Appreciate

Seriously, you should get involved.

Don't you ever get the urge to make a difference? To matter? To stand up for something that you truly believe in. A cause that you want to be a part of.

These days, it seems to be the cool thing to stand up for what you believe in. So since all the cool kids are doing it, you should too.

Here are just a few non-profits having to do with sustainability. Check it out:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature: http://www.iucn.org/

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.

National Wildlife Foundation: http://www.nwf.org/

The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization. They work with more than 4 million members, partners and supporters in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming and connect with nature.

The Green Design Institute: http://www.ce.cmu.edu/GreenDesign/

The Green Design Institute is a major interdisciplinary education and research effort to make an impact on environmental quality through green design. The central idea of the institute is to form partnerships with companies, government agencies and foundations to develop pioneering management, manufacturing, and regulatory processes that can improve environmental quality and product quality while enhancing economic development. Through the Green Design Institute, they are solving problems and building tools that help businesses accomplish more with less. Their focus is on developing practical pollution prevention technologies and lowering costs, by recycling scarce resources, using fewer raw materials and creating better products.

Although these are international non-profits, there are guaranteed to be several local non-profits in your area. And even if it doesn't have to do with environmental sustainability, it is still important to volunteer. Give back to your community.

Do people have the right to green lawns?

With my post a few days ago, water has been the subject in my face for the last couple of weeks now. An issue has come to me and I am not really sure how I feel about it. I was thinking about all of the resorts in Palm Springs, green lawns in Arizona and Texas, and all of the water being diverted to areas with high populations but no nearby water source. At first I get upset at all of this water being wasted and think that we should just stop using water in those areas. Tell people they cannot have green grass in Arizona and tell people in Southern California that if they want to keep using up all of Northern California's water and drying up the Colorado River than they should pay more and if not, they should just move away. Is this a fair thing then to deny people of their rights to live in what would be dry areas that we as humans in the last hundred or so years have made water accessible? At what is now being seen as a higher cost than our ancestors thought.

Do we give a damn?

Michael Jackson, one of the most influential pop stars since the late 20th century, uses his fame in power to get the message out about our damaged earth. Millions of people throughout this world witnessed this video and the stong message that it presents.

How do you react to this, and what do you think about MJ using his fame to get this message out?




Lyrics:


What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain...
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said were yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying Earth, these weeping shores?

Chorus:
Aaaaaaaaaah Oooooooooh
Aaaaaaaaaah Oooooooooh

What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying earth, these weeping shores?

Chorus

I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far


Hey, what about yesterday (What about us)
What about the seas (What about us)
The heavens are falling down (What about us)
I can't even breathe (What about us)
What about anarchy (What about us)
I ain't even knew(What about us)
What about nature's worth (Oooh, oooh)
It's our planet's womb (What about us)
What about animals (What about it)
We've turned kingdoms to dust (What about us)
What about elephants (What about us)
Have we lost their trust (What about us)
What about crying whales (What about us)
We're ravaging the seas (What about us)
What about forest trails (Oooh, oooh)
Burnt despite our pleas (What about us)
What about the holy land (What about it)
Torn apart by creed (What about us)
What about the common man (What about us)
Can't we set him free (What about us)
What about children dying (What about us)
Can't you hear them cry (What about us)
Where did we go wrong (Oooh, oooh)
Someone tell me why (What about us)
What about babies (What about it)
What about the days (What about us)
What about all their joy (What about us)
What about the man (What about us)
What about the crying man (What about us)
What about Abraham (What about us)
What about death again (Oooh, oooh)
Do we give a damn

Emergency on Planet Earth

Songs have been good teachers and political messengers throughout history. I can remember in kindergarten learning "we've got the whole world in our hands" and "good garbage grows n grows n grows, that's why it smells bad to your nose!" Maybe that's where I first got my idea to want to be an environmental studies major haha. Anyways, I was thinking about how music is a great way for messages to get across, and all of the songs that have to do with environmental & social damages that we are letting happen around us. Here are some of my favorite songs & hope that they might shed new light on how many people are working for a change. Hopefully =/.
P.S. feel free to add any songs that are good n green!

Heal The World - Michael Jackson
Earth Song - Michael Jackson
Today Won't Come Again - Donal Leace
Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye
Concrete Jungle - Bob Marley
Emergency On Planet Earth - Jamiroquai
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell *also covered by counting crows*
Dirty Work - Sweatshop Union
Kyoto Now - Bad Religion
Garbage - Chairlift

Your Ideas

I have always thought that I was pretty conscious and aware of my behaviors and their effect on.... basically everything! It seems as though one can never know everything about their impacts and all the ways in which our lifestyles are beneficial and/or detrimental. Recently, I have had a lot of articles and movies stumbled upon about the reality of the price of water and how it can soon disappear. Because of this, I have watched my habits and realized that there are many ways I can change my water habits, one of them being brushing my teeth in the shower & wasting water while I wait for it to heat up in kitchen sink. Having knowledge and becoming aware of what is going on in the world and our habits is the only way for there to ever have a change. SO! I would love to hear what people are doing and how their habits have changed & what caused them to do so. Just might learn something new about a way to swap habbits

Lady Gaga Showing Sustainable Fashion?

I guess it's just part of being an environmental studies major that the first thing that came to mind while watching the Lady Gaga video for Telephone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U?v=EVBsypHzF3U) I acknowledge the great use of re-using everday products for fashion.

Whether using soda cans as hair curlers or gum wrapers to make a dress.( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/12/elizabeth-rasmuson-gum-wr_n_534850.html) , I have to admire those who can make the most of their trash.

The Story of Stuff

We cannot be ethical consumers, or even consider ourselves as intelligent without the knowledge of where some of the crap inolved in our lives comes from. Think about it. How many things in a day do you use that you really know where it came from and its production process. This short movie was made from the book by Annie Leonard, and has created sequels involving other items we use throughout the day. Take a look and take the time to think about the choices you are making. http://www.youtube.com/storyofstuffproject#p/a/u/2/9GorqroigqM