A Creative Citizen Is Born
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under News & Reviews | 2 Comments
When you talk to Scott Badenoch about his newly launched dot com, you get the sense that this one is going to go big time. He is smart, articulate, and self-assured as he runs you through the ways CreativeCitizen.com is going to bridge the disaggregated actions of the exploding Green Movement. Scott and partner Argam DerHartunian are driven by the mission to help everyone conserve 5 important elements: water, electricity, waste, emissions, and money. Badenoch explains his take on conservation, “No one is going to throw away their lifestyle and start wearing loin cloths and walking everywhere. It’s vital that the green movement find a place in people’s lives that saves them time, resources and money, rather than the other way around.” Continue reading A Creative Citizen Is Born…
Posted on June 12, 2008 |
Free Range Studios: The Story Of Stuff
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, The Big Picture, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
The Story Of Stuff has spread like wildfire through YouTube, Google videos, and inboxes all over the country and the world. What explains the millions of views of this little video by Free Range Productions? Well, everyone’s got stuff and will probably acquire some more of it in the immediate future. If you really want to know where your stuff comes from and what the effect of it all is, Annie Leonard breaks down the facts in a sweet and easy-to-understand way while weaving a tale you will never forget. And you might as well watch it, because stuff happens-and let’s admit it, those little cartoons make it so much easier to deal with…
Inspired by The Story Of Stuff? Take action!
- Order the DVD or download a free copy and host a screening at your house
- If you have a website or social network profile, you can share The Story Of Stuff on your site by embedding video or images from the film and linking to their site
- Donate to The Story Of Stuff and help Annie grow her mission
Posted on June 11, 2008 |
Carrotmob: The Art Of The Buycott Continued
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
You may have read about The Art Of The Buycott last month on eCo Times. If not, the basic idea is about using the buying power of the masses to make positive changes in the world, rather than boycotts, marches, and sit-ins (which can be effective too, but much less enjoyable.)
We found a choice example of the art of the buycott by an emerging organization called aptly, Carrotmob. You can probably tell by the name, Carrotmob is leading with humor. They dangle the carrot of fun, finance, and positivity to lead business to make the right environmental decisions. Carrotmob organized a hugely successful buycott in April at San Francisco’s K & D Market. Check out the hilarious video…
Posted on June 6, 2008 |
Zaproot: Goodbye Nalgene, Hello Chipotle
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under eCo TV | Leave a Comment
The lovely Jessica Williamson of Zaproot bangs the final nail into the coffin of Nalgene plastic water bottles and gives us the scoop on seasonal and organic fast food options. You’ll also get a glimpse at some of the wackiest alternative transport options available today…stainless steel rocket-powered toilet anyone?
Posted on June 4, 2008 |
Chris Jordan And The Art Of Consumerism
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Arts & Culture | Leave a Comment
Chris Jordan, an accomplished nature photographer, has now taken America’s consumption habits to heart. He’s shocked US audiences with Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait, a creative statistical view of how much trash is actually piling up in the United States. He uses the objects which people consume massive quantities of and photographs them en masse in an artful way. This play on Seurat’s famous Sunday In The Park actually represents the 106,000 aluminum cans Americans go through every 30 seconds.
Running the Numbers, completed in 2007, is a series of photographic and digital representations of over-the-top consumer culture which brings some already despairing statistics to light. The photographs are huge zoomed out shots of garbage, such as the piece below depicting 2 million plastic beverage bottles, which Chris informs us is the number used in the US every five minutes! 
Chris describes the inspiration for his work eloquently,”The pervasiveness of our consumerism holds a seductive kind of mob mentality. Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits.” There are so many more incredible pieces in Chris’s portfolio, you just really have to check it out for yourself. Continue reading Chris Jordan And The Art Of Consumerism…
Posted on June 2, 2008 |
Memorial Day: Understanding The True Costs Of War
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture | 3 Comments
This Memorial Day weekend, Bush stated, “Kids will be out of school, Moms and Dads will be firing up the grill, and families across our country will mark the unofficial beginning of Summer,” Bush said. “But as we do, we should all remember the true purpose of this holiday – to honor the sacrifices that make our freedom possible.” This is a rare opportunity to follow the advice of our President. Let’s take a stark look at some of the human, environmental, and financial sacrifices of the US-led invasion of Iraq, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Ecosystems
Though the total toll on Iraq’s environment due to the war is yet unknown, many obvious aspects can be examined. Depleted uranium used as munitions by the US military in Iraq has caused cancer rates to soar in both children and adults. Both the ancient rivers of the Tigris and the Euphrates run through Iraq, providing drinking water to people as well as a diverse array of West Asian wildlife. Approximately 90% of the marshes on the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers have dried up due to strategic dam building. This has caused the disappearance of water buffalo, foxes, birds, and boar.
Intentionally-set oil fires have released thousands of tons of greenhouse gasses into the air. These fires have also polluted the Sea of Oman with fallout from burning oil debris, which is laced with poisonous chemicals such as mercury, sulfur, and furans. This sea is home to 4 out of 5 species of endangered marine turtles, as well as many types of birds and fish. These species are now being poisoned. Poorly tended oil wells have spilled in surrounding ground water and soil, contaminating animal habitats and human water supplies. Potential farmland has been ruined by the scattered unexploded ordinances and craters caused by bombings. Overall, it is clear that the natural elements, as well as the cities and infrastructure will take countless years to recover. Continue reading Memorial Day: Understanding The True Costs Of War…
Posted on May 26, 2008 |
Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
After brewing a cup of my favorite organic Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange the other morning, I was awakened by some exciting news. We can now find our favorite Fair Trade coffee producers on Google Earth! For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, Google Earth lets you virtually swoop around the world viewing satellite images on your computer of literally any and every corner of the globe.
Loved by school children, superman wannabe’s, architects, and voyeurs alike, the latest version of Google Earth features a close-up street view with 3D buildings, detailed descriptions of landmarks, and even a “sun” feature that lets you play God and control the sunrise and sunset of any location you wish…great for checking out the passive solar potential of your future real estate acquisition.
Proudly, the team at Google Earth has always had a social conscience and uses its technological savvy to raise awareness about international affairs and human rights issues. In the recent past, they’ve focused their mapping efforts on highlighting the New Orleans post-Katrina floods and the conflict crisis in Darfur.
Their newest feat is bringing you close-ups and stories about Third World producers participating in the international movement of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an alternative, more sustainable, and all around better way of doing business. Rather than using sweatshops and importing massive amounts of goods from China, Fair Traders work closely with small, independent owners and cooperatives located for the most part in rural parts of the developing world. Fair Trade producers are paid a fair price for their work; do not use child labor; are not held to abusive overtime pressure; have safe and healthy work environments; and are usually recipients of other well-being initiatives and community programs, such as health clinics and micro-credit programs. Continue reading Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!…
Posted on May 20, 2008 |
World Fair Trade Day
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 1 Comment
World Fair Trade Day is celebrated every second Saturday of May. It is a day devoted to bringing awareness to the what, where, why and how of Fair Trade. Where we get our morning cup of coffee directly effects farmers and agricultural communities all over the world and can mean the difference between an impoverished community and a thriving one. Whether it’s coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice, sugar, handicrafts, or even sports gear, asking for Fair Trade at the stores you shop at is key. Check out this beautiful piece on Fair Trade coffee by eq.tv.
Take Action: Support Fair Trade in your community.
- Celebrate World Fair Trade Day at an event near you
- Buy Fair Trade products
- Look for the Transfair USA Fair Trade symbol on imported staples (coffee, tea, sugar, rice, and bananas)
- Ask your grocer what Fair Trade products are available in their store
Posted on May 10, 2008 |
Myanmar Cyclone: Time to CARE
By admin
Filed Under Modern Philanthropy, The Big Picture | Leave a Comment
We often go about our daily activities - consumed with our careers, family obligations, and entertainments of every kind. It’s easy to exist in the bubble of our own lives. But there are moments that by their sheer awfulness, jolt us out of our insulated reality. Catastrophic events like Katrina, 9/11, the 2004 Tsunami have forced us to take pause and become aware of our greater global community.
According to the UN, the Myanmar Cyclone has killed as many as 100,000 people, and left hundreds of thousands of people without food and water. From so many miles away, we can not fix it all, but we can definitely help. We can CARE. Continue reading Myanmar Cyclone: Time to CARE…
Posted on May 8, 2008 |
Conscious Living TV: Spring 2008 Style File
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
Design-savvy diva Bianca Alexander takes you on a tour of eco-fashion for Spring 2008 with Conscious Living TV. They capture both front and backstage footage from LA Fashion Week, interview Green Girls Productions, and give you a thorough tour of the chiccest eco boutique in Los Angeles, Avita Co-op.
Posted on April 25, 2008 |
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