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Hawthorn Valley Farm
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 farming. ... more -
Terracycle: Worm Poop Fertilizer
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 -
The World's Hardest Working Shaman
Western Shoshone leader, Corbin Harney talks about his prophetic conversation with the water
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Meditations on Ahimsa rap
A song for those living a Conscious Lifestyle in the Web 2.0 Generation.
Lyrics by Mike DP
Song produced by DJ Matt Werner
Instrumental sampled from 'It's Okay (One Blood)' by The Game
For more, see http://www.youtube.com/djmattwerner A song for those living a Conscious Lifestyle in the Web 2.0 Generation. Lyrics by Mike DP Song produced by DJ Matt Werner ... more -
Interfaith Blessing of the Garden: Native Plants are new lawn for 21st Century in ...
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."
Cedar Tree Institute:
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org
Lake Superior Interfaith Communication Network:
http://www.lakesuperiorinterfaith.com
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans:
http://www.thrivent.com During 2008 a solar fountain will flow - and wild flowers will bloom - in a native plants garden that has replaced the lawn at the Lu... more -
Are You Ready For A Shift?
by Nicole
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 ... more -
Alternative Gifting: A Green-Guilt Free 2008
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).
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Alternative Gifting: Yoga In A Box
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.
http://www.dailymantra.com
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Alternative Gifting: Real Seeds of Peace and Joy
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.
http://www.dailymantra.com
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"Ecofabulous" Gift ideas
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 cool ideas for holiday sh... more
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Grounds for Change
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.
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The Documentary Network: An Enlightening Virtual Video Vault
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.
http://www.dailymantra.com
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Guerilla Cuddler Juan Mann Gets Evicted And Needs Helps To Find New Hug Central
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).
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra Guerilla cuddler Juan Mann took his Free Hugs campaign from the streets of Australia via YouTube to Oprah Winfrey's TV studios. A... more -
Alternative Gifting: The Gift Of Enlightenment
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!
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Alternative Gifting: A Countdown To Christmas
by Marisa
In theory, it's so great: a season dedicated to showering the people we love with cherished gifts. I mean, it's pretty hard to argue against generosity. And yet somehow these altruistic roots often feel lost in the holiday shuffle, as we scramble to find something, anything, to place in that stocking or under the tree. Well, treat yourself to a relieved exhale: this year Daily Mantra has your back with 24 days of alternative gift ideas, prioritizing a more spiritual, eco-friendly, debt-free holiday season.
As our first holiday gift suggestion, inspired by this pretty fantastic ad, Daily Mantra simply reminds you that charitable gifting is always a fantastic holiday option. I mean, sure, you could spend hours, if not days, in a packed local mall, fighting crowds for some item your loved one may be receiving ten times already. Or you could put some Thanksgiving in your Christmas with a charitable donation, spreading the seasonal generosity among loved ones and beyond, throughout the year. Unsure where to begin? Simply visit www.charitynavigator.org for a searchable database of international charities, including a charity evaluator that rates each charity by effectiveness and financial health. Then sit back and enjoy an eggnog, while everyone else is at the mall.
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How Many Words Do You Know For Rice?
by Marisa
Looking to procrastinate with a clear - even virtuous - conscience? Look no further than FreeRice.com. Launched on October 7th by John Breen, creator of TheHungerSite.com and Poverty.com, FreeRice donates 10 grains of rice via the United Nations World Food Program for every vocabulary question you answer correctly. And those grains add up: As of November 27, FreeRice.com has donated 4,181,025,950 grains of rice - enough to feed more than 200,000 people for one day.
So, how do you play - er, help? When you first visit FreeRice.com, a randomly selected vocabulary word with four possible definitions will appear on your screen. The program then adjusts its difficulty based on whether you answer correctly: three correct answers in a row raise your "level" and one incorrect answer lowers it. With an impressive arsenal of terms, and difficulty levels appropriate for everyone from children to college professors (50 is the highest level, though it's rare to score above a 48), FreeRice.com is a satisfying visit for academes and altruists alike. Just take heed, according to the site's disclaimer, exercising your social conscience on FreeRice.com just might make you smarter. How many procrastinatory pleasures can claim that?
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Mister Splashy Pants
Greenpeace has apparently adopted a whale. Theyre holding an online poll to name it. Of the 30 suggested names, 29 are lofty-sounding monikers borrowed from various ethnological mythologies, foreign languages, and environmental activists.
The 30th, clear favorite, is Mister Splashy Pants.
Why choose names like Libertad or Echo when you can vote for the name Mister Splashy Pants? Greenpeace has apparently adopted a whale. Theyre holding an online poll to name it. Of the 30 suggested names, 29 are lofty-soundi... more -
Bio Bus Company Trades Used Cooking Oil For Discount Travel
by Nicole
A bus company is offering discount bus travel in return for used cooking oil to power its bio-fueled fleet in a ground-breaking pilot scheme in the U.K.. Households along the Service 1 bus route in Kimarnock, Scotland have been given free containers to collect their used oil in, which they can exchange for discount travel vouchers at their local recycling plant.
A fleet of eight single-deck buses, operated by the Stagecoach Group Plc., have been fitted with dual fuel tanks for the trial scheme. The buses will warm up for around ten minutes in the morning using mineral diesel (it's cold in Scotland). Once a normal engine operating temperature is achieved, the buses will then switch to bio-fuel made from cooking oil and other food industry by-products for the remainder of the day. It's estimated that the initiative will cut CO2 emissions by 82%.
"This innovative project is a great opportunity for our customers to play their part in saving the planet by recycling household products that would otherwise go to waste," says Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, Brian Souter. "I'm sure the idea of cheaper travel in exchange for the used contents of your chip pan will capture people's imagination."
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Ewok houses up for sale
Love the Star Wars films? Always wanted to live like an Ewok? Well now you can, thanks to Canadian carpenter Tom Chudleigh whose Free Spirit Spheres are suspended in trees and accessible by rope bridges. Using the idea of eco-friendly living, Tom has constructed these 'pods' as a means of becoming at one with nature again, saying it will give man the opportunity to live in a Rainforest, whilst causing minimal damage. Being fully equipped for 4 sharers and only taking 3 men 3 days to erect, I'm sure Tom will receive some interest. Click the link for a bit more info. Love the Star Wars films? Always wanted to live like an Ewok? Well now you can, thanks to Canadian carpenter Tom Chudleigh whose Free... more
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Wind Dam
Enormous electricity-generating kites may be the future of green power. The wind dam concept is almost the same as a hydro-electric dam: Capture massive amounts of moving air and funnel it into a turbine. Plus, they look cool. The first of its kind may be coming to Russia next year. Enormous electricity-generating kites may be the future of green power. The wind dam concept is almost the same as a hydro-electric da... more
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Eco-Conscious
