Archive for February, 2009

Just a quick post to encourage those of you who are interested in the role of integrative medicine in health care reform. . . . Our own U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski is holding a week-long series of hearings to elicit the wisdom of the best and brightest in this field. And — the hearing from Monday, 2.23, is all on video ! Go, Babs! What’s next? YouTube?

Among those testifying, be sure to watch Tai Sophia Institute ‘s Bob Duggan and University of Maryland ‘s Brian Berman (my son’s homeopathic doctor). There are more hearings next week, so stay tuned.

You know that children’s song, "Make new friends, and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold?" Well, I’d like to introduce two friends — one silver and the other gold.

Sarah Sloboda is a New York-based photographer, who also blogs at University of Sarah: The Art School of Optimism. Her recent post, "How to Use a Little Money to Create a Lot of Joy ," will delight you with its wonderfully simple ideas on how to cultivate a sense of gratitude for the abundance that is all around us. Sarah suggests taking stock of what you DO have; offering your services to someone who admires and needs you; supporting small businesses; and counting your blessings. She asks, "What would the world not have unless you bring it?" Be sure to check out the information about her upcoming free teleclass, "True Voice: How to Begin to Hear It. "

Which brings me to my dear friend of many years, writer and gardener Mare Cromwell ‘s recent posts, "Alternative Currency of Kindness and Gratitude ," and the follow-up "Further Thoughts on Alternative Banking ." Some of you may know that alternative currency is one of my (many) interests. I wrote an article on it in a past issue of the Urbanite magazine. I just love the community-building aspects of it, the idea that money is simply a convenient form of exchange and that there are others. Like time, creativity, and caring.

Both of these brilliant writers are getting at something that is dear to me — partnership . Sharing our talents, cultivation of what is best in ourselves and in others. Being of service and practicing gratitude for all that we have and all that we are. I’d love to read your reactions to these great articles.

Everyone is familiar with those lists of 10 things or 20 or 100 things you can do to lower your carbon footprint and to live a more healthy, energy efficient lifestyle, right? Well, we thought you’d like to tell us and our web audience what’s missing from those lists. What have you tried?

The purpose of this project is to have a platform to amplify the importance of small deeds that help the environment and to visualize how each person is contributing to a lighter load on our planet. It’s like a doodle conversation on cocktail napkins.

Remember postcards? Those analogue relics that people used to use to communicate with each other? Being artistic types, we would love to receive one from you. We picture papering the walls of our office with them — great creative works of art, showcasing the wealth of earth-concerned actions in our communities.

And we close with those famous Margaret Mead words: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Send your ideas by MARCH 20th to :
GOforChange
2002 Clipper Mill Park Rd.
4th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21211

The first 20 people that send us a card will received a FREE pdf copy of our 25 page Your Green Home Manual. It’s full of great information and beautiful drawings!

Here is a staggering thought. According to the EPA, in 2005, only 345,000 to 379,000 tons of electronics were recycled out of approximately 1.9 to 2.2 million tons of unwanted electronics. This means that a huge percentage is going to the landfill which will eventually contaminate ground water. There are a whole host of ways to recycle every electronic you have with local, national and international resources. Here in Baltimore my top choice is dropping off your unwanted tech products to CDM-eCycling . I wrote a post about them a couple months ago and I can tell you without a doubt they provide a service that is improving the environment, and helping the local economy. If you find it hard to make the trip over to Washington Blvd. please contact us at info@goforchange.com. I will accept anything that will fit in my Honda Civic and make the trip for you. I have been inspired to do this by seeing Jennifer Baichwal documentary about Edward Burtynsky work called Manufactured Landscapes and reading and watching videos about the struggles of many Chinese that have our e-waste dumped on their soil and sorted under absolutely horrendous conditions. It’s a cycle of production that is destroying the cycle of life. Please, find a responsible e-waste recycler in your state here or visit Basel Action Newtwork website. "BAN is the world’s only organization focused on confronting the global environmental injustice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts."

Other things you can do:

1. Find out what companies have a take back program here.

2. Get payed for your electronics by this guy in Denver, CO at BuyMyTronics.com

3. U.S. Staples store will charge you $10, to recycle your used computers, monitors, laptops, and desktop printers, faxes and all–in–ones. Smaller computer accessories such as keyboards, mice, and speakers are accepted at no charge. In addition, you can recycle batteries, PDAs, pagers, digital cameras, and chargers. They will give you $3 in a gift certificate toward new ink for certain ink cartridges. Others, they will just recycle for free.

4. Check back soon for more information

Living almost anywhere you’re probably familiar with at least one or two abandoned buildings, left unattended for years and years. Here in Baltimore you can scan whole blocks of vacancies. These sore-spots have become the inspiration for small and large efforts to revitalize some of the staggering 40,000 vacant homes and abandoned lots through innovation, idea building and conversation. One such project called Baltimore Infill Survey has just sent me a notification by email this morning. Their idea is, if you had it your way, what would you do with an abandoned lot or vacant space? This project originally came out of an idea which was presented at the 2008 Bioneers Conference this past November. Organized as a breakout session called Urban Economic Development and Visionary Green Design and Development, the project brought together architects, developers and urban critics. They came up with a pre-fab building concept called The Plant which would serve energy needs of the surrounding residents, within a mile radius. Read more about what I wrote in November here or here at Urban Palimpsest.

Make your claim and join the project . Really, what would you do!??

“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.”
African proverb

I have been listening to Riane Eisler’s brilliant book, The Real Wealth of Nations.  It is a miraculous synthesis of her life’s work in the study of cultural values, gender relationships, and economics.

One framework that resonates particularly strongly is her characterization of cultures on a spectrum between two opposite modes: domination at one end and partnership at the other. This framework allows her analysis of current economic theory, policy and practice to be independent of political or social ideology. Any culture can be one of domination or of partnership, and never are they purely one or the other.

As she characterizes them, domination requires insensitivity, competitiveness, cruelty, and destructiveness. It inhibits the partnership qualities of consciousness, caring, and creativity. Human beings have the biological capacity for the full spectrum of all these traits. Whatever model our culture orients to will bring out, express, or inhibit these tendencies.

Domination systems are rigid, top-down rankings that are maintained through physical, economic, and psychological control. A superior / inferior worldview ranks men over women and humans over other species, leading to other rankings of in-group over out-group, which applies to anything including race, ethnicity, or religion.

By contrast, partnership systems value and support participation, empathy, equity and caring. Continued

GOforChange invites you to participate in a fun new project.

What is the best thing you are doing to lower your carbon footprint or have a lighter impact on the planet? — OR — What would you do if you could do anything?

Drop us a postcard that illustrates your answer. Include a brief note (if you wish) on the reverse, and mail your postcard to:

GOforChange
2002 Clipper Park Rd
4th floor
Baltimore, MD 21211

We will post these on the website, starting in March.

We are planning a gallery show for April, so watch this space for details as they develop.

And, please help us get the word out about this project. Share with your networks!