This is your invitation to activism.
We don't follow hype of going or being "green". Instead, we've looked into the future and see the world being transformed by millions of everyday activists who are rooted in love.
Here, we bring this future of activism into the present, to press us toward creating daily lifestyles of practical, tangible, relational and compassionate action. Because real change is found in the simple, everyday action of people just like you.
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99% v 1%: the data behind the Occupy movement - animation
It has been the rallying cry of the Occupy movement for the past two months - but is the US really split 99% v 1%? As poverty and inequality reach record levels, how much richer have the rich got? This animation explains what the key data says about the state of America today.
MAKE IT BETTER
This is a great example of how good design thinking can make things better for users and the planet. With a simple rethinking of the ink container, this pen can hold more ink for longer use. Longer use of a single pen means not using other pens, and saving plastic. Smart design.
(via gregmelander)
How Many Slaves Are Working For You?
A new website and mobile app looks at your purchases and determines the amount of forced labor that’s gone into everything you own. The number may surprise you.
http://www.slaveryfootprint.org/
It’s not easy to be a socially responsible consumer. Even if you buy mostly local products and diligently keep track of corporate environmental footprints, you may still be leaving a trail of slaves in your wake. After all, who do you think is digging up the minerals in your smartphone or picking the cotton for your T-shirts? Slavery Footprint, a new website and mobile app that launched today (the 149th anniversary of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation) can tell you approximately how many slaves have pitched in to make the goods you enjoy on a daily basis.
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Matilija Dam is scheduled to come down some time in the near future. An activist ninja decided to help create a plan for the dams demise.
Don’t Buy New Patagonia Products Unless You Really Need It
Tonight, Patagonia and eBay announced a new partnership, the Common Threads Initiative. Together, they asked owners of fleece and Gore-Tex everywhere to pledge to reduce consumption, reuse old gear, recycle, repair what’s broken, and reimagine a world where people don’t stress the earth with purchases.
Yes, you read correctly. Patagonia is asking us not to buy their stuff, or any stuff, unless we really need it. And then they’re asking us to buy used stuff when we can. And they’re asking us to sell those still warm puffys and barely frayed packs gathering dust in the back of our closets on eBay, to a troller who will buy an old jacket instead of buying a new one.
To show they really mean it, Patagonia and eBay have partnered on a Patagonia-specific resale site powered by eBay that you can access from Patagonia’s website. But there is one catch—you have to pledge to the five “Rs” to use it.
Patagonia wants 50,000 pledgers this year. Sign today, and whether or not you start bidding, you’ll be one of the first. But don’t just sign so you can get first dibs on nearly new gear which for the next few days is probably mostly from the Patagonia sample racks. Think about what you’re agreeing to, and like Patagonia, walk your talk.
Consumerism
“there’s none but ourselves to make this thing last, none but ourselves.
everybody take a long hard look at you.”
(via featherlightheart)
Composting is easier than you think, and you’d be surprised what you can toss into the bin. If you’re still unfamiliar with the concept, check out our favorite how-to guide on starting a compost in the summer. Once you’re up and running, start tossing! Here are eight common items from your household that you can throw in your compost.
“To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing. … You get to make a choice. You can remake that choice every day, in fact. It’s never too late to choose optimism, to choose action, to choose excellence. The best thing is that it only takes a moment — just one second — to decide.”
Seth Godin, Time to take action
This message is in partnership with Levi’s®
When water is easily accessible, it’s hard to remember just how crucial it is for human life. But for nearly one billion people today, finding safe water is a daily struggle. An estimated one in eight people don’t have access to clean water and nearly 2.5 billion people don’t have access to improved sanitation.
Lacking access to clean water isn’t just inconvenient, it has a devastating impact on communities throughout the developing world. Each year, 3.5 million people die from water-related diseases. Nearly 84 percent of them are children.
Today, groups like Water.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to water and sanitation accessibility, have simple, cost-effective tools to bring safe water and sanitation to people who desperately need them. Levi’s and Water.org are teaming up and, with your help, hope to bring a lifetime of clean water to 8,000 people.
Help them reach this goal by clicking here and pledging your support for water accessibility for all. Spread the word and tell your friends—reaching 100,000 Facebook pledges will bring safe water to 8,000 people, changing their lives for good.
Save 10 Gallons of Water with a Brick in the Toilet
The old folk wisdom that says place a brick in your toilet’s water tank is partially correct: It’s an effortless way to save water, but a brick isn’t the best choice of object. Use a plastic bottle filled with water instead.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to turn hippie and “let it mellow if it’s yellow” in order to save clean water — which is an increasingly scarce resource. Most toilets will flush perfectly well with a little less H2O. The average model uses three to seven gallons per flush. A bottle in the tank will displace enough water to save half a gallon to a gallon each use, or up to about 10 gallons a day in a typical home.
All you have to do is drop a little sand or some pebbles into a bottle, fill it with water, and put it in the tank, making sure not to disturb the toilet’s working parts. Many toilets flush well with a submerged 2-liter soda bottle, but experiment to find out what size bottles fit best and produce the best flush.
What’s wrong with a brick? They have been known to disintegrate in toilet water over time, leading to damaged plumbing. If you are a mason or otherwise determined to use a brick, wrap it in a sturdy plastic bag first.
You can also look for kits at local home improvement stores to convert American-style flushers to European-style dual-flushers, offering a half-flush option for liquids ($20 at homedepot.com). When it comes time for a new toilet, look for one with a WaterSense label. And, of course, be sure to fix leaks, which can cost $20 or more in wasted water.
A Food Label That Actually Teaches You About Food
The design concept above, by San Francisco-based Renee Walker, recently won Rethink the Food Label, a competition that asked designers to make the health info on packaged goods easier to understand. Mounted by the UC Berkeley j-school’s News21 program and Good magazine — with powerhouse jurors, including “liberal foodie intellectual” Michael Pollan and anti-sugar crusader Robert Lustig — the contest isn’t part of any official push to revamp packaging but could serve up a heaping of inspiration to the FDA, which is in the process of revising the national nutrition label.
Read the whole article on Fast Company Daily.
