Join Us in a 30 Day Promise to Yourself!
Starting July 1, make the promise to take care of yourself in the following ways...
I promise to...
- Walk/Run/Hike/Swim/Move 1 Mile or at Least 15 Minutes a Day
- Do 50 Military Sit Ups or 5 Minutes of Core Work
- Do 50 Push Ups or Hang Out in Down Dog for a While
- Stretch for 5 at Least Minutes
- Mediate for at Least 5 Minutes
- Try to practice not polluting your body with Sugar, Alcohol or Coffee
- Speak kind words--to yourself and to those around you.
While embracing this promise, be aware of the mind's ability to convince you that this is hard, or even too hard. Know that this is just the mind thinking and is not reality. Use this promise as a way to love yourself, practice patience, acceptance, and gratitude.
When those moments arise where you feel like "you've got to be kidding me" :~), those are actually the richest moments to experience. This is when practicing mindful breathing, mindful eating and mindful movement will bring you the most peace, when it isn't easy.
If you choose to embrace simply one of the above promises or none, practice self-love with that simple choice, release judgements and expectations.
Raising the collective conciseness in a group of individuals can support us all in this journey; it truly does not matter when one does this promise, we are choosing random dates to allow all of us to join together at this time. Know that we are here supporting each other as we take this promise, but also know that the strength is within each of us individually every moment to pull from.
Feel free to embrace this promise to yourself anytime and any day and even in any way. Creating a goal of 30 days helps some of us shift into new ways of self care but be happy if you practice this for just even moments.
Earth Day! April 22
RecycleBank
http://www.recyclebank.com/
Fabien Cousteau
http://www.fabiencousteau.org/
Ocean Conservancy
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
http://www.noaa.gov/
Algalita Marine Research Foundation
http://algalita.org/
A pocket guide to Sustainable Seafood
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Terracyle
http://www.terracycle.net/
BioBag
http://www.biogroupusa.com/
To-Go Ware
http://www.to-goware.com/
Built
http://www.builtny.com/showPage.php?pageID=1612
Snack Taxi
http://www.snacktaxi.com/
EnergyStar.Gov
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits
Waste Management Think Green Recycle Kits
http://www.thinkgreenfromhome.com/ThinkGreenFromHome.cfm
No More Plastic
http://www.viddler.com/explore/mercola/videos/2/0
Click here to determine how much impact your diet has on the environment
http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/calculator.html
Learn how your food choices translate into pounds of fertilizer, manure, and pesticides and acres of grain and grass for animal feed.? The calculator also lets you see how the numbers would change if you reduced your consumption of a specific meat or dairy product.
www.eatinggreen.com
Scientists and the world's governments agree. Our carbon emissions are responsible for the dramatic rise in global temperatures. We are already seeing the consequences and it is time to act. Governments and scientists can't solve this problem alone. Each one of us is responsible. And each one of us must be part of the solution. This web site shows you how you can make a difference. You'll discover many ways to reduce your personal carbon emissions and lower your impact on global warming. You'll find fun, healthy activities that can bring more joy to your life while helping the planet. And you'll have the opportunity to be part of a world-wide pledge taken by concerned people like you to reduce their impact on the planet by driving less. Click here to Pledge. One focus of this campaign is to encourage people to enjoy Car Free Days as often as they can. Learn more about this practice by clicking here. We won't solve this problem unless each person contributes. Please join us by doing your part to reduce global warming. The entire planet and future generations are counting on you. "Everyone wants to have their own private car; but with the damage to the atmosphere caused by fuel emissions, our lakes and forests are drying up and the deserts are growing. Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet. It is time for us to wake up together in order to do something to change the situation. We have to live in such a way that a future will be possible for our children and grandchildren and our own life has to be the message." --Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhist teacher, poet and peace activist nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. Click here for more information about Thich Nhat Hanh.
Climate Crisis Solution #10: Kill Your Phantoms
WHEN YOUR APPLIANCES AREN'T ON, THEY'RE STILL USING ELECTRICITY.
You may believe that when you turn an appliance off, it is, in fact, off. But most of your household appliances feature a clock, or a digital timer, or a remote control, or a standby mode?
It's known as phantom electricity or, more aptly, vampire power, because of the soul-sucking waste of energy and cash it uses. The phantom electrical load in the industrialized countries alone accounts for 75 million tons of CO2 emitted and billions of dollars wasted per year. So? Plug as many of your electronics as possible into a power strip and then turn it off when they are not in use. TVs and VCRs alone waste $1 billion in lost electricity in the U.S annually.
Visit www.energystar.gov for more information.
About Kiva
We let you loan to the working poor
Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.
We partner with organizations all over the world
Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, we gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Our partners are experts in choosing qualified borrowers. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva.org, our partners upload their borrower profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them.
We show you where your money goes
Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform for the poor. We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle. The below diagram shows briefly how money gets from you to a third-world borrower, and back!
We facilitate connections
Kiva is using the power of the internet to facilitate one-to-one connections that were previously prohibitively expensive. Child sponsorship has always been a high overhead business. Kiva creates a similar interpersonal connection at much lower costs due to the instant, inexpensive nature of internet delivery. The individuals featured on our website are real people who need a loan and are waiting for socially-minded individuals like you to lend them money.
Charge it right:
How many batteries do you think you have in your house, your car, your garage? I have been changing over to rechargeable batteries over the past couple of months and no longer feel guilty about disposing of regular batteries.
Ever wished you could do something about global warming?
It might seem there's nothing you can do about global warming. The problem is just too big.
Of course, we all contribute to global warming. We all have a "carbon footprint," the total carbon dioxide emissions we create when we drive or fly or use electricity.
Balance your carbon footprint with TerraPass
The first step you can take to fight global warming is to reduce your carbon footprint through conservation. Drive less. Turn down the thermostat. Buy locally produced goods. A recent survey of TerraPass customers shows that they're already taking all kinds of steps to reduce their impact.
Then use TerraPass to balance the emissions you can't reduce.
When you buy a TerraPass, your money funds clean energy and efficiency projects such as wind farms. These projects result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
A new kind of environmental movement
Of course, global warming is too big a problem for a handful of people to solve on their own. It's a global problem that requires action on a global scale.
But entrepreneurial groups are leading the way. City and state governments, forward-looking businesses, and enthusiastic citizens are banding together to show that a sustainable future is possible today.
Every TerraPass member has taken a simple positive step to fight global warming. Every TerraPass purchase is a vote for innovation, efficiency, and clean energy. Together, we have eliminated over 420 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
Be part of a group that is driving change today.
Green Tip!
Change your light bulbs: Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75 to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, generate a lot less heat, last 10 to 13 times longer, and reduce power plant energy output and greenhouse gas emissions.
Leonardo DiCaprio's The 11th Hour
Opening LA and NY,
August 17th
"The 11th Hour" is a feature length documentary concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet. "The 11th Hour" documents the cumulative impact of these actions upon the planet's life systems and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity
Save our Planet - Idling Isn't Cool...
Please don't leave car engines on while parked. Thank you! On a daily basis, Americans as a whole may be burning as much as 3.8 million gallons of gasoline from voluntary idling, which, in turn, results in producing about 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Annually, the cumulative effect is staggering, as we may be uselessly burning 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline and emitting 13 million tons of carbon dioxide as a result.
Voluntary idling is one of the many daily actions that seem negligible but that, when taken cumulatively, can have a large impact on total emissions of carbon dioxide and on the environment more generally. The pernicious impact of idling has long been recognized. Many countries have pursued anti-idling initiatives, including a nationwide campaign in Canada and regional campaigns in Japan and Great Britain. Domestically, at least 13 states have state-wide anti-idling laws, and scores of counties and cities have their own anti-idling rules.
Did you know... that these are easy ways that we can all eliminate voluntary idling:while waiting for a child to get into the car, in school pick-up and drop-off lanes, while talking on cell phones, and when warming up the car in the morning.
Did you know... that you can improve your child's environment by sponsoring an anti-idling campaign at your local school or school district? Visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/idling.cfm?attr=0
No more Plastic!!! - KICK THE WATER BOTTLE HABIT!
Plastic Water Bottles
Bottled water is here to stay, a booming industry that grosses more than $7 billion dollars a year in the US. Water is good, hydration is essential, especially when exercising, which is also good. But the bottle you drink from may be dangerous to your health.
Polycarbonate water bottles (labeled #7) contain bisphenol A (BPA), which leaches from the plastic even at room temperature and has been linked to chromosome damage and hormone disruption. These are the types of plastic Nalgene water bottles found in sports stores.
#1 PET or PETE bottles (polyethylene terephthalate) may leach DEHA, a known carcinogen, if used more than once. Additionally, your water bottle that has been refilled is likely to contain potentially harmful bacteria that grow on saliva, food particles, and fecal material from unwashed hands. Many people have reported getting diarrhea from their reused water bottles. Washing bottles with hot water and detergent or a rinse with bleach will sanitize them, but also leaches harmful chemicals out of the plastic.
What to do?
Use metal bottles. A Swiss company, SIGG, makes colorful and safe aluminum drinking bottles lined with an impermeable alloy. They offer both children's and adult's sizes and designs. Wash these bottles and their tops with hot water by hand after use. Dishwashers may not get into the narrow mouths of water bottles to clean their interiors.
Safer plastic containers are polyethylene #2 and #4 (High density HDPE #2 and Low density LDPE #4). HDPE is used for milk, water, juice, and yogurt containers. LDPE is used for squeezable bottles (honey, mustard, etc.).
Buy food products packaged in glass whenever possible. Use glass containers for storing leftovers.
Relatively safe
- #1 polyethylene terephalate (PET) used only once
- #2 and #4 polyethylene
Unsafe
- #5 polypropylene (catsup bottles, yogurt containers)
- #6 polystyrene (Styrofoam)
- #7 polycarbonate (Nalgene) water bottles
Never use
- Food or drinks heated in plastic containers in a microwave.
- Styrofoam cups (polystyrene #6), especially for hot liquids.
- #7 polycarbonate (Nalgene) water bottles
- Plastic baby bottles. If you must use bottles, use only glass baby bottles with silicone, not latex, nipples.
Do not reuse plastic water bottles.
