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I don't have a lot to add here but read what Marjorie has to say and boycott Nestlé , Pepsico and all those companies! Now I know, not all companies are purely evil but some took a sharper right turn towards it than others. I also understand that the corporate decisions are not made by the workers and I don't really want them to suffer b/c of any action I take but Marjorie talks about personal responsibility and we all have to find our "line in the sand" and our comfort zone. As far as the mega-corporations...there is not one service or product produced by these companies offer that you can't find at a smaller, more local, probably higher quality place. Yes, they are possibly more expensive but where are your priorities? Tara and I make a conscious decision on most everything we spend money on...how local is it, how fresh is, how ecologically sound is, how humane was the process? If it is then something that fits our budget we buy. So draw your line in the sand,...

Exchange canned goods & other foods for overdue library fines to support Second Harvest Food Bank Resolve to help the hungry in Nashville and get overdue fines forgiven during Food for Fines, January 2-9, 2008 at Nashville Public Library . Library cardholders will get $1 in current fines waived for each can or package of food donated to Second Harvest Food Bank during the drive, held at the downtown Main Library and all neighborhood branches. Items especially needed include peanut butter, canned meats (tuna fish, beef stew), canned vegetables and fruit, macaroni and cheese, and rice and beans. Bring canned goods, or items in boxes or plastic bags or jars (no glass can be accepted) to the circulation desks at Main Library, 615 Church St., or any library branch (visit www.library.nashville.org for locations). Staff will accept the cans & food items as payment for overdue fines on customer accounts at the rate of 1 can or package per $1 in fines. Replacement fees for lost or dam...

I know I talk a good game but do I actually and actively practice the compassion I desire from and for myself? I would say that I usually do. Where I falter most often is with those closest to me. I have trouble letting go in general but its even harder when it involves someone I know intimately. I usually get frustrated when people don't seem to understand what I mean. I feel, some might say arrogantly so, that I am easily understood and what I am talking about is easily understood. Also, I would say that I have an easier time seeing the forest than the trees and I get most frustrated at those who areI believe are focused too tightly on the trees. I will keep trying. Adopting an attitude of universal responsibility is essentially a personal matter. The real test of compassion is not what we say in abstract discussions but how we conduct ourselves in daily life. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, " Imagine All the People "

Did you know that most food in supermarkets travels 1500 miles and generates 5 to 17 times more carbon emissions than food grown locally? Or that big box retailers only put $14 back into the local economy for every $100 spent in their stores, but locally owned businesses put back $45 of that same $100? How about that small farms use far less pesticides than large farms? The Center for a New American Dream knows that every individual can have a significant impact on the environment, and our new Carbon Conscious Consumer (or C3) campaign makes that impact visual. Each month from July to December c3.newdream.org will highlight a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they’ve influenced. This month, reduce your carbon footprint by eating 1 pound of food locally. You’ll reduce carbon emissions, pesticides, even packaging, all while helping your local economy. Then, increase your impact...

Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Are: Boycott the RIAA in March - Gizmodo Gizmodo is declaring the month of March Boycott the RIAA month. We want to get the word out to as many people as humanly possible that we can all send a message by refusing to buy any album put out by an RIAA label. purchase music from unsigned bands and bands on independent record labels Go see them live and buy their merchandise Technorati Tags: riaa , music , independent , social responsibility powered by performancing firefox

Hang your clothes out to dry instead of using your dryer Harvest your rainwater Make sure none of your water fixtures are dripping Insulate your hot water heater Have your furnace or boiler cleaned Harvest your greywater Get a home energy audit Replace your lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) Make sure to turn appliances off completely (with a power strip, or unplug them) Winterize your house Buy energy-efficient appliances Install renewable energy Install a solar hot water heater Buy rechargeable batteries Use recycled gift wrap Use geothermal heat Turn your thermostat down Close your curtains or drapes at night during the winter Close your curtains or drapes during the day in summer Turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit Buy clothes made from organic or recycled material Use petroleum-free products Don’t buy products tested on animals Make your own cleaning supplies Convince your boss to let you telecommute at least part of the time

People bitch about what a drag being environmentally aware can be. You can't do this, you can't eat that. Well, look at the list below (and on subsequent pages) and see how simple things add up. Shoot, you probably already do some. Buy organic food By local products (the link talks about food but the concept applies to more) Use reusable containers to bring lunch to work/school Buy fair trade coffee , chocolate and other products Compost your food scraps Skip the bottled water Eat less meat Adjust your refrigerator and freezer temperatures Bring your own grocery bag to the supermarket (reuse the plastic & paper bags you already have) Buy unpackaged produce instead of prepackaged Grill corn in its husk instead of aluminum foil Use reusable coffee filters Avoid the drive-through Only buy sustainable, environmentally friendly seafood Keep your refrigerator and freezer full Grow your own food Allow food to cool down to room temperature before putting them in the frid...

Happy MLK Day. It's taken me a long time to understand MLK, not that I do completely but I now seem him as more than the icon of a specific place and time. To honor his memory and work we must do our best to love ourselves (at least accept ourselves) and in turn we must accept others as equal and we must WORK to correct what we see as wrong. As simple as it is it is so far from simple but we all must try. If we try we will honor all those who came before us. See more MLK

The folks over at Grist pointed me to this article at The Nation . It hits home and it might help me figure out why I do what I do. It hits home b/c I do some of the things she talks about but I quite often ask myself why I do these things. I buy the organic food and I often wonder is this doing anything. I know I am helping a small farmer when I buy food through my CSA but other than that, what difference does the rest of it make? I question myself alot. I question why I do what I do and why I don't do what I think I should (some are things that I tell myself I really want to do). It's a mind game. Most of it revolves around my lack of ability to commit. I have trouble committing to myself, to involvement and most anything else you can think of. Honestly, I am surprised I had the guts to ask Tara to marry me. I've been in this funk for a week plus revolving, as usual, around these issues. I can't seem to make myself do anything. Technorati Tags: social responsibili...

Each one of us has a stake in our environment. If you don't care think about your neighbor or your children. Small changes add up and here are a few small changes : Use compact fluorescent bulbs . Buy a reusable water bottle . Pull the plug on electronics and chargers. Take shorter showers . Create idle-free zones . Anywhere that accommodates a large number of vehicles are prime spots for signs requiring vehicle engines to be turned off to help cut fuel emissions and improve air quality. Buy local food products. Buy Organic Food . Bring cloth bags to the market. Put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat in your home. Use recycled paper . Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated . Buy a hybrid car . Use a Push Mower . Air Dry Your Clothes . Run your dishwasher only with a full load . Plant a Tree . Insulate Your Water Heater . Insulate and weatherize your home. Technorati Tags: social responsibility , eco-friendly , energy efficient , budget

We must work to change what we don't like.

Today is World AIDS Day . Follow the link below or above and do something worthwhile. (RED) Technorati Tags: AIDS , Product RED , World AIDS Day , social responsibilty powered by performancing firefox

Looks like South Africa might have a green cup ( the world cup )! An initiative aimed to implementing a " Zero Waste " concept for the 2010 World Cup was launched today in South Africa with the support of the government as well as local and international businesses. I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go.

Homer said it best: Bart, a woman is like beer. They look good, they smell good, and you'd step over your own mother just to get one! I knew drinking all that beer was doing good. Buy the book ( Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World ) Buy some local beer .