you looking to make a difference in your community? Approximately 1.6 million more volunteers served in 2009 than in 2008, making this the largest single-year increase in the number of volunteers since 2003 (annual data collection for volunteering statistics started in 2002). A total of 63.4 million volunteers contributed 8.1 billion hours of service in 2009, equaling an estimated dollar value of approximately $169 billion for their services.

Here are 100 ways to make a difference:
1. Help teach a younger child to read.
2. Help cook and/or serve a meal at a homeless shelter.
3. Gather clothing from your neighbors and donate it to a local shelter.
4. Make “I Care” kits with combs, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. for the homeless.
5. Pack and hand out food at a local food bank.
6. Adopt a “grand friend” and write them letters and visit them.
7. Visit senior citizens at a nursing home.
8. Rake leaves, shovel snow, clean gutters, or wash windows for a senior citizen.
9. Pick up groceries or medicine for an elderly person.
10. Go for a walk with a senior citizen in your community.
11. Deliver meals to homebound individuals.
12. Hold an afternoon dance for your local nursing home.
13. Teach a senior friend how to use a computer and the Internet.
14. Paint a mural over graffiti.
15. Invite local police officers to present a drug awareness or safety program.
16. Tutor a student that needs help learning English or another subject.
17. Organize a canned goods drive.
18. Clean up a vacant lot or park.
19. Organize a campaign to raise money to purchase and install playground equipment.
20. Plant flowers in public areas that could use some color.
21. Volunteer to help at a Special Olympics event.
22. Set up a buddy system for kids with special needs in your community.
23. Raise money for Braille books for visually impaired people.
24. Read books or the newspaper on tape for visually impaired people.
25. Bring toys to children in the cancer ward of a hospital.
26. Contact your local political representative about key issues.
27. Register people to vote.
28. Organize a public issues forum for your neighborhood.
29. Volunteer at a polling booth the day of an election.
30. Take a friend to the polling booths.
31. Vote.
32. Offer to pass out election materials.
33. Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighborhood can enjoy it.
34. Set up a recycling system for your home.
35. Organize a carpooling campaign in your neighborhood.
36. Adopt an acre of a rainforest.
37. Clean up trash along a river, beach, or in a park.
38. Create a habitat for wildlife.
39. Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking.
40. Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers, and streams.
41. Contact your local volunteer center for opportunities to serve.
42. Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
43. Help build a home with Habitat for Humanity.
44. Walk a neighbor's dog or pet sit while they are on vacation.
45. Teach Sunday school.
46. Learn to be a peer counselor.
47. Send a letter to one of America's veterans or overseas soldiers.
48. Volunteer at your local youth center.
49. Participate in a marathon for your favorite charity.
50. Become a candy striper at your local hospital.
51. Mentor a young person.
52. Serve your country by joining AmeriCorps.
53. Become a volunteer firefighter or EMT.
54. Donate books to your local library.
55. Donate clothes to the Salvation Army.
56. Start a book club in your area.
57. Adopt a pet from the Humane Society.
58. Hold a door open for someone.
59. Give up your seat on the bus or train to someone.
60. Donate your old computer to a school.
61. Give blood.
62. Coach a children's sports team.
63. Become an organ donor.
64. Teach a dance class.
65. Participate in Job Shadow Day (February 2).
66. Organize a project for National Youth Service Day (visit www.ysa.org/nysd).
67. Volunteer on a hotline.
68. Meet with local representatives from your area.
69. Don't drink and drive.
70. Listen to others.
71. Write a letter to the editor about an issue you care about.
72. Bring others with you when you volunteer.
73. Shop at local, family owned businesses.
74. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister.
75. Take a historical tour of your community.
76. Write a note to a teacher that had a positive effect on you.
77. Get together with some friends to buy holiday presents for a family at a shelter.
78. Recycle.
79. Drive responsibly.
80. Get CPR and First Aid certification.
81. Don't litter.
82. Shop responsibly.
83. Don't spread or start gossip.
84. Tell someone that you appreciate him/her.
85. Hold a teddy bear drive for foster children, fire victims, etc.
86. Make a care package for an elderly or shut-in person.
87. Teach at an adult literacy center.
88. Sing for residents at a nursing home.
89. Befriend a new student or neighbor.
90. Baby sit.
91. Look for the good in all people.
92. Coordinate a book drive.
93. Donate money to your favorite charity.
94. Make quilts or baby clothes for low-income families.
95. Bake cookies and bring them to your local fire or police station.
96. Donate toys or suitcases to foster children.
97. When visiting someone in a hospital, talk to someone that doesn't have many visitors.
98. Around the holidays, visit the Post Office and answer some letters to Santa.
99. Start a neighborhood welcome committee.
100.Visit www.SERVEnet.org to find volunteer opportunities in your area.
Related articles by Zemanta
10 Ways to get your Hands Dirty (While Volunteering!) (vivanista.com)

Are You Crazy?

2010-08-09T04:09:00.000-07:00

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.“

Gratitude

2010-08-08T04:03:00.001-07:00

PLEASE READ THIS. by *whatshername13 on deviant ART

Is There Such a This as an Ethical Global Company?

2010-08-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

"I was running a profitable, ethical corporation. I was creating jobs. I was generating wealth. I stabbed no one in the back, saw no need to crush anyone below me, and if business is to be described as a “dog eat dog” activity, I had no occasion to “eat dog”.

My employees tended to stay with me for many years; I won awards for workplace culture, for family friendly environments, and for waste reduction. I had a disciplined program of charitable giving, and donated a percentage of my profits to local charities in the markets where the products were produced."- From "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy" by Lyle Estill

Free Trade is widely accepted worldwide as the prevailing economic theory. In a nutshell, the theory says that free trade will increase efficiencies as each country produces what its best at. This will drive down prices for consumers, who will spend more, which will boost business and will lead us ever onwards and upwards to bigger and better things. The wealth of those at the top will 'trickle down' to those at the bottom and poverty will be eliminated.

In reality, while we have increasingly freer trade, its not fairer trade. The wealth is getting concentrated at the top in the hands of the few. Global poverty seems to be becoming more entrenched rather than being a thing of the past.

The economic theory doesn't seem to fit with reality. While economies of scale may be being achieved, local economies, and the communities that relied on them, are being crushed. The ecosystem that we rely on for our very existence as a species is being poisoned by businesses more focused on short term profit than long term sustainablity. Culture is becoming increasingly homogenous around the globe and, as big business gets bigger, Governments are increasingly swayed from doing what's best for their citizens to doing what's best for business.

No matter how much global companies contibrute to local communities, or how well they treat their staff, at the very root of global trade is a theory that totally disregards the needs of human beings, our communities and our planet.

Is it really possible to be a truly ethical global company?

*Image via Wikipedia

The Parable of the Starfish

2010-08-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

Image by TheMarque via Flickr

One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.

Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"

The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."

The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"

Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"

(source unknown)

Make a Difference One Coffee at a Time

2010-08-02T03:29:00.001-07:00

Coffee is the world's most popular beverage - some 400 billion cups are sipped each year according to Socially Conscious Coffee. It stands to reason that by buying sustainably grown, fairtrade coffee you can make a difference - to the environment and to the people at the bottom or the coffee distribution chain - the growers and harvesters.
Here's a few more things you can do to stage your own coffee revolution:

Find out who gets the money you spend on your coffee , check out this coffee calculator.
Check out what Bald Guy Brew is doing to help Rwandan coffee farmers.
Watch the movie 'Black Gold' and tell people about it!

Support an organisation campaigning on Trade Justice issues

Miscellany Monday

2010-08-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

This week is World Breastfeeding Week. We all know that breastfeeding is a great choice for Mum and baby - but have you also thought about how it is a great choice for the environment!

We Add Up is helping you to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week by offering a 15% discount off their super cool, organic cotton "Breastfeed" tee (and the rest of your order) this week, when you use the coupon code breastfeedweek10. And $3 from the sale of each breastfeed tee will be donated to a non-profit that supports mothers to breastfeed their babies!
If you're a Green Mum with a blog then check out the Green Blog Hop every Wednesday at Going Green with Noah. A great way to share your own insights on living green and find other Mum's who care about the planet.
Do you know what's in your beauty products? Did you know that less than 20% of the chemicals used in beauty products have been tested for their effects on our health? Watch as Annie Leonard delves into the shady world of the cosmetics industry in her latest video for The Story of Stuff Project: 'The Story of Cosmetics'
I discovered the Putumayo channel on Live365 and have been chilling out all week. Thanks @MrsNoz. I have long coveted Putumayo's range of world music CDs and this channel has been the perfect antidote to Wiggles burnout!!
The days are getting longer here at the bottom of the world, and ever so slightly warmer. Hopefully the ground will start to dry out soon and I will be able to get out into the garden.

I have great plans to transform this into a vegetable garden paradise ... watch this space :)

Miscellany Monday

2010-07-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

I read this article about how the escalating costs of childcare mean that raising a child in Britain now costs £800 a month. Surely, what they are really saying is that the cost of getting someone else to raise your child has risen to £800 a month?

The article also states that "grandparents are increasingly being asked to take care of children because both parents are required to hold down full time jobs to support the family." We live in a society where having the latest fashion, a new car, a big house (and accompanying big mortgage) are all considered necessary. Perhaps if we thought more about what was really important to us we could afford to raise our own children.
I recently downloaded the DoGooder browser plugin (for firefox of course!). It hides the generic ads you see on the internet and "shows you thoughtful green related initiatives, philanthropic calls to action, and health and wellness ideas instead." And 50% of its profits are donated to charity.

Nothing is Good from DoGood Headquarters on Vimeo.
Vote for your favourite New Zealand plant/garden organisation to benefit from the LovePlantLife.com endowment fund - and win 6 packets of seeds from the LovePlantLife range, a copy of Save Your Own Seeds and Growing Nutrient-Dense Food by Kay Baxter from Koanga Gardens!
I love this gorgeous print from artsyville's Etsy store.
Did you know that $.25 is all it takes to provide a single child with both vitamin A and antiparasitics for one year? You can help save lives by suggesting the VIVAPRIME Facebook page to your friends. For every person that "Likes" VIVAPRIME, they will donate $.25 to Vitamin Angels to help malnourished children in need around the world. All it takes is a few clicks to make a difference!

Wendell Berry’s 17 Rules For A Sustainable Economy

2010-06-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

"A proper community, we should remember also, is a commonwealth: a place, a resource, an economy. It answers the needs, practical as well as social and spiritual, of its members - among them the need to need one another. The answer to the present alignment of political power with wealth is the restoration of the identity of community and economy.
(pg. 63, "Racism and the Economy")"
— Wendell Berry (The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry)

Wendell Berry is an American poet, novelist, essayist, philosopher and farmer. He was born on August 5 1934 in Henry County, Kentucky, where he still lives and farms on the family farm.

He is a strong defender of family, rural communities, and traditional family farms. He has developed these 17 rules for the healthy functioning of sustainable local communities:

1. Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth.

2. Always include local nature – the land, the water, the air, the native creatures – within the membership of the community.

3. Always ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbors.

4. Always supply local needs first (and only then think of exporting products – first to nearby cities, then to others).

5. Understand the ultimate unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of ‘labor saving’ if that implies poor work, unemployment, or any kind of pollution or contamination.

6. Develop properly scaled value-adding industries for local products to ensure that the community does not become merely a colony of national or global economy.

7. Develop small-scale industries and businesses to support the local farm and/or forest economy.

8. Strive to supply as much of the community’s own energy as possible.

9. Strive to increase earnings (in whatever form) within the community for as long as possible before they are paid out.

10. Make sure that money paid into the local economy circulates within the community and decrease expenditures outside the community.

11. Make the community able to invest in itself by maintaining its properties, keeping itself clean (without dirtying some other place), caring for its old people, and teaching its children.

12. See that the old and young take care of one another. The young must learn from the old, not necessarily, and not always in school. There must be no institutionalised childcare and no homes for the aged. The community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.

13. Account for costs now conventionally hidden or externalised. Whenever possible, these must be debited against monetary income.

14. Look into the possible uses of local currency, community-funded loan programs, systems of barter, and the like.

15. Always be aware of the economic value of neighborly acts. In our time, the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighborhood, which leaves people to face their calamities alone.

16. A rural community should always be acquainted and interconnected with community-minded people in nearby towns and cities.

17. A sustainable rural economy will depend on urban consumers loyal to local products. Therefore, we are talking about an economy that will always be more cooperative than competitive.

The times they are a-changing

2010-06-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Fossil fuels will one day go the way of the dinosaur. Until then, it’s up to us to make

our contribution to change the world for the better.

This article was written by Ian McCartney of Equator Digital Agency in Glasgow.

Fossil fuels have served human beings well over the centuries. They powered the industrial revolution, they put the railways in motion and they put man on the moon. But it was always the case that fossil fuels were eventually going to go the way of the dinosaur. For one thing, the resources are finite. But even if they were unlimited, the originally unforeseen consequences of global warming would mean that alternative sources of energy would need to be found, and inevitably eventually become the norm.

While the day of renewables is dawning, the day of them being our main source is still a fair way off in the future. Until then what we have is a mix of renewable and conventional sources. Some companies have taken the lead on renewable and are on their way to an ever increasing component of renewables in their mix. So, if we require to power our country, this Scottish power company is enviable in being at the forefront of renewable technology and provision. Scottish Hydro are the UK’s largest generator of renewable electricity. And with a good few large utilities companies competing in the UK, that’s no small feat, and surely one that’s set to grow. Wind and water are the way forward, I’ll avoid making a seafaring pun here though ;)

The company also has fascinating plans to introduce a “smart meter” which is much more sophisticated than a conventional energy meter, and will provide the consumer with real-time data on their own energy consumption and costs. This looks like a real step forward, after years of conventional meters, which only indicate electricity use by means of a spinning metal disc!

And as to the future? A recent report states that, interestingly, Renewable Energy could support 8.5 million jobs by 2030. That's going to be a lot of people, a lot of revenue, and the emergence of what amounts to a new world industry.

It’s probably not fantasy to speculate that the world may right now be on the brink of a revolution every bit as transformational and as economically empowering as the industrial revolution. Only this time around the revolution will not only be high-tech, computerised and fast-moving, it will have the environment right at its heart.

In the meantime – what can we do, as individuals, to ensure that we are not living beyond our carbon means?

Get political with a small ‘p’. Find out what each party’s green/ ecology policies are, and make note to vote according to which you feel is the greenest. You won’t be alone in doing this – a Green Party MP was voted into parliament for the first time ever just a few weeks ago.

Calculate your carbon footprint. Not scientifically exact, but useful for highlighting areas where we are using too much. Check out this site for details.

Recycle. Yes, I know you’ve heard this command many times. But it has to be done. It’s easier when you think of it like this: garbage is your last resort for stuff that can’t be recycled. You’ll be amazed just how much less stuff you throw out when you do (as I call it) "priority recycling". It also makes you feel better, knowing that your detritus isn’t going to spend millennia in a landfill site!

Travel smart: If you need a car, get a hybrid. If you can walk to work, do it. If you’re travelling abroad, shop around for the greenest travel provider. These small instances of putting the environment first have a bigger collective effect than we realise.

Buy smart: Your supermarket might think it’s worthwhile shipping potatoes from Egypt. But the farmer up the road definitely won’t. Vote with your wallet, it’s a real catalyst for change.

Eat smart: Find out which foods are carbon light and work more of them into your diet. Red meat might taste great, but it’s only recommended in small portions for good health. And small portions will help with smaller carbon output, so we all win.

What is Community Led Development?

2010-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Community led development is a movement that is gaining traction around the world as people in under-resourced, neglected or impoverished areas seek to rebuild their communities and re-establish a sense of pride in the place where they live. Its about communities working together across traditional boundaries to create change and solve the problems they face.

Community led development is:

inclusive
'Powerful communities create a place for everyone's gifts - there are no strangers - Mary Nelson
open and transparent
happens from the inside out
'Meaningful and lasting community change always originates from within, and local residents in that community are the best experts on how to activate that change.' - Peter Kenyon, Bank of IDEAS
constant, two-way communication
builds capacity
'Communities that view their citizens as their greatest asset and invest in the development of their full potential are those that will have the capacity to effectively compete in the global political, social and economic arena' - David Littrell
uses local resources as much as possible
embraces differing viewpoints
encourages communities to support and take ownership of the solutions they create for themselves
believes in the community's ability to solve its own problems and make things happen

How do you define community led development?

Rules of Engagement

2010-05-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

If you're going to be changing the world, chances are you aren't going to be doing it alone - and there will probably be more than a few meetings involved. Change can be a contentious process, and in order not to let conflict get in the way of progress, it helps to lay down some ground rules.

Here's a few examples of rules that can set the scene for an effective meeting:

No sidetalking or interruption
Respect each other
Speak personally - use "I" statements
Along with the right to speak goes the responsibility to listen
If you can't say it here, you can't say it anywhere
Be open and honest
Have fun - laughter is good
Look for the best in each other
Know the process is imperfect - we probably won't achieve all things for all people

Remember conflict is not a bad thing, its how it is managed that makes the difference between it being destructive or productive. How do you manage conflict in your efforts to change the world?

Did YOU Turn Your Lights Out?

2010-03-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Of course you did . . . right? And now you're wondering what to do next? Why not commit to an hour of world changing, earth saving action every day between now and Earth Day on April 22nd - that's 26 days ... 26 hours of making a difference! Imagine what you'll achieve!!

Need some inspiration? Here's 26 ideas to help get you started:

Go for a walk
Get to know your neighbourhood, get some exercise and give your car a rest!
Cook up a storm
Get together with a few friends and fill your freezers with delectable dinners and tasty snacks. Its fun, its real food - and it will save you money and make eating in easier than take-out!
Attend a Council meeting
Find out what the issues are in your community. Attend local government meetings. Have your say. Get involved!
Plant something
It can be basil on the windowsill, tomatoes in the patio, a tree in the backyard or a glorious edible landscape. Join a Community Garden (or start one), engage in guerrilla gardening, get some dirt under your fingernails and enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature!
Play board games
Turn of the TV and have a night in with the family. Board games are fun and teach kids to take turns, to count, to strategise, and to win (and lose) with grace - among other things.
Shop local
Have yourself a local meal - with nothing on the plate that comes from further away than 100 miles. Invite your friends and neighbours and help spread the word about the great food producers you have on your doorstep.
Volunteer
Donate an hour or two of your time to a good cause.
Clean Up
Take a walk around your neighbourhood picking up litter, or clean up your favourite spot in nature.
Read Aloud
"When parents take time to read aloud, children are touched not only by the stories, but also by their parent's love" Calm and Compassionate Children by Susan Usha Dermond
And you don't have to stop just because your kids can read for themselves. Some of my most vivid and comforting childhood memories are of my father reading to me as a 'big kid'.
Make Do
Do you really need new? Or will what you have already do the trick? Can you borrow from a friend or neighbour? Can you repurpose something else to do the job? Making do isn't just about doing without or being frugal, its creative too!
Pay AttentionMake a point of noticing the good things that happen in your day, share them with your loved ones and encourage them to do the same. Keep an eye out for the beautiful, the unexpected, the inspirational, those little things its so easy to miss as we go about our busy lives.
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."- Albert Einstein
Go Without
Try 26 days without buying anything new, or without buying any chocolate/coffee/shoes . . . and use the savings to help pay off any debts or donate it to a cause that moves you.
Give
Give something away every day between now and Earth Day. Make a point of being generous.
Bring Your Own
Take your lunch to work each day. Take a reusable coffee cup for your morning coffee on the way to work. Make sure you have reusable cutlery in your drawer at work so you can say no to plastic stuff if you get a take-out lunch . . .
Get Rid of Clutter
Clear out your closets and cupboards of things you no longer need - hold a garage sale, list your goodies on FreeCycle, hold a swap party or donate them to charity.
Be Prepared
Put together a 'going green kit' stocked with reusable grocery bags, a BYO lunch kit, Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs, a water bottle, a travelling coffee mug, a selection of green cleaning products . .
Start Composting
You don't have to have a big back yard to be able to compost your food waste. A Bokashi system can fit under your bench, or you could set up a worm farm on your patio. And if you don't have room for much of a garden you can always donate the results to your local community garden or share it with your neighbours.
Build a Community
Invite your neighbours over for a board games extravaganza, organise a street party, play charades, start a food co-op, have dinner with friends. Connecting with others is good for the soul!
Watch a Movie
Get inspired, get outraged, get informed. Invite your friends around to watch a documentary about an issue that you are passionate about or that you feel you need to know more about. It could be coffee, dolphins, capitalism or sustainable living . . .
On Yer Bike
Ditch your car and bike to work.
Smile
Make a point of smiling at people. Even when you don't feel like it. Especially when you don't feel like it!!
Swap Your Old Books
Update your library with a book swap. You can do it online, or organise your own neighbourhood book swap.
Make It Yourself
Make your own jam, knit your own socks, bake your own bread . . . pick a project and perfect a new skill over the next 26 days.
Help Someone
Mow your neighbour's lawn, share your umbrella, look after your sisters kids for an hour. Go out of your way to lend a hand every day for the next 26 days.
Do It By Hand
Do you really need a machine to do that? Get out your shovel to clear the snow from you driveway, use a rake to tidy up the autumn leaves in your back yard, try opening the cans with a manual can opener, get out of your chair to change the channel. There are gadgets for everything - and sure they can make life easier, but they use power and make us less active. How much technology do we really need to live happy, productive lives?
Spread the Word
Tell as many people as you can reach what you are doing to change the world between now and Earth Day. Share your actions in the comments below, on your blog, with your work colleagues, family, neighbours, the guy next to you on the bus . . . Who knows what movement you will inspire :)

Communicate Communicate Communicate

2010-03-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

'All historical evidence indicates that significant community development only takes place when local community people are committed to investing themselves and their resources in the effort. That's why you can't develop communities from the top down, or from the outside in.'

- John McKnight, John Kretzmann, Mapping Community Capacity

What is the best way to ensure buy-in and support from local people for a community development initiative?

Surely it must be communication. After all, how can you effectively rebuild a community without opening a dialogue with the people that live there.

I don't believe its enough to talk with a few community leaders. Without grassroots involvement community development projects are surely doomed to failure.

What are your thoughts?

Be Inspired

2010-02-12T03:55:00.000-08:00

Its not always easy fighting the good fight, living a worthwhile life and making a difference. We all need something to remind us what we are doing and why. Here's a few things that have inspired me recently:

The Linchpin Portfolio - Artwork by Hugh McLeod (@gapingvoid) inspired by Seth Godin's latest book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? Haven't read the book yet, but these prints are enough to make me want to get going and do something . . .

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. If you're a woman, or you know any women, you should read this. If you think that women have it easy and should quit complaining about women's rights, you should read this. If you have daughters or sons, you should read this. It is at once heartbreaking, horrifying, inspiring, uplifting, challenging and motivating.

The Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy - recently outed in the New York Times, agents of the Society find creative ways to give away $100. From scattering 10 000 pennies to donating money for Haitian earthquake relief efforts . . . Its not about the money or even the effectiveness of the donation. This secret society is all about involved, engaged, thoughtful giving. And it kind of sounds like fun!

What's inspiring you at the moment?

A Coal Mine in Our Backyard

2009-12-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

New Zealand's state owned coal producer, Solid Energy, and fertiliser company Ravensdown are currently investigating the building of a lignite to urea plant in Mataura's backyard. Solid Energy says the urea plant could be the foundation of a New Zealand capability in coal gasification technology, which could also be used to produce diesel domestically.

Solid Energy has been on a buying spree over the last couple of years - buying up farms in the area that sit over the extensive lignite deposits (some 8 billion tonnes) and pushing up land prices.

So far, the Gore District Council has shown unreserved enthusiasm for the idea and any publicity has carefully avoided the environmental impact whilst highlighting the economic benefits for the area and the rest of the country.

For those of us that live nearby the proposed site, should it go ahead, any economic benefits will be offset by the fumes, noise, air and water pollution and increased traffic caused by the mine and urea plant.

The proposed 'hole' would be 5km long by 2km wide and to a depth of 100m (that's 40m below sea level!). It is expected to move steadily across 40km of countryside. The picture below shows the township of Mataura alongside a rectangle 5km by 2km - it shows the scale of the mine, but is not an indication of position.

Book Review: Small is Possible:Life in a Local Economy

2009-11-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

Cover via Amazon

I loved Lyle Estill's "Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy". It's a fun, inspiring collection of stories from Chatham County, the author's home town. It chronicles the successes and failures of the resident's attempts to build a sustainable, local economy and thriving community.

The large collection of characters at times seemed to rival War and Peace in complexity. I occasionally had to flick back to remind myself who was who, which interrupted the flow a little.

I'm involved in my own town's attempts to build community and rebuild our local economy. I find it both fascinating and disturbing that for many people here the idea of a thriving town means 'growth' and the idea of a local economy, supporting and supported by a local community is swept aside in the quest for bigness, progress and outside intervention (from big government or big business).

The book hinted at times that there was another side of the community in Chatham County that is perhaps less interested in the possibilities of small and I would loved to have heard more about the context into which the attempts at local sustainability fit.

All in all, a compelling read for anyone interested in sustainable, local living and building community!

Consensus at all Cost?

2009-11-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Image by markusthorsen via Flickr

It would be a rare community that survived great change - or small change, or even no change at all - without conflict. Communities are hotbeds of intrigue, egos and differing personal agendas, so it stands to reason that somewhere along the line people are going to cross swords.

As I see it, its not entirely a bad thing. If managed properly conflict provides opportunity for growth.

Why is it then, that many community groups seek to impose consensus at all cost? Why do we make it so difficult for people to stand up and say what they honestly believe? Why do we think that to do great things we have to all like each other? Why is it so hard to tell people when they are not doing a good job?

Surely a strong, reslilient community that truly embraces diversity is one that has realised that true consensus cannot be reached without some degree of conflict?

Start a Community Newspaper

2009-11-09T02:14:00.000-08:00

A simple way to bring your community together is to start a Community Newspaper. Its amazing the news you can dig up if you ask around.

In my community we have gone from one side of an A5 page earlier this year to this latest masterpiece:

November NL #5

Any Publicity is Good Publicity?

2009-10-18T02:50:00.000-07:00

Mataura is in the planning and consultation stages of a makeover of our main street. If it all comes together it will be a hugely positive and exciting development for our town - and as a community we all stand to benefit immensly.

Tonight Mataura was featured on TV3 News - I don't quite know why they did it, but what is essentially a positive story about a small town getting off its arse to do something fantastic, ended up coming across as a really negative story. I can't even begin to express how hugely disappointed I am.

Take a look at the story here and let me know what you think of it.

Billionaire Clown is Moving Stars and Earth for Water

2009-10-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Billionaire founder of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberte, has spent US$35 million for a 12 day sojourn into space.

He's not just going for kicks though - he has a serious mission: To raise awareness about water related issues (he's also President of ONE DROP Foundation).

On October 9th, he will be Moving Stars and Earth for Water. A 2 hour online event in 14 cities around the world, involving the likes of Al Gore, Shakira, Dr. David Suzuki and Matthew McConaughey.

Sounds like a fabulous event. But you have to wonder what could actually have been DONE with the US$35 million that would really have made a difference . . .

-r.

So just who's Fault is it then?

2009-09-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

Image by .chourmo. via Flickr

I discovered this great quote today at 'Big Adventure Calling'

"Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it, but I'm afraid God would ask me the same question."
-Anonymous

Certainly makes you think . . .

10 Community Projects that Build Social Capital

2009-09-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Image by a.prakharevich via Flickr

I've just gotten back from the fantastic Small Towns Conference in Kaiapoi. One of the speakers was Peter Kenyon - a social capitalist and community enthusiast from Australia. He had some incredibly inspiring stories about successful small town development, I am so excited about helping to put some of his ideas into action in Mataura.

If you are looking for some great projects to get your community humming take a look at this awesome list from Peter's Bank of I.D.E.A.S website:

Establish a Community Garden
Establish a Community Newspaper focusing on local assets, people, and positive and inspiring stories
Create a local project fund where 3 or more neighbours can apply for street/neighbourhood projects/events
Hold a Community Reflection Day to give residents an opportunity to think about where they have come from and where they want to go
Encourage local organisations to adopt a street or flowerbed and to care for its beautification and apprearance
Instigate a local business awards programme to highlight and celebrate local businesses
Establish a Community Bank with all profits going back to community projects
Start up a Community Physical Fitness Programme eg. 'Push Ups in the Park'
Support local schools to discover, study and write about local history
Establish a Community Cultural Foundation that encourages locals to contribute and become 'Friends of the Foundation' to develop arts and culture within the community

For the full list of 128 projects visit Bank of I.D.E.A.S

2009 World's Most Ethical Companies

2009-09-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

Image by RaghuP via Flickr

Here is the list of the most ethical companies in the world according to Ethisphere.

Honeywell International
The Aerospace Corporation
Harris Corporation
Nike
Patagonia
BMW
Cummins
Johnson Controls
Toyota Motor
HSBC
Rabobank
Standard Chartered Bank
Westpac Banking Corporation
Accenture
Pitney Bowes
Dun & Bradstreet
Ecolab
Dell
Hewlett-Packard
Ricoh Company
Xerox
Oracle Corporation
salesforce.com
Symantec
Henkel
Kao
Mattel
SC Johnson & Son
Unilever
General Electric
Freescale Semiconductor
Intel
Texas Instruments
Duke Energy
FPL Group
Sempra Energy
Statkraft
Wisconsin Energy
CRH
Fluor
CH2M Hill
Holcim
Waste Management
American Express
The Hartford Financial Services
The Principal Financial Group
Danone
General Mills
Kellogg Company
PepsiCo
Stonyfield Farm
Sodexo
Safeway
Trader Joe’s
International Paper
Stora Enso
Svenska Cellulosa (SCA)
Weyerhaeuser
Target
Cleveland Clinic
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Premier
Accor
Marriott International
Caterpillar
Eaton Corporation
John Deere
Milliken
Rockwell Automation
Aflac
Sompo
Swiss Re
Google
Zappos.com
Thomson Reuters
Time Warner
Baxter International
Becton Dickinson
Royal Philips
Flint Hills Resources
Petro-Canada
AstraZeneca
Novartis
Novo Nordisk
Novozymes
Jones Lang LaSalle
McDonald’s
Starbucks
Best Buy
Gap
IKEA
Marks & Spencer
Ten Thousand Villages
Avaya
Cisco Systems
T-Mobile
Vodafone
Nippon Yusen Kaisha
United Parcel Service

I can't help thinking that there is something wrong with the list. There must be better candidates than these?

Surely a small, company that nurtures its local community, provides local jobs, keeps its carbon footprint low by staying local, that works to reduce waste, and values its employees by offering a family friendly environment and postive workplace culture would be a more ethical choice than large multinational banks and corporations producing junk food, automobiles, and chemical products?

Book Review: Eye of the Whale

2009-08-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

There is something about whales. These magnificent creatures of the deep are at once vulnerable, and mighty. Completely alien, but remarkably ‘human’. Even now, when there doesn’t seem a lot left to discover, much about the lives of whales remains a mystery.

We have driven them almost to extinction by hunting. What could be more cruel than whaling? And, in this day and age, more pointless and stupid? And we continue to threaten their existence - and our own - through our careless, toxic, throw-away lifestyles.

Douglas Carlton Abrams, author of The Lost Diary of Don Juan, has written a riveting ecological thriller, Eye of the Whale.

Eye of the Whale is a mix of heart-wrenching facts and captivating fiction. Its not a lecture, but most definitely a story. And a great one at that! It’s a page-turning adventure that had me dying to know how it would all end.

Eye of the Whale is the story of Elizabeth McKay - a marine biologist working to crack the code of humpback whale communication. She discovers new words while recording whale song off the island of Bequia and as she tries to make sense of her discovery she manages to ruffle the feathers of people in academia, medicine and business - all of whom have a vested interest in keeping her from discovering the truth and telling the world.

You can sneak a read of the first 32 pages at Douglas Abrams website.

Moving Forward from Sustainability

2009-08-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Image by `◄ccdoh1► via Flickr

Most thinking people have embraced the principles of sustainability. We agree that we need to live lightly on the earth and make careful use of resources to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Personally, I've always felt this was a little soulless - so I was really excited to come across the concept of Thrivability recently.

Thrivability is sustainability taken to the next level. Its not just about ensuring we don't squander the planet's precious resources, but also about taking care to see that they are fairly distributed.

Thrivability takes into account the importance of social justice, real democracy and economic stewardship.

To find out more take a look at the evolving definition at Appropedia and follow @nurturegirl on Twitter.

Does Personal Change Bring About Political Change?

2009-08-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

Image by Lulu Vision via Flickr

In an earlier post I asked the question "Can you really make a difference?". Most readers agreed that the little things we do can all add up and become big things. It would seem that Derrick Jensen doesn't necessarily share this opinion:

WOULD ANY SANE PERSON think dumpster diving would have stopped Hitler, or that composting would have ended slavery or brought about the eight-hour workday, or that chopping wood and carrying water would have gotten people out of Tsarist prisons, or that dancing naked around a fire would have helped put in place the Voting Rights Act of 1957 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Then why now, with all the world at stake, do so many people retreat into these entirely personal “solutions”?
uncompromise.wordpress.com, Forget Shorter Showers – why personal change does not equal political change

I have to say I agree. It doesn't feel that just making changes in your own lifestyle is enough. We ALL need to be agitating for change at a higher level.

What do you think?

SALVEASERRA is making a Difference

2009-07-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

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A Postcard from Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil
By Marisa Glassman - Visitor
Marisa Glassman is GlobalGiving's Business Development Manager. She recently traveled throughout Brazil and visited a number of GlobalGiving projects. On May 4th she visited "Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil." When asked what she would tell her friends about this project, Marisa said: "Great: They are making a difference."

"With just a short time in as large a country as Brazil, I was afraid I wouldn´t be able to see enough of the country. And while I´ll almost certainly never be able to see as much as I´d like to, today´s visit to Roberto Lamego´s forest in Valença gave me a welcome complement to all of the city-based work I´ve seen. Now I can leave Brazil happy. While finding a way to get there was tricky to say the least, I can´t imagine this trip being complete had I not been able to go. The forest I visited was a two-hour drive outside of Rio de Janeiro city, where most of the land is now rolling hills where vast forests once stood. When man cleared the land to plant coffee trees and other produce, the forests were decimated. And although the crops thrived for a short time, they eventually disappeared because the land could not maintain them without the cover and moisture the forest had provided. Left with almost nothing, most local residents turned to other uses for their land, such as cow farming. With many animals throughout the area, the forests have not been able to grow back.

"On a plot of this land, Roberto Lamego´s family had a farm. The land was eventually abandoned while Roberto was living abroad, but he decided to return to Brazil to try and salvage it. Since 1993, Roberto has planted hundreds of thousands of trees and other crops on his family´s land, and his forest now thrives among the surrounding barren hills. With proper care and attention, he and his dedicated staff, who live on the forest grounds Monday through Friday, have grown a forest which not only houses tall trees such as palm trees, which will no longer grow on their own in most of the surrounding area, but also houses crops such as passion fruit, mangoes, limes, coffee, and various other fruits I wish I could spell in English - some of which I tasted right off the trees.

"Once or twice every month, Roberto brings a school bus full of local children to the forest to learn about the landscape and work he and his coworkers have done. He realizes the community´s immediate need for income, and thus conveys the message that, not only does his forest help preserve the land, but provides a sustainable way to produce crops for many years by giving them the environment they need to thrive. It is often an uphill battle against a government that does not share his goals and local community members whose immediate financial needs make it difficult to maintain the long-term outlook necessary to follow Roberto´s methodology. But Roberto´s will and conviction make his efforts less of a choice than a natural path. I am so thankful I was able to visit the forest with a diverse group of local students who were also visiting for the first time. Their enthusiasm and curiosity were wonderful to see, and although the language barrier between us didn´t allow us to communicate fully, we did manage to find the one thing that saved us all from some unnecessary itching: the citronella plant Roberto showed us, which luckily is the same word in English and Portuguese."

Give now at GlobalGiving. You can also help by downloading the How to Make a Difference Toolbar - it doesn't cost you a cent and raises money for SALVEASERRA. Or, purchase a WE ADD UP organic cotton Plant Trees Tee - I will donate 10% of every sale to SALVEASERRA.

Leadership Is . . .

2009-07-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

responsibility
not about you - its about the relationship between you & them
getting things done through people
an adventure
demonstrating personal integrity
getting the job done and keeping the group together
empowering people to succeed
patience
listening
showing passion and enthusiasm for the task at hand
about doing, not saying
providing inspiration
pointing people in the right direction
vision
positivity
motivation
audacity
creating change
a lifelong journey
"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." - Henry Ford

Remember, leadership is a skill that is learned, not something you have to be born with. Everyone who is changing the world - in 'small' ways or through epic endeavours - is a leader.

What is Leadership to you?

Can You Really Make a Difference?

2009-07-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

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Overfishing
Global Poverty
Corporate Greed
War in the Congo
Whaling
The Great Northern Garbage Patch
Hunger
Genocide in Darfur
Deforestation
Toxins in our Food, Water, Air

In the face of all this does it really matter what we do as individuals?

I take reusable bags to the supermarket . . . but I only ever see one or two other shoppers doing the same thing when I go . . . should I bother?

We use cloth nappies for our kids, but we are definitely in a minority amongst the families I know. Is it worth the effort?

We use vinegar and baking soda to clean pretty much everything in the house - but from the horror expressed by a friend who came to help me clean the house the other day after I had been unwell, I am pretty sure that it is not the norm . . . does it make any difference?

Is it enough for us each to just do our bit? Does it really all add up? What are the most important things we can do to really make a difference?

What do you think?

What are Your Favourite Things?

2009-06-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

I discovered this gorgeous video via The Serendipity Factory.- an absolute treasure trove of serendipitous finds that will make a difference to your day! Enjoy!

My Favourite Things from kidswithcrayons on Vimeo.

What is Our Environmental Legacy?

2009-06-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

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I am haunted by a picture I saw some time ago, of a man standing atop a dead blue whale, hacking it up for processing. I can't understand how this awe inspiring creature of the deep could be treated with anything less than incredulous wonder and how they could have been hunted to near extinction - between 1900 & the mid-1960's some 360,000 of them were killed (national geographic). What were people thinking back then?

While most of the world has stopped whaling, we are all still threatening the existence of these magnificent creatures - acidification of the seas, use of sonar, increased sea-going traffic, overfishing, cluttering the oceans with our rubbish . . .

What pictures will haunt my children and grandchildren and leave them shaking their heads at our thoughtless stupidity?

Do Your Home Work

2009-05-31T03:49:00.000-07:00

I was reading this great article form Yes! Magazine today - 31 Ways to Jump Start the Local Economy. I've come away feeling all inspired.

The ideas aren't earth shattering. As my venerable father commented, if we looked back to the time when he was growing up, many of the suggestions in the article, such as buying less, fixing things, putting down roots and being part of the community, were the norm.

My favourite idea is:

Do home work parties. Each month, go to a different household to do major home greening, a garden upgrade, or some deferred maintenance.

I can see that would be such a positive and uplifting thing to do in Mataura. The town is a little bit run down, and people don't have a whole lot of money. I would love to pull together some funding and help people to fix their homes, tidy their gardens and make the town look a little more loved. It would help create such a sense of pride in our town and community spirit.

I don't want to give you the wrong idea about Mataura. We have plenty of beautiful homes with well kept gardens that people obviously take pride in.

Wouldn't it be great if all the homes could look like that? And rather than bemoaning the fact that some people can't, or won't, maintain their houses why don't we step in as a community and help each other out?

10 Online Resources to Help You Become an Expert for Your Cause

2009-05-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

Image by degreezero2000 via Flickr

If you are going to be an effective advocate for your favourite charity you need to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible (preferably related to your cause!). The internet is a great way to do this - if you know where to look.

Here's a list of 10 great places to go for information and discussion about the causes that you are passionate about:

Alltop is like an online magazine rack of popular topics and the stories are updated every hour. To find out more about your cause, simply type it in the search box. My favourite channel is Alltop Good - for all you need to know about doing good!
Addict-o-matic lets you perfom a search for your topic and creates a custom page with the search results that you can bookmark and refer to later. It searches on Twitter, Google, Friendfeed, You Tube, Digg, Flickr and more
Twitter is a cool micro-blogging/social networking tool that allows you to build a network of like minded people. Its amazing what you can learn from 140 character soundbites!

You can find people to follow using tools like Twibes (groups of Twitter users interested in particular topics. I love the Philanthropy Twibe) or Twellow (the Twitter yellow pages).

A great way to find Charities and Non-Profit organisations that use twitter is to check out #charitytuesday
Charity Evaluators such as Intelligent Giving and C harity Navigator can help you to choose a charity that is going to make the most efficient use of your donations. So you can be sure that your money is actually going to make a difference rather than be used to fund the organisation's operating costs!
Your chosen charity will more than likely have a website. Be sure to check it out. It should have plenty of information about the charity organisation - what they do , who they help, success stories and testimonials - as well as background information about the cause they work for.
Squidoo is a great place to find out more about the Cause(s) you are passionate about. People create Squidoo Lenses about a whole range of topics - simply search for the one that interests you.
GiveWell is a Charity Evaluator that conducts in-depth research on charities to help people accomplish as much good as possible with their donations. They focus primarily on how well the programmes work. So if you want to be sure that the charity you donate to is really having a positive effect on the people it serves - this is the place to find out!
Causecast is a place to explore issues and connect with a community of people wanting to make a difference. Its chock full of great information!
Big Think is a great place to find out what other people are thinking about your favourite cause. You can join in and share ideas or just read through what others have to say. They have a great collection of really interesting and knowledgeable experts on a variety of topics. It is a fascinating site!
Just Cause is a great site to find information about your favourite cause as well as inspiration to help you make a difference.

Where do you go to find out more about the causes you are passionate about?

Are You a Rebel with a Cause?

2009-05-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Image by Blondi000 via Flickr

In times of economic turmoil, non-profit organisations need their supporters more than ever. When there is less money to go around, there is usually more need - and when you put that together with the fact that donating to charity is often first to be cut from the budget when money gets tight, you can see how charity organisations are caught between a rock and a hard place in the midst of recession.

Supporting the cause that you are passionate about isn't just about giving money. There are plenty of things you can do that can help your favourite non-profit out that won't cost you anything but a little of your time. Not that some financial support isn't needed - but if you are not able to give that just now, try some of the things below. You can make a difference!!

1. Become an expert
If you want to become an effective advocate for your cause, you need to be informed.

Read widely, talk with people who understand the cause you support, talk with people who have differing opinions from yours so you are aware of all sides of the issue - even if you disagree wholeheartedly!

The more you know the better you can answer other people's questions, counter other people's arguments and spread awareness about the cause you are passionate about.

2. Spread the word
Most charities don't have a ton of money to spend on marketing (and are often condemned if they are perceived as spending too much money on advertising) so they appreciate the work of their supporters bringing awareness to the cause!

3. Donate things you no longer need
You may (or may not) have spare cash to donate, but charity organisations need more than just money. You can donate clothing and other items to your local goodwill store, material scraps to your local school or pre-school, outgrown toys to the women's refuge . . .

4. Vote with your wallet
Be aware where your money goes. You may not be able to give money to support your cause - but by spending mindfully you can make sure you are not supporting companies and industries that go against your values.

5. Volunteer
If you have some time on your hands, consider volunteering for your favourite charity. Even if you only have an hour or two a month, you can make a difference. Volunteers are the lifeblood of most non-profit organisations.

6. Find ways to give for free
There are plenty of great opportunities to support causes you believe in online that cost you nothing. From Care2's Click to Donate, to Better the World, to Everywun . . . not to mention all the Facebook applications that donate money to charity.

5 Ways to Reduce Packaging Waste

2009-04-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

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The manufacture and disposal of product packaging affects the environment in a myraid of ways - from the extraction of virgen resources, emissions associated with production, the space it takes up in our landfills, to the litter on our roadsides.

While a certain amount of packaging is perhaps necessary, the main consideration of most manufacturers when it comes to packaging their products is simply to entice consumers to buy more stuff.

For most people, packaging makes up the bulk of their garbage It certainly seems to be the majority of litter I see in the streets (I suppose any advertising is good advertising right?).

Here's a few suggestions to help keep packaging out of the sea, the landfills and off the streets & roadsides:

1. Take Your Own Bags when you Shop

Need a reason why?

Five trillion plastic bags are made each year. Of these bags, one billion are thrown away, with only 1 percent finding their way into a recycle bin. The end result of this is around 1 billion birds and mammals dying each year by the ingestion of plastic. (From Treehugger: 20 Gut-Wrenching Statistics About the Destruction of the Environment)

2. Buy in Bulk

Whether you buy from your local Bin Inn bulk food store and take your own reusable containers or simply buy prepackaged food in super sized containers from the supermarket, buying in bulk means less packaging!

Shampoo would have to be a prime wasteful packaging culprit What's with offering a product that many people use every day or two in such small packages? If you want to go (almost) packaging free with your hair care use baking soda instead.

3. Make it From Scratch

Pasta sauce, biscuits, bread . . . make it yourself from real ingredients. It tastes better, is better for you, is often cheaper than the shop bought stuff . . .and there's no packaging to dispose of.

4. Brown Bag It

Take your own lunch to school or work. It will save you a bunch of money, and when you use reusable containers and cutlery it doesn't produce the packaging waste of a bought lunch.

5. Buy Less Stuff

Of course, the most effective way to reduce packaging waste is to not buy things in the first place. If it has excessive packaging leave it in the shop. Better still, write a letter to the store owner and the manufacturer and tell them why you chose not to buy their product.

April 2009 Update from SALVEASERRA

2009-04-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

By Roberto Lamego - Project Director, April 13, 2009 10:39 AM

Dear donors and project friends,

Once again thank you for your support and donations that makes all this possible.

As we are about to finish our year plantation operations we want to share with you what we are do with our forests and the donated seedlings. Since 1995, SALVEASERRA recovers forests with agroforestry plantations methods in an effort to attract and convince economically land owners and cattle ranchers to protect the environment with the use of these ecological and economical possibilities that brings profits to them and avoids deforestation. As farmers have very little information about these agricultural techniques and procedures, our pilot demonstration areas are used in courses and field training programs to show students and land owners that it is possible to preserve the forest, protect biodiversity and obtain income doing things like we do. We add value to the forest with our planting methods.

All the work starts at the tree nursery and our nursery produces low cost seedlings and costs very little to maintain since it was built under the forest shade and with local materials. We have produced countless seedlings since we started planting and when we buy seedlings they are brought here until definitive planting. From the nursery the seedlings are taken to a place near the plantation areas and then separated by species before planting. Each tree species is planted in its best appropriate ecosystem condition. In our plantations, trees, palm trees and fruit trees are planted in squares that have 3 or 4 meters sides and a great quantity of new plants can be introduced in a small area. This year we opened three new areas for different agroforestry system planting plots. In two of them timber trees were mainly planted and the other one was directed to fruit trees. Remember that when you plant agroforestry systems you never stop planting and there is always room to plant something else in the same area. All plants must have an economical and ecological interest to be there and because these areas are ecologically balanced areas there are no pest attacks and ants are rarely a problem.

But maybe this is the easy part of the act of planting trees as people always forget that if we want these baby trees to become mature trees they have to be inspected and cared for at least 2 times a year and during 4 years. If you don't do this, there is an enormous chance that these very fragile seedlings will die, be it by drought, by fire, eaten by ants, crushed by branches or tree trunks, swallowed by lust vegetation or stepped up by cows. What I want to say is and it is absolutely necessary to have this always in mind, is that for at least 4 years, it is not possible to abandon these young trees after they are planted otherwise many plants will not survive and this international effort in resources and manpower to aid the environment will be useless and meaningless. I am very much concerned with this plant abandon situation because I have witnessed this happen many times here in Brazil and I would not like to see this happen with GlobalGiving Green so dearly donated trees. Donor must consider that in many situations one dollar one tree is not enough to make this sapling become a big, mature and reproductive tree.

I am writing this update in the middle of GlobalGiving's fundraising campaign, “Give a Little Green" and you can be sure that if you want to contribute, every extra dollar our project can obtain from this campaign will become a nice tree, timber, palm tree or fruit tree.

Who knows if some time donors will be able to visit the planting areas and plant a few trees with their hands?

Thank you all very much and all the best,

Roberto Lamego

The "Give A Little Green" campaign at GlobalGiving runs until 28th April. Every donation made before then is elegible for a 50% match - which means you have 50% more impact!!

There is also a "Green Challenge" running until the 28th of April - GlobalGiving Green projects are competing for additional funding. The three projects receiving the greatest number of donations will receive bounty prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000, respectively - so donate to SALVEASERRA and spread the word!!

You can also help SALVEASERRA by purchasing a WE ADD UP organic cotton t-shirt - 10% of your purchase will be donated to SALVEASERRA.

By downloading and using the How to Make a Difference Toolbar you will generate donations for SALVEASERRA - all at no cost to you!

March Update for SALVEASERRA

2009-03-31T00:34:00.000-07:00

By Roberto Lamego - Project Director , March 23, 2009 01:04 PM
Dear donors and project friends,

First of all I want to thank all donors for the donations that makes this project "Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil" possible. As you know, our objectives are to teach and educate farmers, students, local citizens and communities to preserve and restore the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, with the use of sustainable forest farming methods. With this we hope they will adopt new attitudes and practices towards the environment and nature.

Walk in Nature: Every year the Serra da Concordia Wildlife Sanctuary is opened to the community for a non-competitive walking event called “Walk in the Nature” that is sponsored by SALVEASERRA, our NGO and ANDABRASIL, the Brazilian local representative of IML Walking Association, a non-political, non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote walking as a worthwhile and healthy ecological recreation, and to foster understanding and goodwill by encouraging participation at walking events in countries through a program of incentive awards. This is accomplished by promoting national and local one day non-competitive walking events.

This is the fourth time the 12 kilometers Serra da Concordia Circuit takes place and we had 128 walkers this time. It takes about 2 hours to arrive to our base. To enrich the day, a lecture about the importance of the preservation of the forests and its importance and relation with the water, was once more empathized to our visitors. Please see attached photos.

Ongoing projects: We are about to reopen this year school groups visiting program to the Concordia Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary where students follow the environmental education course called “A Day in the Forest” and the new SALVEASERRA CARAVAN project is starting with its mission of taking the information, self-consciousness and knowledge we want to spread directly were it is needed in the fields, upcountry to farmers, families and communities. More news soon.

Please also see at: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2300/proj2239a.html, for more information of the Vegetable Gardens donation program.

Thank you all for your support and donations.
Roberto Lamego

You can donate to SALVEASERRA at GlobalGiving. You can also help raise funds for SALVEASERRA at no cost to you by downloading the How to Make a Difference Toolbar. Or if you would rather wear your support for reforestation efforts check out the We Add Up Plant Trees tee. I will donate 10% of every purchase is to SALVEASERRA.

Earth Hour: Media Hype or Effective Awareness Building?

2009-03-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

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I enjoyed my Earth Hour at home with a warm bath and some pleasant conversation with my husband. It was surprisingly relaxing to spend an evening without lights, tv or computer, but did it really make a difference?

In the long run, spending an hour in the dark once a year is unlikely to significantly reduce my carbon footprint, or impact climate change in a meaningful way. So does this mean its all just media hype?

Of course not! Earth Hour is about building awareness about climate change and how each of us can make choices that can help to reduce our impact on the planet. Its about how collectively we are powerful. Its about making us think about the things we do.

Earth Hour was a reminder for me about how much I take for granted. Lights that turn on at the flick of a switch, television, my computer, constant hot water, a hot drink in minutes, smoke free cooking (well most of the time!) . . .

For a quarter of humanity this is sheer luxury. Some 1.6 billion people live without electricity. In developing countries some 2.5 billion people are forced to rely on wood, charcoal and animal dung to meet their energy needs for cooking. Indoor air pollution resulting from the use of solid fuels claims the lives of 1.5 million people each year, more than half of them below the age of five: that is 4000 deaths a day.

Earth Hour made me think about the way my family and I consume resources as we go about our daily lives. There is a huge global disparity between the haves and the have-nots:

The 12 percent of the world’s population that lives in North America and Western Europe accounts for 60 percent of private consumption spending, while the one-third living in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa accounts for only 3.2 percent (The State of Consumption)

By choosing to consume less - whether it be electricity, chocolate bars or petrol - we do something to even things up. By choosing to consume less and donating even a portion of the savings we make to charities that address global poverty we are doing even more.

What did Earth Hour mean to you?

World Water Day 2009

2009-03-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

The 22nd of March is World Water Day. An international event to draw attention to the importance of freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

In 2009, the theme of World Water Day is Transboundry Water. The lakes, rivers and underground aquifers that cross borders and link us together.

With every country seeking to satisfy its water needs from limited water resources, some foresee a future filled with conflict. But history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the most common response to transboundary water management issues.

Over the last 60 years there have been more than 200 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. We need to continue to nurture the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary water management can provide.

So what's the big deal about fresh water?

Spread the word about World Water Day and the Global Water Crisis! You CAN make a difference!

3 of the Best Blogs to Help You Make a Difference

2009-03-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

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The blogosphere is a busy place, and there are plenty of great green blogs and websites out there. Here's a few I love and thoroughly recommend!

Twilight Earth

Twilight Earth is a fantastic blog "dedicated to saving the Environment through shared News, Discussion, Advocacy and Activism"

Its written by Adam Shake and Derek Markham.

Check put their fabulous article 'The Ties That Bind - Roadblocks that Keep us from Living Sustainably' and watch out every Sunday for their beautiful Photo Sunday articles!

Green Pepper

Great UK site by Paul Thomas covering eco-friendly living and environmental issues.

Read his review of the fascinating book Hungry Planet by photojournalist Peter Menzel and writer Faith Aluisio. Or his thought provoking series on Gifts that Really Matter. And every Friday he offers a Green News Round Up to keep you up to date with the weeks green news from around the web!

Global Stewardship Initiative

The Global Stewardship Initiative is all about "fostering environmental stewardship by connecting with nature and each other in appreciation of the earth's natural resources".

Its a great social networking site where people who care about the planet can connect, share ideas and take action to make a difference and act as stewards of our environment.

Check out the member blogs, photos and forum discussions and join in!

What are your favourite blogs and websites that inspire you to make a difference?

Global Search for Innovation in Farming & Rural Communities

2009-03-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Ashoka’s Changemakers have announced the launch of a global, online competition to seek out the most innovative solutions in farming and rural communities iaround the world. The competition is funded as part of a grant awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Today, three quarters of the world’s poorest people—the 1 billion who live on $1 a day or less—live in rural areas, and most rely on agriculture for their food and income. Many small farmers cannot grow enough food to sell or even eat. Ashoka is seeking innovative solutions that will offer these hundreds of millions of the people the opportunity to overcome hunger and poverty.

Over the next two months, you can nominate those who are making a difference in farming and rural communities, or you can submit your own project.

At the end of this period a panel of judges will choose 10 to 15 finalists and the global Changemakers community will then vote for three winners, who will each receive a USD $5000 award from Changemakers to fund their initiatives. The finalists and winners will receive media attention and are showcased on the Changemakers website.

This is an incredible opportunity for all entrants to showcase their project and gain increased access to a global network of innovators, supporters, and investors with the means to help them fund and/or scale their projects.

You can nominate a project or submit your entry here.

Take the Earth Hour to Earth Day Challenge

2009-03-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

The cool folk at Cool People Care have issued the Earth Hour to Earth Day Challenge. Between Earth Hour on March 28th and Earth Day on April 22nd they're challenging us to do one thing each day that educates someone else as to the very green changes they could make in their life.

Are you up for it?

If you are I want to know. Leave me a comment and tell me what you're doing so I can help spread the word. I'll be posting my EH2ED update every day from the 28th March to 22nd April.

If you're stuck for ideas Cool People Care have a few to get you started:

Post on your blog what you're doing to make it from Earth Hour to Earth Day
Send a tweet to your followers that includes a link to an informative article about climate change. (Follow me on Twitter here)
Join a Facebook eco-conscious cause or group each day, or use some of the great eco-conscious Facebook applications.
Send daily text messages to your friends to reduce, reuse or recycle
Upload pictures of the earth's beauty to your Flickr account
Tell the world via YouTube about an environmental cause you care about
Change your email signature, sending people to an informative Web site

What will YOU be doing?

Earth Hour coming to Southland

2009-02-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Its Earth Hour 2009 at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 28. An hour to turn out the lights and send a message that people worldwide are ready to work together and fight global warming.

Have you signed up for Earth Hour 2009?

I am disappointed to notice that in New Zealand, Earth Hour seems to have been embraced only by local Councils from Christchurch north.

Fortunately for Southland, its not all bad. Although our local councils might not care about Climate Change (the Gore District Council doesn't even provide adequate recycling facilities and feels curbside recycling is too expensive - feel free to contact them here and let them know what you think about that!!), the Eastern Southland Sustainable Living Group is in the throws of putting something together for the night. I will keep you posted!!

February Update from SALVEASERRA

2009-02-15T01:44:00.000-08:00

By Roberto Lamego - Director, February 12, 2009 09:54 PM

Project report - February, 2009

Dear donors and project friends,

First of all I want to thank all generous donors that made "Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil" project to be classified among the top 5 in bringing in donations as shows a GlobalGiving January made study. Thank you for your confidence in our work and in 2009 we will have more.

As you know our objectives are teaching and educating farmers, students, local citizens and communities to preserve and restore the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil with the use of sustainable forest farming methods and adopting new attitudes towards the environment. We show them ways to protect and recover the landscape, the water and the wildlife, searching means to enhance rural earnings.

This year we have already planted part of this season trees, fruit trees and palm trees, we are still going to plant more and we expect to plant 3.000. Many seedlings were from our local production and we bought more with resources from SALVEASERRA/GlobalGiving Fund and a GlobalGiving Green donor.

This year school groups will continue to visit the Concordia Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary to follow our environmental education program “A Day in the Forest” in a mountain environment, seeing its biodiversity and noticing the importance of the water sources. They will also visit the agroforestry plantations at the Agroforestry Educational Center. These visits will take place two or three times per month and are sponsored by the SALVEASERRA/GLOBALGIVING Fund cover all the costs. Please see attached pictures of the last group that came to our mountain in December 2008.

This year we are starting a new phase of our project with the creation of the SALVEASERRA CARAVAN, that will be a way to take the knowledge we want to spread directly were it is needed in the fields, upcountry to farmers, families and communities. The SALVEASERRA CARAVAN will transport knowledge and new ideas, bring back wisdom, experiences and students to our home base and will settle "Small Family Oasis" along the way. A "Small Family Oasis" is a place where families with water for irrigation can live all year round, planting their food, producing goods for the market, with permanent jobs and occupation. You will hear more from this project soon. This new project will also be sponsored by the SALVEASERRA/GlobalGiving Fund, where all the donations go.

Thank you all for your support and donations that make all this possible.
Roberto Lamego

Want to help SALVEASERRA to continue their work?

Donate at their GlobalGiving Project page 'Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil'.
You can also help at no cost to you by downloading the How to Make a Difference toolbar. Its powered by Conduit and works on both Firefox and Internet Explorer. Every download raises money for SALVEASERRA!
Purchase a WE ADD UP 'Plant Trees' Tee and 10% of the purchase price will be donated to SALVEASERRA - on top of that WE ADD UP will also plant or save ten trees for you in the rainforests of Central America with the help of their partner, Sustainable Harvest International.

Take a Walk Around Your Town

2009-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

I've been speaking recently with a prominent New Zealand businessman/tv personality about how to resurrect Mataura and encourage business back into the town. I had hopes that he would be able to offer some pearls of wisdom, perhaps some encouragement and avenues of investigation for us to follow. But no, unfortunately he pronounced Mataura dead and told me that we are wasting out time trying.

Today, I was walking around Mataura delivering 'The Mataura Messenger" - our monthly news sheet and it struck me how very alive Mataura is.

I was impressed by how many tidy, well cared for homes there are. I saw groups of kids playing together and enjoying the summer evening. I admired beautiful, well-tended gardens. I noticed (with some envy) how many homes have bountiful vege gardens. I strode past neighbours talking to one another. I was greeted by people I knew - and people I didn't.

Our main street may well be dilapidated and almost empty, we certainly have more than our fair share of run down homes and uncared for sections of land, and there is no doubt that apathy is hindering progress towards a stronger community. But Mataura is not dead.

I think our Businessman's idea of a thriving, successful community is different from those of us that live here. We aren't looking to create a megacity generating huge profits (although huge profits would be nice I guess) and we don't need to be the centre of the universe to have achieved our goals. What we are looking to create is a community where people have choices. We want to be able to run our businesses in our town and have some control over our community destiny.

It will take time to rebuild our community. But there are certainly people who are prepared to invest their time to make a difference. It will also take perseverance and continued effort. Fortunately there are people who have been working towards this goal for sometime already and who are willing to keep fighting the good fight on behalf of the community.

How to be Gracious Under Fire

2009-02-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

Image by alasdair.d via Flickr

Criticism is hard to take. Even the well meaning, thoughtful criticism from people who sincerely want to help you be better bruises your ego a little and can make you feel defensive. When it comes to the nasty, vitriolic stuff . . . well, it can be hard to accept it with any kind of grace - even when its justified!

But its important to learn to graciously respond to criticism - especially the mean-spirited stuff and the feedback delivered in anger. There is no value in responding in kind. Even though it is sooooo tempting and might feel good for a moment, in the long run no one comes out of it a winner and nothing positive is gained.

I've had to deal with a bit of criticism in my time. Some of it I have been hugely appreciative of, some of it not so much. But every criticism I have received (even the stuff I've felt to be completely unjustified) has offered up opportunities to learn something about myself and to become better.

I struggle not to respond to negative feedback with more negativity . . . an angry retort when I feel the critique to be unfair or wallowing in self-loathing over my weaknesses when they are brought to my attention. Neither of these responses are particularly conducive to personal growth!

So, how do you respond to criticism graciously?

Wait
If your first impulse is to respond defensively, then take a few deep breaths. Give yourself a moment (or two) to calm down and cool off. Don't make your response until you can be more objective.
Is it really so important to be right?
Sometimes it really is more important to be kind than it is to be right. Put yourself in the other person's shoes - maybe they have a valid point but haven't expressed it well, maybe they're having a bad day, maybe you've inadvertently hit a nerve . . .

Its tempting to argue, its tempting to point out all the reasons why they are wrong, its tempting to pick holes in their reasoning, call attention to their own failings, resort to name calling . . . but it serves no purpose, creates even more negativity and is ultimately a waste of your energy.

So be kind. Thank them for their feedback. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Move on.
Look for lessons
There is always a lesson. Whether its something directly related to the criticism you received, a lesson about other people, or a lesson about yourself.

Be honest with yourself. Its not always easy to accept that your critic may have a point - especially when their criticism is delivered in anger. But try to consider that you may indeed have room to improve.

And if there are changes you need to make . . . then make them.
Don't dwell on it
Don't let the fact that your weaknesses have been exposed get you down. We're none of us perfect. If the feedback received was fair and useful - implement it and move on. Be grateful of the opportunity to become a better person.

When the criticism wasn't so constructive or was just plain out nasty, don't take it personally. Often, mean-spirited criticism isn't about you, its about your critic - a manifestation of their own insecurities, fears and troubles. Learn what you can from it and let it go.

How do you handle criticism?

McDonalds is Coming to Town

2009-01-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Yes, its true. The Golden Arches are coming to Gore and will be peddling their wares 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

According to the McDonalds New Zealand website McDonalds restaurants spend around $100 million a year with Kiwi suppliers - in fact some 90% of the products they use in their restaurants are sourced in New Zealand and 80% of their restaurants in this country are owned by New Zealanders. They employ over 6000 staff throughout New Zealand. Which all sounds good . . . right?

Obviously having a McDonalds in town will not be without benefits to some local businesses. They will need tradesmen for maintenance and repair, they will encourage more visitors into Gore - the closest McDonalds around is a good 40 minutes drive South in Invercargill, and they will employ more people in the town. . . mostly at the bare minimum wage of $12 per hour.

McDonalds workers who are member of the UNITE Union of Workers have recently won a settlement that will, from March 2009, increase the base level of pay for a crew member from $12 per hour to $12.50 and allow them some level of shift security. It has been a hard won fight - and despite the McDonalds Corporation posting significant profits recently, it took 50 strikes by union workers before McDonalds would come to the party. Is this really the kind of employer we want to encourage into our community?

Now, McDonalds is not the first fast food giant to land in town. We have Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway currently gracing our main street, so we are already spoiled for choice when it comes to fast food joints that add little value to the local economy. Do we really need another? Surely it would be wiser as a community to support the local eateries that spend their money here in town?

Although McDonalds have , in recent years, begun to offer healthier choices on their menu, ultimately what they sell is junk food. In fact, what they sell is more junk than food - and I'm not just talking about the poor nutritional value of their products. Fast food outlets are fantastic producers of waste - from unnecessary packaging to food waste.

In the UK McDonalds is responsible for 29% of the fast food rubbish that litters the country's streets. Here in New Zealand, Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws is considering a levy on fast food corporates because the Wanganui Council feel it is unfair that ratepayers should have to pay to clean up their packaging litter. In Gore the local council has stipulated as part of the resource consent granted to McDonalds that they need to install extra rubbish bins around their restaurant. But unfortunately, many fast food consumers don't eat on site and throw their rubbish elsewhere.

Of course, you can't hold McDonalds responsible for their customers being too lazy to properly dispose of their rubbish. But, the fast food mentality - the eating in a hurry, the sacrificing your body's nutritional needs, the generic food and service . . . if you can't take the time to eat mindfully and fuel your body well, then why would you take the time to put your rubbish in the bin?

I'm all for encouraging business into our area of the world. In fact, I am actively involved in trying to build up the local economy in Mataura, where I live, just out of Gore. But I think that we need to be more choosy about the type of businesses we encourage into our communities. We need to be looking for businesses that will strengthen our local economies, that impact positively on the environment, that offer fair wages for a days work, that sell products that contribute to our wellbeing. . . I don't feel that our new McDonalds will do any of this.

In Praise of Volunteers!

2009-01-26T03:17:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead

Volunteers are the lifeblood of every community. From Victim Support to the Volunteer Fire Brigade, the local school to the Scouts and Girl Guides, from Local Government to local sports clubs, they work hard to provide for the needs of the community for little or no financial reward and sometimes at significant cost to themselves.

Volunteers help to build strong, sustainable, connected communities. Without them our communities would be unsafe, unfair, uninteresting and without direction.

In New Zealand, volunteers contribute some 270 million hours of formal, unpaid work for non-profit organisations annually. These millions of unpaid hours benefit human rights, faith communities, health, education, sports and recreation, social services, arts and culture, emergency services, the environment and conservation, animal welfare, and community support and development.

Often their work goes unnoticed - volunteers seldom make the headlines. They do, however, make a significant difference. Imagine what our communities would go without if it weren't for all this unpaid effort? The work that volunteers do is often of such value to those who benefit from it that it is quite literally priceless.

Lets hear it for the volunteers in our communities!

Do you volunteer? Share why you do it in our Volunteer Poll here.

When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.

2009-01-22T01:58:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaToday we had no running water at home from about 10am. The tap in our laundry has broken off at the pipe and was leaking water into the walls. Finding a plumber was a mission that took the rest of the day - everyone was either too busy or not answering the phone. Then, when I finally managed to get someone they couldn't fit us in until tomorrow morning.

I was getting all worked up about it when it struck me how lucky I am. 1 in 6 people worldwide don't have access to clean, safe drinking water.

I was thinking how inconvenient it would be with my two preschoolers, one of whom is still in nappies (cloth of course!). Each week there are 42,000 deaths caused by unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% of these are children under 5 years old.

I was feeling intensly annoyed at not being able to get a plumber to come until tomorrow. In Gaza pipes and other infrastructure could take up to 5 years to be restored after 15 days of Israeli bombardment.

I had a busy day going on around me and the idea of a 2 minute walk to the neighbours to fill up a container or two of water didn't hold much appeal. Many people in the developing world walk more than three hours every day to fetch water.

Its so easy to forget the relative luxury we enjoy in the developed world.

Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from!

2009-01-17T03:04:00.000-08:00

There are times when an argument put forward is so glaringly flawed, breathtakingly idiotic and utterly without common sense that it defies belief. This I believe is one of them:

“Besides, the whole concept that we’re “running out of room” to put our garbage and/or have landfills is absolutely ridiculous. If you took every man woman and child currently living on the Earth (6,706,993,152 as of July 2008) and moved them all to Australia we’d each still have roughly a third of an acre of our own private land (Australia is roughly 2,967,909 sq mi. There are 640 acres in a square mile which means there are 1,899,461,760 acres in Australia. Divided by the Earth’s population, we each get 0.28 acres). That would leave the entire rest of the planet empty. Do you not think we could fit both recreational area as well as vast amounts of landfill space on all of North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia? Of course I’m not suggesting that we undertake such a ridiculous plan, but it should clarify that the Earth has plenty of empty land that could be used for waste disposal.”

Morgan Hill Review

I am flabbergasted that any sane person would put forward such a ludicrous suggestion. Even with the caveat at the end of the paragraph. In fact, that makes it worse “the Earth has plenty of empty land that could be used for waste disposal”.

I don't know of any vast tracts of empty land that could be better used as a landfill. Image via WikipediaPerhaps the beautiful Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. Its full of sandflies and really doesn't serve any useful purpose.

Image by nunavut via FlickrThe Sahara desert, I guess, really isn't the most productive area, we could do without that.

Image by Ron Layters via FlickrOh, the Grand Canyon – you wouldn't even have to dig a hole there!

Honestly, have people become so deeply disconnected with the land that they only see it as having value if it is under cultivation, making money, or directly and measurably benefiting the needs of humankind?

The whole idea that there is “plenty of empty land that could be used for waste disposal” calls to mind the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. If we continue to squander the planets natural resource as we are, if we pay no mind to the mindnumbingly vast quantities of waste we produce as a result of our consumption, then sooner or later we will find ourselves sitting in front of a pile of dirty dishes.

Nature is not here to serve us. It will continue on perfectly well long after we are gone from the planet. However, we will not fare so well if the earth's eco-system becomes irreversibly changed and can no longer sustain the conditions we need for our continued survival. Its in our best interests to consume wisely, to live lightly, and to value the environment in and of itself.

Choose Your Impact: The Great Nappy Debate

2009-01-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

:Image by imcountingufoz via FlickrI recently read an interesting blog post "The Scoop on Poop" that brought to my attention an independent study by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the UK comparing the environmental impact of reusable, cloth nappies to that of disposable nappies. Actually, it drew my attention to an article in the TimesOnline that referred to the study as the study itself proved elusive.

It was interesting to note that according to the TimesOnline the researchers drew the conclusion that reusable nappies have a much higher carbon footprint than disposable nappies unless "parents adopt an extreme approach to laundering them."

By extreme, they meant "parents would have to hang wet nappies out to dry all year round, keep them for years for use on younger children, and make sure the water in their washing machines does not exceed 60C."

Hmmm, as a mother of two and user of cloth nappies, that actually doesn't sound in the least extreme. I hang the nappies on the line all year round as a matter of course (or indoors by the fireplace in winter). My nappies were mostly hand-me-downs from my sister's kids and have lasted quite well through my two - with still at least a year or so to go. We don't use a hot wash to wash them and we don't use bleach or NapiSan or the like.

In New Zealand, where I live, there are added considerations that weigh in against the disposable nappies as well - and up their carbon footprint. There are no disposable nappies manufactured in New Zealand - so all brands available here are imported, which means additional transport costs.

But ultimately, should this report prove to be the definitive word in the cloth vs. disposable debate I would still choose reusable nappies.

According to the study, the main environmental impacts of disposable nappies are in their manufacture - that includes the raw material production and waste management - whereas for reusable nappies the impacts relate mostly to the washing and drying of the nappies.

While I have no say in how disposable nappies are produced, I can make choices that will mitigate the environmental impacts of cloth nappies:

I can choose to make my own cloth nappies
I can choose to use organically grown fabrics as much as possible
I can choose to wash in cold water
I can choose to dry pail rather than soak in chemicals
I can choose to use an energy efficient washing machine that goes easy on the water
I can choose to line dry the nappies
I can choose to keep them for any subsequent children I may have or hand them on to someone else who needs them . . .

All these choices available to me mean that I can lower the environmental impact of the cloth nappies I use, something I just can't do with disposable nappies.

Personally, knowing what goes into making disposable nappies and the chemicals involved in their manufacture, I am less comfortable with these impacts on the environment and I remain convinced that my cloth nappies are kind to the environment in ways that matter to me and that disposable nappies are not.

Diversity of Species in the Rainforest

2009-01-13T04:33:00.001-08:00

“The destruction of the rainforest comes in many shapes. And there are all kinds of animal and plant species which suffer as a result. Every hour three different types of animal and plant life are made extinct. Help us to save the rainforest: www.oroverde.de."

I discovered this wonderful ad over at Osocio.

You can help save the Atlantic Rainforest for only $2 - and every donation goes in to the draw to win a fabulous WE ADD UP 'Plant Trees' Tee!

Do the Right Thing

2009-01-09T02:15:00.000-08:00

Image by Rickydavid via Flickr

I read today that a 28 year old woman is missing in New Zealand after showing up at a service station in a distressed state and asking to use their phone. Her request was denied, according to reports, because she had no cash or eftpos card.
I would guess that the service station probably has a policy that if people asked to use the phone they would have to pay for it. It makes sense. They run as a business, and they have to pay for their calls. There isn't much margin in selling petrol, so they wouldn't want to be out of pocket. But surely, in a situation where someone was obviously distressed and unable to pay, wouldn't you bend the rules?

What is wrong with us, as a society, that when someone obviously needs our help, we are more concerned with what we will get in return than in doing the right thing?

Why do we choose not to help someone in need:

Are we too busy with other things?
Do we feel that we don't have enough ourselves to be able to share what we have?
Are we expecting someone else to do it?
Do we not care?
Do we think other people will judge us as weak if we show kindness or concern?

Why do so many of us choose to ignore the obvious pain of other people, of the planet, of our communities instead of doing what needs to be done to make a difference? Often its only the smallest of things – a phone call here, a kind word there, a couple of dollars, or just a couple of hours – and they make the world of difference.

Let's Make 2009 the Year for saying "No"

2009-01-05T03:23:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

All the great men and women in the world have been people who, rather than say "Yes", said a very resounding "No" to everything that did not fit their ideal of bounty and growth.
- Paulo Coelho

There are a lot of things wrong in the world, from pointless wars and starvation amidst plenty, to a deepening recession and all the fear and uncertainty that entails.

Its easy to feel powerless in the face of it all, to shrug our shoulders and wonder what 'they' are going to do to fix it for us. But playing the victims isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to take action.

Lets make 2009 the year to lay claim to greatness and say 'No' to the things that don't fit our ideals of bounty and growth. Lets make this the year of standing up for what we believe in, being accountable and making a difference.

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, but here's a few things I'm saying 'No' to this year:

Deforestation
We need trees! They purify the air we breathe, provide habitats for countless varieties of flora & fauna, and they soothe the soul, amongst other things. Lets all say 'No' to chopping them down en masse so a few can make a transitory profit.

Whether its the Atlantic Forest, the jungles of Borneo or that patch of green on the edge of your neighbourhood, lets not stand by and let it happen in 2009!

You can say 'No' to deforestation in the Atlantic Forest by donating $2 here - and you go in the draw to win an awesome WE ADD UP 'Plant Trees' tee.

Greed
Lets make 2009 a year to exercise greed control. A recession is no place for selfishness and hoarding. Join me in saying a resounding 'No' to greed and fear and lets share what we have - time, knowledge, skills, money, possessions. Lets build strong communities, neighbourhoods where we support each other through the tough times ahead. Lets create hope, dignity and opportunity through our generosity.

Poverty
Almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day and at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. That can't fit anybody's ideal of bounty and growth!

And lets not assume that poverty only happens overseas, to other people. There are people in our own communities who, for reasons beyond their control, don't have enough. Let's say a huge 'No' to that this year.

In our world of relative plenty there is no excuse for poverty, hunger, homelessness, hopelessness. We all have a responsibility to do something about it, in our own neighbourhood, in our own country and further afield. With a little generosity, kindness and a shift in our thinking of what is enough we can all create opportunities to lift others out of poverty.

Junk Food
McDonalds is moving in just up the road in Gore. I guess that means we are on the map. But junk food really just doesn't fit my ideal of bounty and growth. It is wasteful, creates vast quantities of rubbish, is less than nutritious and full of empty calories.

For many people junk food - and I don't just mean fast food, but processed food, soda, candy bars, ice-cream - has become a staple part of their diet. According to Dr. Scott Olson most people eat around 1/4-1/2 pound of sugar a day.

And its bad for us. All this junk. It makes us sick, and tired. Its not the food our bodies were made to run on.

So this year lets get back to eating food our Grandparents would recognise as food. More fruit, more vegetables, more wholegrains. Real food.

Lets say 'No' to corporations making money at the expense of our health and wellbeing by selling us junk and calling it food. Lets say 'No' to blindly following their advertising directives and take responsibility for choosing to spend our hard earned money on food that is good for us instead.

Stuff
How about we choose this year to stop accumulating stuff. Lets choose to define ourselves by our relationships to people rather than by the things that we own and the stuff we consume. Lets make do, buy second hand, opt for reusable rather than throw-away items, borrow from a neighbour, share, make our own . . .

The current economic climate is a marvellous excuse to explore the joys of frugality. Lets embrace it. Lets learn new skills to make the most of what we have.

Lets get out of debt, choose not to get into debt, live within our means. Think of the freedom, think of the choices we will have. Would you really work all that overtime rather than spend the time with your family if you didn't have to pay that huge mortgage for a huge house when a smaller house would do just fine? Does the latest fashion, the newest gadget, the shiniest appliance, the swankiest nick-nack really make your life more rewarding?

This year lets make a point of saying 'No' to stuff. Lets take our lives back, lets focus on the important things instead.

What's your resounding 'No' for 2009?

New Year's Resolutions Anyone?

2009-01-02T01:38:00.000-08:00

Its that time again. Time for reflecting on your achievements in the year just gone and setting goals for the year ahead.

I'm not a big fan of sweeping New Year's Resolutions. For most of us they are simply an airy-fairy wishlist of things we would like to be different in the coming year, rather than real, executable, achievable goals.

Image by Matthew Fang via FlickrIf your goal is to Make a Difference to any area of your life, or the lives of others, in 2009 then you need to read the following posts. Some of the best New Years Wisdom from the blogosphere for setting New Year's Resolutions that stick.

What New Year's posts have inspired you so far?

There's only 7% of the Atlantic Forest left. Help Preserve It!

2009-01-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

This January YOU can help save the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. All it takes is $2 - and a few minutes of your time to spread the word.

Please Digg, Stumble and Twitter this post to help us get the word out for the Atlantic Forest. Your efforts will make a difference!

Why Save the Atlantic Forest?Image via Wikipedia

In 1500, when the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, the Atlantic Forest stretched the entire 2,000 mile length of Brazil's eastern seaboard,covering an area twice the size of Texas. It was once the world's richest biological reserve; it has more plant and tree diversity in 2.5acres than the entire eastern seaboard of the United States.

Today, a huge 93% of the Atlantic Forest has been destroyed, largely in the last 50 years.

The Atlantic Forest and Amazon Rainforest really are the 'Lungs of the World'. Even with 93% of the Atlantic Forest destroyed the Atlantic and Amazon Rainforests produce 20% of the world's oxygen!

Scientists estimate 50-60 percent of plant and animal species found in the Atlantic Forest are only found in that region alone. Its an amazing treasure trove of biological diversity.

Who are SALVEASERRA?

SALVEASERRA are an NGO in Brazil working to restore degraded areas of the Atlantic Forest by promoting sustainable land use and agro-reforestation techniques through their 'Trees & Education Project' with GlobalGiving.

Since 1995 they have planted over 80,000 trees in the Atlantic Forest. They maintain a seed bank of local forest species to ensure that reforestation respects the original genetic profile of the forest.

SALVEASERRA also take groups of school children through the forest to help build awareness of its importance.

In addition to this they offer training courses tailored to the needs of local rural communities, farmers and others interested inorganic,ecologically sound farming and agro-forestry practices. In 2007 250 students took part in these courses.

They also work directly to alleviate poverty in the area by training local communities on how to use forest resources to make handicrafts to help provide employment and increase local incomes.And they run a course teaching eco-friendly ways to produce organic food at home to supplement family diets and increase income from surplus production.They also prepare and donate vegetable gardens to local communities.

Donate $2 and WIN

Everyone who donates $2 or more to SALVEASERRA before the 31st of January 2009 goes into the draw to win a fantastic We Add Up Organic Cotton 'Plant Trees' Tee.

WE ADD UP is an organic t-shirt campaign that counts you in the fight to stop climate change. Each tee is custom hand-printed with a unique number. YOUR number represents your position in the worldwide count of people doing something to do their part. No two shirts are alike. When you purchase a WE ADD UP tee and join the count, you help our number grow. Our goal is to show that small changes do make a big difference and WE ADD UP.

How Creativity can Change the World

2008-12-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Einstein

‘Creativity: the process of developing new, uncommon, or unique ideas.’ – Google Definitions

Many people feel that creativity isn't their 'thing' - they aren't arty, missed out on that 'creative gene', aren't good at thinking like that. . . But creativity is something we are all born with, and something that needs to be nurtured - and is definately a skill that you can re-learn if you've let it lapse.

Creativity is our very essence. Its how we express who we are - from how we dress to how we think, from what we say to how we leave our mark on the world.

Without creativity - creative problem solving, creative thinking - we don't have a hope of making a positive difference in the world. We need to think outside of the box to come up with real, innovative, workable solutions to the problems that face us.

The key to creative thinking is to NOTICE EVERYTHING. Cultivate curiosity. Question your assumptions. Ask 'What if . . .' and 'Why do we . . .'

The only way we are going to solve such seemingly intractable issues as global poverty and environmental degradation is to use different ways of thinking than those which led us to this point. We need to get creative!

Sometimes simple, obvious solutions are the best. When it comes to dealing with global poverty, the simple, obvious solution – give money – is not the answer. The causes of desperate poverty are more complex than a simple lack of money and more creative thinking is required to eliminate them.

This is not to say that money is not needed, obviously it is a part of the solution. What is needed is opportunity. Take a look at how Epic Change and The Uncultured Project are using creative thinking to create opportunity for some of the worlds most vulnerable citizens.

In my own town, business is being stifled in our main street by a property owner asking excessive rents. The community have come up with several out of the box ideas to revitalise Bridge St and create opportunities for business including:.

Using the empty shop fronts to display information about local community groups has gone a long way to making the main street look less derelict – and has promoted our community organisations and helped increase community pride.
Starting a community market has given locals a venue to start up a business locally. Its fairly embryonic at this stage, but in the New Year we have several fruit and vege suppliers lined up so it should become an even better place for locals to do their shopping – and meet up with each other.

What are your favourite examples of world changing creativity?

Brazilians Try to Restore Atlantic Rainforest

2008-12-22T03:07:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Living Planet looks at the fightback of the other Brazilian rainforest.
- Report: Tim Hirsch

The destruction of the world's rainforests shows no signs of let-up, especially in Brazil's Amazon region. But there is the other Brazilian forest, the Atlantic Forest, where the local population is fighting hard to restore at least parts.

Recent news from the Amazon region has been grim, with satellite data showing no let-up in destruction of the world’s largest rainforest. But better signals have been coming out of an even more threatened South American rainforest, one which is even more diverse in wildlife than the Amazon itself.

The Atlantic Forest, which once stretched continuously for some three thousand kilometres along the Eastern coast of Brazil, has already lost nearly ninety-three per cent of its original cover – giving way to farms, coastal developments and cities. New figures, however, show that the rate of deforestation has slowed by more than two-thirds, and there are ambitious plans to restore at least part of what has been lost.

Listen to the Podcast at Living Planet here (the piece about the Atlantic Forest starts about 3/4 of the way through the podcast).

All the revenue generated here at How to Make a Difference is donated to SALVEASERRA, an NGO working to restore degraded areas of the Atlantic Forest by promoting sustainable land use and agro-reforestation techniques.

You can support them by donating directly at GlobalGiving, by downloading and using our How to Make a Difference Toolbar, or by purchasing a fantastic WE ADD UP T-Shirt.

The Importance of Optimism

2008-12-17T01:24:00.000-08:00

I discovered this advertisement the other day by Saatchi & Saatchi in Brazil:

"There's only 7% of the Atlantic Forest. Help preserve it."

And underneath it I discovered this comment:

If this about preserving this tiny piece of forest, they might as well give it up. Besides, I'm sure that park is crawling with homeless people pissing all over the place.

www.storytellerscreative.com

I am always unimpressed by comments like this - and especially when they come from someone who apparently makes their living from creating advertisements. This comment really does nothing to inspire confidence in STORYTELLERS ability to compose effective advertising copy - instead it shows them up as lacking in imagination, foresight and optimism. Surely all prerequisites for designing a compelling advertising campaign.

This comment represents STORYTELLERS in the worst possible light. Instead of showing them as being an agency alive and inspired by possibility, this thoughtless and ignorant comment shows them up as the type of agency that would just give up when something got too hard, the sort of agency that would stoop to using negativity as an advertising tool because they are too lazy to focus on benefits, the kind of company that would shout 'CAN'T BE DONE' from the rooftops simply because they can't be bothered trying.

Giving up without even trying and denigrating other people's efforts to effect positive change is easy. Actually putting yourself out there and committing to making a difference takes courage and a commitment to maintaining optimism.

Its not easy to do - especially in the face of ignorance and stupidity. Try these tips to help you from getting discouraged in your endeavours to change the world:

Choose your company carefully. Hang out with other optimistic people who believe it is possible to make a difference.
Focus on what you can do. There are times when looking at the big picture is useful, but sometimes you need to keep your focus within your sphere of influence. If your dream is BIG then focus on widening your circle of influence.
Lead by example. Commit to walking the talk. You're never going to convince anyone else if your life is incongruent with your values. And its hard to be happy and optimistic when you are not living what you believe.
Look for the good news. Its true that only 7% of the Atlantic Forest remains, its true that illegal logging has increased recently in Brazil, and its true that the Brazilian Government's efforts to stop it seem at best to be ineffectual . . . if you focus just on the negative statistics it really does seem that we might as well give up on the Atlantic Forest.

There's no harm in being realistic, but try to dwell on the positives. There is great international support for the Brazilian Government's efforts to end rainforest destruction, there are many fantastic organisations working hard to save the Atlantic Forest and doing great things (check out SALVEASERRA for instance), recent research has suggested that the Atlantic Forest may well be capable of recovery . . . There is good news out there!

5 Ways to Build Community Every Day

2008-12-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Gone are the days of the front porch communities. Yet, I did some research and I found that the average person spends more than 5 Years in line. 5 years, that translates into 1,825 days or 43,800 hours or 2,628,000 minutes! That is more than two and a half million minutes. Think about that the next time you are standing in line at the local supermarket, bank, or at your local coffee house? What could you do with 2.6 million minutes? What kind of community could you strengthen?

Taken from: theordainedbarista.wordpress.com

There are so many opportunities in everyday life to strengthen our communities if you are prepared to be brave enough to stand out from the crowd and make a difference.

It doesn't take much - a smile here, a compliment there, a little bit of chivalry . . . but these days its not the norm and for many people the sheer randomness of encountering a bit of 'nice' in their day puts them on guard. And for many of us, the possibility of sideways glances or brusque rebuffs is enough to put us off even trying.

If we want to make our cities, towns and neighbourhoods into really strong, socially cohesive communities, then we need to be prepared to personally make the difference. If other people look at us askance, so be it. There's no need to start with a dramatic gesture like Juan Mann and his Free Hugs campaign if that's not your style, there are lots of little things you can do as you go about your day that can be just as effective.

Here's some ideas for everyday community building to help get you started. Go on, be brave, be nice, have fun!!

Pay someone a compliment. Its amazing what a conversation starter a compliment can be. Compliment someone on their hair, their kids, their shoes . . .
Open the door for someone. I know, as a Mum of two (one in a stroller), just how much of a help this can be. But you don't have to just help someone with their hands full, simply holding the door for the person coming up behind you is a gesture that doesn't go unnoticed.
Pick up rubbish. Nothing says 'community pride' like tidy streets and parks! If you see litter about in YOUR community, pick it up!
Say hello to your neighbour. You can't have a strong community if you don't know your neighbours. Start by saying hello next time you see them!
Remember people's names - you know, the guy at the local dairy, the gas station attendant you see every day, the postman, the local librarian . . . if you want to make people feel part of the community calling them by name is a great start!

Mataura is For Sale

2008-12-10T00:44:00.001-08:00

Since TV3's Campbell Live story aired a couple of weeks ago, Dr Jack Phillips has put several of his commercial properties in Mataura up for sale.

There are 4 shops for sale on Bridge St, and the movie theatre on the main highway is also for sale.

I like to think it was something I said . . . but I have a sneaking suspicion that he has had plans afoot for a little while. Either way, it certainly gives Mataura a chance at a new lease on life and it couldn't have happened at a better time. There is so much going on in Mataura in the aftermath of our Community Planning day.

I am involved with a group of people working to set up a Co-Op and to foster business development in Mataura. We have a meeting tomorrow with David Wilson - a rural change consultant (and penny farthing enthusiast!) - to discuss the way forward. We will definitely be needing a premises at some time in the future and its nice to know that if we can find the funding there are buildings available for purchase on our main street. Fantastic!!

Any investors out there with a real community based vision willing to invest in our town?

I am who I think I am

2008-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

Image by Martin_Heigan via Flickr

There’s always some way I can reinforce the things that matter to me in the universe, and I’m the only one that can do it. And if they don’t accept my praise and rewards, or if it means less to them than it does to me, that’s fine. It still keeps my cares and behaviors consistent with each other. I can look someone, or myself, in the eye and say “I am who I think I am.” - Scott Berkun

To make a difference, you occasionally have to choose a course of action that others may disparage or disagree with. Its a fact of life. Whenever we lift our head out of the sand to stand up for what we believe in we run the risk of someone chopping it off - or thinking we are weak, or silly or just plain out wrong. Its not easy - and its not always a great deal of fun. But ultimately, if we hold back from doing what's right for fear of what other people might think, we are selling ourselves short.

You can't live your life based on other people's perceptions of who you are. It makes you fearful, and fear makes you weak. It means you hand your personal power over to others. It means you will never live up to your potential. It demeans you.

Other people will always have something to say about the choices you make. When you choose to be kind, some people may perceive it as weakness or naivety. When you choose to show gratitude some people may be nonplussed or unappreciative. When you choose to champion a cause some people may think you are an idiot, or a troublemaker. But their perceptions of you are not necessarily reality.

The only person whose opinion should matter to you is YOU! You cannot control the perceptions of others. You are only in control of your actions, your choices. If your life choices are not based on a strong set of core values, then standing your ground in the face of opposition is all but impossible. You become extremely vulnerable and easily swayed. How can you have a positive impact on the world if you are being buffeted to and fro by the storms of public opinion?

SALVEASERRA November Update

2008-12-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

By Roberto Lamego - Director

Dear donors and project friends,

"Trees and Education Protect Rainforest in Brazil" project continues steadily its course developing the objectives of teaching and educating farmers, students, local citizens and communities to preserve and restore the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil with the use of sustainable forest farming methods and adopting new attitudes towards the environment. We show them ways to protect and recover the landscape, the water and the wildlife, always searching means to enhance rural earnings.

At the Wildlife Sanctuary it is time for the 2008/9 season to plant trees, fruit trees and palm trees and we are going to plant more than 2.000 seedlings this year. Besides our local production of seedlings, we are buying with resources from the SALVEASERRA/GLOBALGIVING Fund, $1000 of seedlings from different and rare tree species from a nearby tree nursery. We are at present finishing the fertilizing of the organic coffee plantation of the Shaded Coffee Tree Corridor project.

School groups continue to visit the Concordia Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about the mountain environment, its biodiversity and importance for water production. They also visit the agroforestry plantation plots at the CETAR, our Agroforestry Education Center. For most, it is the first time they visit a forest and see a water source. This week another group of more than 30 students and teachers from a local Municipal School came to visit us and attend the environment education program called “A Day in the Forest”. These visits normally take place two or three times per month and are sponsored by the SALVEASERRA/GLOBALGIVING Fund that invites them and rents the bus for this trip. Please see attached photos.

Thank you all for your support and donations that make all this possible.

Roberto Lamego

Mataura Planning Day a Success

2008-12-03T02:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took part in the 'Imagine Mataura' planning day in our fabulous new Community Centre.

The event was hosted by Imagine Chicago President, Bliss Brown and was the most positive and inspiring day.

It was attended by some 80 or so locals who were keen to see Mataura going places and determined to make a difference. Dr Jack Phillips, a retired American Dentist who owns the majority of commercial properties on our main street was not in attendence and had not arranged for a representative to attend in his stead. It is a shame that he did not make the effort as it was a truly fantastic day and I'm sure he could have contributed a great deal.

The most amazing thing I noticed was that despite the diversity of people in attendance, the hopes and dreams we all held for Mataura were essentially similar. Most of them revolved around people, increased community connections and building a town that we all could be proud of.

The planning day has generated so many wonderful ideas for the future of our town. There are groups meeting together to help achieve our goals for the community. These include organising events for the community such as free video nights in the Community Centre and a Talent Show, discussing how to improve Mataura's image and show the world what a great town we are, setting up activities for the kids in our town and starting a business co-op and community garden.

It really is exciting times for Mataura!!