I'm starting to see these little empty non-recyclable, non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic containers everywhere. I've seen entire trash cans filled with these things at convenience stores after the morning rush... day after day.
In this day and age, you would think that Keurig and the companies associated with this product (Paul Newman's Own, Heifer, Green Mountain Coffee, Celestial Seasonings, Ghirardelli) who claim to be "organic" and/or "sustainable", would be more aware of it's impact to our environment.
You can contact these companies at the blog post above.
"The Keurig single-cup brewing system uses a special packaging for coffee, tea and hot cocoa called K-Cup portion packs or "K-Cups". Each K-Cup is an airtight, mini-brewer that locks out oxygen, light, moisture and humidity while locking in freshness and flavor. "
ndustrial designer Nicolas Souliman is trying to give the shipping world what they’ve always longed for – a ship powered by clean energy.This mega-liner, dubbed “Asgard,” harnesses solar energy to run a Stirling engine, which further is supported by a wind harnessing sail system. The 156m- long ship is designed to ferry about 800 passengers comfortably across the oceans.ndustrial designer Nicolas Souliman is trying to give the shipping world what... more
Ecological tourism or eco-tourism is a highly popular term and possibly one of the most misused in the travel industry. It should describe travel to fragile areas where the fauna, flora and cultural heritage are the main reasons for travel.
Essentially eco-tourism protects and empowers local people and natural areas, and at the same time provides visitors with a unique, but low impact experience.
The Ecotourism Society defines eco-tourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people’. Essentially eco-tourism should unite conservation, communities and sustainable travel.
However, it can get a little confusing. There are a handful of similar terms used to describe this type of travel, like ‘adventure travel’, ’sustainable tourism’, ‘responsible tourism’, and ‘green travel’. Most of these loosely adhere to the principles of eco-tourism. A walk through a rainforest is not eco-tourism unless it also benefits the people who live there. And in the same vein, a safari trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect wildlife.
There are companies who market themselves as eco-tourism establishments, when in fact they are not. So it is up to the traveller to ask important questions about the trip’s ability to conserve and improve the destination. Often the term is used as a marketing tool to promote nature related tourism. However, placing a splendid hotel in the midst of a fragile ecosystem and calling it eco-tourism is ‘greenwash’.
Two of the terms most often used interchangeably with eco-tourism are ’sustainable tourism’ and ‘responsible tourism’, both of which include aspects of eco-tourism.
Sustainable tourism means that resources should be unaffected by your visit and that your stay at the destination should not prevent future tourists from enjoying the same experience.
Responsible tourism means that you minimise your negative impacts on the environment, but often this also incorporates an element of ‘giving back’ to local communities. The Responsible Tourism Awards describe ‘responsible tourism’ as tourists who ‘want to interact with communities on a personal level, learn first-hand of their challenges, experience environments and hopefully, leave something constructive behind’.
So what does one need to do make sure that eco-tourism is really the form of travel on offer?
By asking the following types of questions:
* Is the environment being looked after?
* Is the local community being protected and uplifted?
* Does the travel build environmental awareness?
* Are resources remaining for future generations?
* Does the travel respect local culture?
It is not in South Africa alone that the term eco-tourism is used to describe ‘adventure’ or ‘nature’ trips that do not always meet the requirements of true eco-tourism. There are only a handful of countries around the world with national eco-tourism certification programmes in place, and these include: Costa Rica, Australia, Kenya and Sweden. There are also attempts to create international eco-tourism accreditation programmes.
In South Africa there is not yet an official regulation of the term eco-tourism. SATSA (South African Tourism Services Association) tries to ‘provide high standards of tourism and focuses on accountability, integrity and quality control’, and awards like the local Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards and the international Responsible Tourism Awards also influence many tourist destinations and tour package companies. Eco-tourism cannot be monitored as closely as it should be, until a formal procedure or framework exists.
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I recently traveled as an Eco-Tourist in Costa Rica, and I think it's the best way to travel.Ecological tourism or eco-tourism is a highly popular term and possibly one of the... more
RFWtv Presents a pod from the 2009 Wakarusa Music Festival. We caught up with Johnny, a young artist who designed, built and created the 'Edge of Imagination Station'. A creative space that allowed festival attendees of all ages to put their fingers to work, Johnny has developed a way for us all to take part in making art with Stop-Motion Animation.
For more information on Johnny and Wakarusa 2009 - visit Roving Festival Writer at TheRFW.com.RFWtv Presents a pod from the 2009 Wakarusa Music Festival. We caught up with Johnny,... more
What is Beauty World? Ladies, if you think it's a magical place where we look fantastic, feel great, have the wind in our hair, you're right. But if you think it's free of Dudes and Chili-Dogs, well, maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Almay has launched an exciting new natural product line. Here is our VCAM and a look at what it means to be beautiful without compromise.
Check out "Beauty World" directed by Arlene Bogna.
This seven minute documentary is about the benefits of biodynamic and organic farming.
It includes three interviews with farm employees and educational animation.
Hawthorn Valley Farm is also part of a feature length film called "From Elegance To
Earthworms", a movie about the growing green movement in New York state.
This seven minute documentary is about the benefits of biodynamic and organic... more
Terracycle is a ten minute film about an innovative and creative company that
manufactures fertilizer made from worm poop and packages it in recycled containers. It documents the company's commitment to a greener, better, cheaper way of doing business.
Terracycle is also part of a feature length film called "From Elegance To Earth Worms"
which sheds positive light on an Eco-conscious market place.Terracycle is a ten minute film about an innovative and creative company that... more
Western Shoshone leader, Corbin Harney talks about his prophetic conversation with the waterWestern Shoshone leader, Corbin Harney talks about his prophetic conversation with the... more
During 2008 a solar fountain will flow - and wild flowers will bloom - in a native plants garden that has replaced the lawn at the Lutheran Campus Ministry "Lothlorien" house for students at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
An interfaith "Blessing of the Garden" ceremony included chanting, incense and other religious traditions from several faith communities.
Earth Keeper Initiative volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson has the story.
The producers thank Lutheran Campus Ministry student leader Sarah Swanson, NMU sophomore from Rapid River, MI for her videography and photography talents that helped make this video possible
(Marquette, Michigan) - In the spring of 2008 a solar fountain will flow and flowers will bloom in a northern Michigan native plants garden nurtured by university students that was blessed by a Buddhist head priest and a Lutheran pastor
A "Blessing of the Garden" ceremony was held in October 2007 at Lothlorien - the Northern Michigan University Lutheran Campus Ministry house near Lake Superior.
A heavy rain poured the entire day almost causing the ceremony to be moved inside, but the sun came out for 20 minutes and the rain resumed just as the blessing and a tour were completed.
Performing the blessing was Rev. Jon Magnuson, director of Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, MI; and Rev. Tesshin Paul Lehmberg, head priest of Lake Superior Zendo, a Zen Buddhist temple.
The Lothlorien lawn has been turned into a native plants garden that includes rocks from three of the Great Lakes.
The LCM house name, Lothlorien, comes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The garden includes Michigan plants and others from the Boreal border regions of the northern United States including Black Eye Susan, aster, dogbane, bluestem, and Sensitive fern.
Prayers, incense, bells, and chants were part of the ceremony that included a tour of the garden by NMU Student Michael Joko Rotter, a member of Lake Superior Zendo.
"Lothlorien is a magical kingdom part of what Tolkien called Middle-earth - where time passes differently," said Rev. Jon Magnuson, a Lutheran pastor, who founded the NMU EarthKeeper Student Team. Many of the campus ministry students belong to the interfaith NMU EK Student Team.
"Our natural native plants landscaping - our Lothlorien garden - is a sign of a new way of living with the world," Magnuson said. "It honors the indigenous and native plants of our region."
"Lothlorien came into being first as a song," Rev. Magnuson said. "The garden will be a haven for birds and other small creatures."
"The fountain represents the water of Lake Superior and the waters of our baptism," Magnuson said.
The Central Upper Peninsula Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans donated $1,600.
"Students are involved - and we like to support things that young people are going to be enthusiastically involved in like this native plants garden," said Judy Quirk, president of the Thrivent central U.P. chapter.
A fountain in the garden is going to be converted to solar power in the spring of 2008 and the sun will charge a battery allowing the water to flow in cloudy weather.
"We hope this will inspire people to learn the benefits that native plants have, such as requiring a third less water, and no pesticides or fertilizers," said Rotter.
Rotter said the "garden represents the hope of the future."
It's a film, it's a game, it's a mindset, it's uplifting, it's about awareness, it's a way of life, it's a shift, and it's happening!by Nicole
It's a film, it's a game, it's a mindset, it's uplifting, it's about... more
by Nicole
Carbon offsetting is the environmental equivalent of going to confessional. Obviously it's much better not to have sinned in the first place, but, if you do, a few Hail Mary's can certainly help atone for your misdeeds, taking the weight of the sin off your soul.
Terra Pass offsets the damage of your CO2-squandering misdemeanors, by funding planet-positive projects (such as wind farms) on your behalf. Their eco credentials are regularly audited by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions, so you know your green guilt money is in goods hands.
You can give the gift of a guilt-free 2008 with Terra Pass' themed gift certificates. Their annual Road TerraPass promises a year of carbon balanced driving. Prices start from $29.95 to offset low mileage hybrid drivers, to $79.95 for high mileage drivers of large cars or trucks. Other options include the Flight Offset pass (ranging from $9.95 for a "puddle jumper" to $1,749.95 for the serious "aviator") and the Home Energy pass (ranging from $29.94 for a small home to $139.72 for a mansion dweller).
by Nicole
Take advantage of the season to encourage your friends and loved ones to get fit or take up that hobby they've always talked about. You'll find many local gyms, and dance or yoga studios have special holiday gift membership programs, but if you're stumped as to where to start looking, The Daily Mantra has a few suggestions:
Yogaworks, which have studios in Los Angeles, New York and Orange County, offer gift cards that can be exchanged for classes or goodies from their store, or a combination of the two. Members of the super hip Equinox gyms can buy one-month gift memberships starting at $135.00 to get non-members into the gym thing. More utilitarian than the luxury Equinox clubs, Gold's Gym are offering three-month gift memberships for just $99, and have locations in 40 states.
Venturing further out of the box, Great American Days offer a wide range of activities at locations nationwide. Their experience voucher scheme is an excellent way to introduce someone to a new hobby or sport. You can preselect an activity from an extensive list which includes: paint balling (from $21), mountain biking (from $29), horseback riding (from $60), scuba diving, whitewater rafting (from $58), kayaking (from $85), rock climbing (from $69), golfing (from $67), surfing (from $55), and stock car racing (from $60), to name but a few. Or give a voucher for a preset value and let your giftee decide what they'd like to try out. For those that are less active, they also offer vouchers for more sedate activities such as bowling (form $34), sushi making lessons (from $80) and perfume workshops (from $40).
Whether the recipient is 6 or 60, a chance to get out of a rut, get fit, and/or learn a new sport or skill is truly a priceless gift.
by Malayna
A fun and pretty line of plant-able holiday paper goods by Bloomin' Flower Cards can help people brighten their loved ones' lives beyond the holiday season, and without waste or negative environmental impact. Bloomin's greeting cards, gift tags, gift wrap and ornaments can be planted and enjoyed later - truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Their color images are made from organic pigments and printed on the seed paper itself, so in most cases the entire card can be planted. The handmade post-consumer seed paper acts as mulch, retaining moisture for the seeds and nurturing them into full bloom.
"Handmade and environmentally friendly, these holiday cards are packed with the highest quality annual and perennial wildflower seeds available," says Don Martin, president of Bloomin' Flower Cards. "And, yes, when watered, they really will grow." They include a diverse and hearty mix of seed species to ensure growth across all growing regions.
Directions for growing are printed on the back of each card, so your gift recipients know the bonus gift they've received. The standard greeting reads, "May the seeds of happiness and joy be yours throughout the holiday season," but cards can be customized for orders of 50 or more with only a week's notice.
We at Daily Mantra love the idea of a company committed to earth-friendly commerce, using 100% post-consumer paper, soy-based inks and organic pigments to create cards and gift papers that return to the earth. Bloomin' Flower Cards were even named "Employer of the Year" in 1999 by The Association of Community Living for regularly employing "differently-abled" individuals. And they offer products for all occasions too: wedding and custom invitations, corporate promotional materials ("to really grow your business"), bookmarks, postcards, note cards and year round any-occasion greeting cards.
Got some "eco-friends?" Or maybe you're feeling "eco-generous." This blog has some cool ideas for holiday shopping- "eco-style."Got some "eco-friends?" Or maybe you're feeling "eco-generous." This blog has some... more
by Michelle
When you empty out your coffee grounds, what do you see? Most coffee grounds are deemed garbage and sent off to the landfill, but a few clever businesses see spent coffee grounds as much more. Starbucks has started an innovative recycling program called Grounds for Your Garden, which provides complimentary coffee grounds for customers, schools, nurseries and parks. Used coffee grounds are available upon request on a first come first served basis, and are packed in reused coffee bags.
Coffee grounds are excellent material for composting as they are high in nitrogen and add heat to compost when combined with materials high in carbon, such as dry leaves, brown paper or straw. Starbucks' win-win arrangement provides gardeners with high-quality compost material and finds a use for a large component of the waste produced by the company.
Meanwhile an Indiana-based company, Java-Log, have found another creative way to reuse coffee grounds, manufacturing an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical-based fire logs from them. Made from waste coffee grounds culled from instant coffee manufacturers and chain coffee shops compacted with non-petroleum wax, their logs burn longer and brighter, and smell nicer, providing heat and energy from 20 million pounds of coffee grounds annually that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. In addition, the Java-Log produces 80% less carbon monoxide and particulate matter than wood logs, and is produced from 100% renewable resources. You can even compost the ashes left over when your Java-Log has finished burning.
So the next time you empty your coffee filter, take another look. Do you see garbage? Or do you see black gold waiting to decompose into compost or be recycled into a fire log? Going green doesn't have to mean going without or living a miserable life walking barefoot uphill both ways. Creative, positive change can pop up in the most unexpected places - even in the bottom of your coffee cup.
by Nicole
The Documentary Network is a veritable online goldmine of shorts and full-length features. Visitors can watch sample documentaries from a selection of 81 for free. Repeat customers can register and watch more stuff for free, plus a further selection of pay-per-view films which start at around 1 Euro (approx $1.50). As an added bonus, funds go directly to the filmmakers, minus a modest hosting fee, which makes this a great way of cutting big media distributors out of the equation.
The Daily Mantra got sucked in watching the illuminating Global Dimming, a Nova/BBC production that hypothesizes that the true power of global warming has been significantly underestimated, being masked by the counter effects of global dimming, which is caused by visible pollution such as smog and airplane contrails. To support this theory they interview scientists who collected and analyzed data from 5,000 weather stations taken during the three days after 9/11 when a flight moratorium was imposed, and our skies were free of planes and their contrails for the first time in decades. The three-day period created a sudden data spike, with the temperature change jumping significantly.
Continuing on the 9/11 theme, the Documentary Network has the seminal internet conspiracy flick, Loose Change, which outlines numerous inconsistencies and loopholes in the official version of how 9/11 played out. In the interest of being fair and balanced they're also showing Conspiracy Theory, which sets out to debunk the debunkers, and The Great Global Warming Swindle, which has a pretty self-explanatory title and should appeal to the diminishing pool of flat-earthers.
Talking of being fair and balanced, the Documentary Network also has OutFOXed, which documents "Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism." One journalist who certainly won't be suppressed however is Greg Palast, who showcases his homage to Bush's Election Fraud on the site. In his 15 minute short he succinctly explores the statistical anomalies of the "spoiled" and simply "not-counted" 2004 votes, and shares with us some misdirected emails from Rove to Bush which indicate the not-so-dynamic duo are plotting to use illegal caging-list techniques to steal the election in '08.
Other films well worth viewing include the Pirates of Silicon Valley, which takes a humorous look at the characters in the Jobs' and Gates' camps who formed the technological landscape we know today, and the eye-opening Origins of Aids, which explores the idea that the disease may have infected humans due to contaminated oral vaccinations made from chimpanzee tissue that were used in an immunization program in the Belgium Congo. (Indeed something similar occured here in the U.S. in the 1950's with the polio vaccine which was contaminated with the simian virus SV40, potentially exposing 98 million Americans to the monkey disease which has been linked to cancer in humans.)
It's often said that truth is stranger than fiction, and continuing in this spirit there's documentaries on corrupt world governments (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and Stealing A Nation), the CIA (Crack The CIA and Secrets of The CIA), Iraq (Baghdad ER, The Power of Nightmares and Iraq For Sale), and the environment (Biofuels: Think Outside The Barrel), plus an investigation into the conspiracy theory perhaps above all others, the "faked" lunar landing (Moon Hoax: Astronauts Gone Wild), which all add up to a most enlightening video vault that remains open long after Blockbuster closes the doors on their edited-for-content DVDs.
Guerilla cuddler Juan Mann took his Free Hugs campaign from the streets of Australia via YouTube to Oprah Winfrey's TV studios. Along the way a lot of authority types got very worried about liability, bi-laws and red-tape, as like-minded cells of renegade huggers surfaced across the world. (We got our free hugs in Victoria, B.C..) At one point Mann got banned from doing his street corner hug deals in his hometown by city officials who couldn't get their heads around his hugs-not-slugs brand of subversion (see previous There's No Such Thing As A Free Hug story). So on October 22, 2007, Mann decided to move his Free Hugs campaign indoors for a while, offering an open house to anyone who fancied stopping by his humble abode at 30 Bucknell Street in Newtown, New South Wales - and that's when his troubles really began.
In the first 36 days of Mann's planned year-long open house, around 80 guests dropped in for a little hospitality. Some offered knowledge in return, others offered bribes (a TV producer offered cash if Mann would pull out of a scheduled interview with a rival station), and one rather-too-enthusiastic young lady even pinched Mann's bum after cooking him dinner. But on the whole, all seemed to be going well. Many of the conversations with those who stopped by were recorded and put up on the newly launched JuanMann.tv website, as well as on YouTube, where Mann has a burgeoning viewership.
Unfortunately one of Mann's new viewers turned out to be his landlord, who subsequently evicted him, complaining that his activities posed "a security risk to the building" and a potential "nuisance to the neighbors." Consequently, with just 21 days left in his current abode and a mere $9.16 in his pocket, the hapless hugger is on the hunt for a new place he can call hug-central.
Those who are sympathetic to Mann's plight can order a Free Hugs T-shirt from RemoGeneralStore.com/FreeHugs. Between now and Christmas you'll get one shirt free with every shirt ordered. And since 25% of the purchase price will go directly towards a new home that Mann says "you are more than welcome" to visit him in, it really is a great gift. Let's recap: buy one shirt, get one free, and get an open invitation to hang out with Mann at is new pad in NSW - plus all the hugs you can handle a bargain at just $31.22 (plus shipping).
by Nicole
Energy-saving light bulbs are the perfect gift for the person who has everything, since the kind of person who has everything is probably too busy watching their flat screen TV or playing with their Playstation 3 to take care of such eco-details. This is truly a gift that keeps giving, especially if you offer to fit them too (thus ensuring they don't go straight from the bottom of a Christmas tree to the back of a cupboard).
Buy an energy-saving E26 bulb from Ikea for a mere $3.99 and you'll likely save its recipient $30 in energy costs over its lifetime. Think about it, if you give four bulbs as a gift, which would cost you less than $16, it's really like giving away a whopping $120.
Ikea's energy efficient bulbs use up to 80% less energy than traditional bulbs, and last up to 10 time longer. What's more the company's so cool it gave all of its 9,600 British employees six of the bulbs to take home in an effort to save the planet, and promises to replace them for free when they eventually expire (see Guardian story). According to Energy Star, if every household in America replaced just one bulb with an approved low-energy replacement the emissions saved would be equivalent to more than 800,000 cars - now that is reason to celebrate!
