Episode 1: Home Grown from Hole in the Fence on Vimeo.

Feature Photo: blindscribe

I found “Hole in the Fence on Twitter while looking for people/groups to add to Matador’s “Change” list and was immediately interested.  The family (Samson, Jeanne, Denette, Logan, and Kaia) lives as “green” as possible, and documents the whole process on their website and on Public Access TV.  Samson is the host, with Jeanne (his mother) as the camerawoman.  I touched base with Samson a couple months ago to find out what sustainability means to him and his family, and how other families can do their part.

How would you explain your lifestyle?
Samson:  I’d say “DIY sustainable.” We try to find affordable, practical ways to reduce our impact, mostly by using things that are readily available and functional. We use Freecycle, Goodwill, and other second-hand groups a lot. It’s amazing the treasures we find.

How and why are you documenting your lifestyle?
Samson: When I was living in CA, my mom and I were blogging and filming a 30 minute show for Public Access. We filmed six fun and informative episodes before I had to move to WA for work. After my move, we had to cancel our Public Access program, and we’ve been struggling to maintain the blog due to my hectic work schedule. But the reason we started Hole in the Fence in the first place (a desire to demonstrate to others that it’s easy and fun to live a healthier, more sustainable, more self-sufficient life) is the same reason we will continue to develop it.

What impact do you think this lifestyle has had on your children?
Samson: Our kids are active participants in all of our projects; as a result, they experience life instead of reading about it in a textbook. This learn-by-doing approach builds their self-confidence, encourages their curiosity, and provides a deep and abiding knowledge of the world that they wouldn’t get in a classroom.

What are some basic tips you could share with other families/people who are trying to lessen their impact?
Samson: Start small, start easy, and include everyone in the household. Don’t think, don’t plan, just do it. Change out your incandescent lights, take a sightseeing trip to Goodwill, buy (and use!) more fresh food, plant a few lettuce starts, and pretty soon you’ll be composting, gardening, and hanging your clothes out to dry.

And as a nice side benefit, you’ll be getting exercise and saving a LOT of money.

Community Connection:

Looking for ways to lessen your impact?  Check out the No Impact Week Challenge, a week of evaluating and (ideally) changing your consumption!

Feature Photo: Space Ritual/ Photo Above: Kitt R

According to the Director of the DREAM Project (Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Project), Catherine Delaura, the project provides “quality educational opportunities to Dominican youth,” which is something that is important for all children.  The main programs in the project are preschools using the Montessori method, programs for at-risk youth, after school programs, and summer camps, serving children from 3-18 years old.  Anyone living the Colonia Nueva community can participate, and they also work with two local public schools to invite at-risk youth to participate in the program.

I connected with Catherine to find out more about the project.

Why is there a need for the DREAM Project in the DR?

Catherine: Generally in rural areas of the DR, the public schools are so over-burdened with large quantities of students and a lack of materials and funds, that they cannot properly educate everyone.  We work with the local community and public schools to offer additional enrichment in literacy and extra-curricular activities so our young people can have satisfying lives and choices in their future.

Who runs it?  If you have volunteers, where are they from?

Catherine:  The Montessori Program is fully Dominican-run.  We are training our local teachers in an AMS training course in Santo Domingo, so they will be American Montessori Certified.  The youth programs are generally run by American long-term volunteers, as well as local part-time volunteers who are both foreign and Dominican.

How can people help from home?

Catherine: People can help by bringing school supplies when they visit, or hosting fundraisers that lead to monetary donations (we are a 501(c)3 in the states, so all donations are tax deductible). We have a PowerPoint if someone wants to introduce the project to their community and do a small fundraiser.  We also use student trips from the US as a way to get volunteers here to do service learning projects in our schools. So one way people can help is to introduce our project to their school or Spanish departments that may be interested in sending a group down here.

If you are headed to that area and would like to volunteer, visit the DREAM Project website or email info@dominicandream.org for more information!

Community Connection:

Looking for other opportunities to volunteer?  Check out Matador’s Volunteering Abroad focus page for some great resources!

So I’ve been searching. Searching for the type of organization that isn’t just going in and teaching English, but is going in and teaching skills to help the people be sustainable on their own, after we go home. Like the big debate on aid to foreign countries – if they learn to depend on us, what good are we really doing?

When the opportunity arose to speak with Filippo Bozotti of Tribe Wanted, I glanced at the website and thought it looked interesting, so I took on the interview. It’s funny how things like that work, because after I looked into the website a bit more, I realized this was just the organization I was looking for.

What exactly is Tribe Wanted?

Filippo: Tribe Wanted is an innovative tourism initiative in which tourists (tribe members) and people from the local community develop eco-tourism from scratch. They experience it together and learn from one another. In a nutshell it’s an online/offline platform and an eco-tourism/social tourism project.

The projects that Tribe Wanted work on take two years to even get off the ground, because they are committed to each community being sustainable financially before they get started. Filippo is working with a community of people in Sierra Leone, a country that has been rebuilding since the war ended in early 2002.

To play the other side of the fence, do people want tourists to come in and create this eco-tourist industry?

Filippo: Sierra Leone once had a flourishing tourism industry. The war destroyed everything, but now the tourism industry is rebuilding and it’s coming whether Tribe Wanted is involved or not. The people would rather it be an environmentally-friendly, sustainable economy that they can really own rather than big name hotels coming in and taking over.

Tribe Wanted is currently in two countries – the island of Vorovoro in Fiji, and on John Obey Beach in Sierra Leone. Since Fiji is already a tourist destination and Tribe Wanted has been there for awhile, most of the responsibilities involve maintaining practices and structures already in place, and repairing damage done from a recent hurricane.

The Sierra Leone project is starting from the ground up, and there is a lot of work to do.

What is a typical day like?

Filippo: The tribe members who come to Sierra Leone can do as much or as little as they like, but most get in at least a few hours of work each day and really enjoy the cultural interactions. There is little to no electricity, so days are determined by the rising and setting of the sun.

Usually there is a job before breakfast (fetching water or wood), breakfast around 8 a.m., and then the main work takes place from around 9 a.m.-noon before it gets too hot. The work includes building, working in the garden, tending to the animals. After working it’s time for lunch.

After lunch there is a break when many people choose to go on various excursions or explore the area. From 4-7 p.m. a little more work is done, and then it’s time for dinner. The only requirement of the tribe members is that they clean up after themselves after meals and during the day.

The best thing about Tribe Wanted is that it “grows organically” as Filippo told me. The organization brings in experts who teach the community members and bring materials, then leave to allow the community members to run the newly created project. Tribe members bring things with them to leave with the community and there is a lot of cultural learning taking place for both groups. Most people plan to go for a week or two and end up staying a month or longer.

Someday I plan to get to Sierra Leone, and currently the fee from Tribe Wanted is just $450/ £295 per week (in addition to airfare). It actually costs more than that to support one person for a week, but they want to encourage people to go help out and see that Sierra Leone is moving forward from it’s bloody past. The money pays for your 7 night stay, all of your food, and the rest is a donation towards the materials, the community members’ salaries, the local chief, and a bit to marketing.

It is free to join the online community, who actually has a voice in decisions such as voting in the community chief, so sign up and check it out at Tribewanted.com.

Community Connection:

Find local opportunities to help create a sustainable community by WWOF-ing (World Wide Opportunities on Local Farms).  Read our First Timers Guide to WWOF-ing to see if it’s right for you!

We thought that was bad, but it’s not even the worst possible scenario.

The Niger Delta has been dealing with the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every year for the past 50 years. More oil seeps out every week, and most wildlife is long gone.  Recorded oil spills number at 6,800 with anywhere from 9-13 million barrels of oil spilled into the delta over the last few decades.

According to cnn.com,

“The 700,000-square-kilometer Niger Delta is one of the most important wetlands in the world and home to 31 million people — 60 percent of whom, according to the U.N. Development Program, depend on the natural environment for their livelihoods.”

The Niger Delta, that used to be abundant with mangroves, shrimp, crabs, fish, and other wildlife, is now practically a dead zone.  Fisherman have to go farther and farther to find fish, and some have to make a living collecting and selling firewood instead of seafood.  Is this the future of the Louisiana wetlands?

The publicity around the BP oil disaster leaves Nigerians wondering when their help will come.  While BP has promised millions of dollars towards cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico, no one is going to the aid of those who live near the Niger Delta.

The Shell oil company blame thieves and gangs for damaging the pipes, saying that they pay the Nigerian government to maintain security in the area, while locals blame the old, rusting pipes.  Oil companies are still legally responsible for the clean up of their oil, and although they claim to “remediate the environment regardless of the cost of the spill,” that’s pretty hard to believe, especially considering their track record.

So what’s the answer?  No more drilling?  Force oil companies to take responsibility?  What do you think?

Community Connection:

Can you imagine living in a place contaminated with oil? For some Americans, it’s becoming a reality, but Emergildo Criollo Quenama of Ecuador has been living with the effects of oil spills for years.

Feature photo:Fibonacci Blue|screenshot above by the author

The website If It Was My Home uses Google Earth mapping technology and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create a map that shows the dimensions of the oil spill.  NOAA releases data daily, and the site is updated at least once per day.

Just type a city name in the search bar at the top, and the map will show the oil spill over your city, enabling you to see exactly how big this mess really is!

Community Connection:

If you want to do something to help, consider getting a haircut!  That’s right, hair can be turned into mats used to sop up oil.  Read all about it in Nancy Harder’s article, Cut Your Hair to Stop the Oil Spill.

The film documents the journeys of the political musicians Michael Franti, Fat Mike (NOFX), Paris, and Anti-Flag, whose music and message have “enraged, enlightened and inspired a new generation of activists around the world.”

Sounds Like a Revolution – HD Trailer from Deltatime Productions on Vimeo. /  Feature photo – Scott Penner on Flickr

Sounds Like a Revolution also features songs and commentary by a variety of artists, including Pete Seeger, David Crosby, The Dixie Chicks, Steve Earle, Ani DiFranco, Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins, Ice T, and Rage Against the Machine.

The world premiere is going to be on Wednesday, June 16th at 8:30 p.m. at the NFB Mediatheque in Toronto (150 John Street, Toronto, ON). Visit NXNE.com for ticket information.

Community Connection:

If you are into music, check out Matador’s Music Festival page!

This week we list 10 individuals that are working with a cause or making a difference in the world in some way.

1. emilynuchols – Co-founder of Under Solen.  Eco warrior obsessed with morning yoga sessions, trail runs, wild places, free-flowing rivers, travel, chocolate, wine, conservation
2. robertmcclure – Veteran journalist exploring new frontiers on investigative reporting, particularly on the environment
3. ecovegangal – Eco-friendly, vegan, filmmaker
4. annabrones – Co-founder of @undersolen, social media strategist + writer.  Lover of: outdoors, coffee, chocolate, francais, svenska, design, travel + everything green
5. workcabin – Conservationist, forest owner, diehard tree planter
6. nick_potter – Human, being.  His website, re-be.com, is a place where personal learning meets social/environmental change.
7. starfocus – Works for National Wildlife Federation.  Interests – nature, animals, nonprofits, social media technology, and life.
8. algore – If you don’t know much about Al Gore, check out The Inconvenient Truth.
9. randyferrell – VP of Sales for care2.com, green advertising, cause marketing, health, environment, conservation, sustainability, social responsibility
10. MeshugAvi – Into social change, philanthropy, marketing, career search. Director of Communications and Events with @EpicChange.

Community Connection:

For more organizations and people to follow on Twitter check out Matador’s list – @MatadorNetwork/Change.

This week we list 10 organizations that are working towards a cause or making a difference.

1. Sierra Club – Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet.

2. World Land Trust – International conservation charity funding the protection of rainforest and other wildlife habitats.

3. Footprints Network – Philanthropy project that harnesses online businesses and their customers to fund community development projects globally.

4. MASSIVE GOOD – An innovative way to raise funds through travel, to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis and improve maternal and child health in developing countries.

5. Evergreen Canada – A national non-profit that makes cities more livable by connecting people to nature.

6. National Wildlife Federation – The National Wildlife Federation works to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

7. Summit on the Summit – Originally created for The Summit on the Summit expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro, still raising awareness for the clean water crisis around the world.

8. Farm Sanctuary – With locations in NY and CA, the Farm Sanctuary works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue, education, and advocacy.

9. Project: AK-47 – Exists to rescue and care for the child soldiers and child assassins of SE Asia and Latin America.

10. Human Ventures – Human Ventures create innovative programs, products, and services through arts, community engagement, design, and entrepreneurial practices.

Community Connection:

For more organizations and people to follow on Twitter check out Matador’s list – @MatadorNetwork/Change.

Not just a site to share what music you are listening to or what your dog ate for breakfast, Twitter has become a place for people to share world views, news, and humanitarian endeavors.  Here is a list of 10 people making a real impact (you should probably follow them now).

1. zenpeacekeeper – Human rights advocate, writer, not-for-profit whizz and yoga teacher: writing a memoir about life as a peacekeeper in Afghanistan.
2. StaceyMonk – Founder of Epic Change & TweetsGiving, co-creator of the #TwitterKids of Tanzania. Recently headed an effort that has (so far) raised over $16,000 to go towards building homes for children in Tanzania. Read about “To Mama With Love” here.
3. CraigKielburger – Co-creator of Free The Children, then Me to We. Together, the two are revolutionizing how we will change the world.
4. MollyMali – Manages Peace Corps Connect and Africa Rural Connect for the National Peace Corps Association.
5. JushRuxin – Columbia University expert on development that lives in Rwanda.
6. MamyLucy - Epic Change partner in Tanzania. Former poultry farmer turned school founder & Mama to over 400 kids – the kids that @StaceyMonk is raising money for.
7. NickKristof – New York Times columnist, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who writes about the world’s issues.
8. alanna_shaikh- International development optimist and skeptic, global health blogger, writer for Aid Watch & UN Dispatch, TED India fellow.
9. AgentStiv – Surfer, Sailor, Writer, Eco-Nerd, Ocean Lover, Plastic Pollution Fighter, Clearcut Hater, Renewable Energy Devotee.  He actually went to the Atlantic Gyre, one of the ocean’s five plastic garbage patches.
10. derekmarkham- Derek digs simple living, natural fatherhood, attachment parenting, natural building, unassisted childbirth (homebirth), bicycles, composting (sawdust) toilets, organic and biodynamic gardening, vegan peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips, bouldering, and the blues.

Community Connection:

For more organizations and people to follow on Twitter check out Matador’s list – @MatadorNetwork/Change.

On April 20th a BP oil rig was preparing to cement a well shut, so it could later be bored for oil, when it exploded. The rig sank, the riser broke, and the “blowout preventer” (a system of valves and hydraulics designed to prevent oil from leaking out) failed. Eleven people were killed, and dead animals have begun washing ashore.

Many people hear the phrase “oil spill” and think of the Exxon Valdez spill, but experts say this is WAY worse.  The Exxon Valdez tanker had a limited supply of oil, while this situation has been compared to “an upside-down faucet, just open and running out” that may take months to contain.

Add to that the type of oil that is leaking into the water.  The heavier blend that comes from deep under the ocean floor emulsifies well with water, meaning it doesn’t evaporate as well, isn’t rinsed off as easily, and isn’t as easily burned as lighter oil.  This makes the regular methods of clean up considerably more difficult.

As if that’s not bad enough, there’s more.

Louisiana marshland. Photo: Ray Devlin

The oil might have had a chance to rise to the surface without immediately emulsifying, but the wind and the waves are accelerating the oil and water mixing process.  This toxic mix is then being pushed towards some of the United States’ most sensitive coastal areas – the marshlands in Louisiana and the surrounding states.

Marshes are so delicate that even cleaning them can be dangerous.  Once the oil gets in there, it will be nearly impossible to remove without damaging the fragile ecosystem.

The U.S. Coast Guard had set up several booms (that are beginning to break down due to the weather) and have been talking about a controlled burn as early as Wednesday.  BP has been attempting to use robot mechanics and is developing another idea that involves “subsea oil collection systems” that will still require two to four weeks to build and install.  The best hope might be summer hurricane season as a hurricane could actually help disperse and distribute the oil.

How you can help

Whether you live near the Southeast U.S. or not, you can sign up to volunteer with the Sierra Club in a variety of ways – wildlife rescue/shoreline clean-up, recruiting volunteers, writing letters or contacting officials, working a phone bank, or even blogging.

There is also a list of organizations by state that will need volunteers for wildlife rescue/shoreline cleanup efforts.

Alabama:  Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

Louisiana: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

Mississippi:  Pascagoula River Audubon Center

Florida:  Save Our Seabirds

Community Connection:

The potential for an oil disaster isn’t the only problem with Big Oil.  Check out The Trouble with Black Gold: 7 Sins of Oil Production.

After seeing this slideshow on the New York Times’ website of Brett’s tipi and Jake’s geodesic dome, I decided to track them down.

Living in a Tipi

Brett Butler grew up with Paul Goble’s paintings of tipis in his bedroom, which Brett’s mother believes may have subliminally encouraged him to live in one.

Besides living in a 256 square foot tipi, Brett lessens his impact in just about every way – he rides a motorcycle instead of driving a car, eats organic and local as much as possible, uses a composting toilet, recycles, dumpster dives, and even scrapes up fresh road-kill (yes, road-kill) at times for food.

He also runs an educational company called Field Trips Delivered, which brings environmental field trips to educators, students, and camp directors versus having them plan and embark on an expensive trip themselves.

Abbie: Why did you decide to live in an alternative home?

Brett:  After attending college for a few years [at Appalachian State in North Carolina], I was sharing a house and paying way too much for rent and really having an unhappy time working a lot to pay bills and all that jazz. I had lived in a tent for a month between living in the dorms and moving into that house, so I decided that I would take the plunge, and move back to the woods and live outside and see how it went.

I bought the cover and liner and had a friend of a friend cut some poles for me, and one day a friend and myself cleared a place to set the tipi up on a farm where I was working, and with permission from the farm owner, I set up and moved out of the house and into the tipi. I haven’t looked back since then.

Abbie: Why/how did you choose a tipi? How did you build it?

Brett: A tipi is an extremely simple structure. Canvas and wood, and a few pieces of rope, and you’ve got yourself a home. And not just a little home; it’s big and spacious and warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and comfortable pretty much all year round.

The cover of the tipi is made from a special canvas called Sunforger, which is used to make sailboat sails since it is mold and mildew RESISTANT, and UV light-degredation resistant. I say resistant in bold because it is starting to mildew on the outside and looks a bit rough, but it looks lived-in. [Appropriate,] since “tipi” is actually two Lakota Sioux words, ti pi, meaning “place lived in.”

The actual set up process is quick once you’ve got the hang of it, and I can set up a tipi in about 6 minutes now, and have it staked down in another 5.

Abbie: What’s the hardest part about living in a tipi?

Brett: Everything is just DIFFERENT. I don’t flick a light switch to turn my lights on, I strike a match and light my beeswax candles and oil lamps. I don’t turn the thermostat up or down, I put more wood in the woodstove to heat my place up, or roll up the sides to get a little breeze flowing to cool it down in the summer.

To get water, I fill up 5-gallon water jugs either at a spring or from the faucet at my host’s home and use a small hand pump to get it from the jug to pots, pans, water bottles or my teakettle. I guess I would say the thing I miss the most is running water.

Life in a Geodesic Dome

Photo above: basykes on Flickr

Jake Weller is a student at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania who decided to live in a geodesic dome for the 2009-2010 school year when he figured that he could live in his own structure more cheaply than the other options.

Abbie: What is a geodesic dome and how did you choose to live in one of these versus another type of alternative home?

Jake: A geodesic dome (GD) is a geometrical structure based on a mathematical formula developed by R. Buckminster Fuller. It is a relationship between the side lengths and angles of struts which follow a set pattern.

It is one of the strongest and most efficient structures possible, in terms of materials. And the only one (that I know of) where the strength of the structure increases with size.

I chose a GD for several reasons, including: structural strength, the possibility of using recycled and recyclable materials, aesthetic preference, portability, and ease of fabrication.

Abbie: What is the hardest/worst part about living in the geodesic dome? The best part?

Jake: The most difficult part was deciding on a cover design, especially considering that the structure had to be portable.

The best part has been the experience of actually doing it, and seeing how feasible such a project would be. I have really enjoyed it so far.

Community Connection:

Want a less permanent alternative living arrangement? Read Sonya Harvey’s article to find out how to live in your car!

In a time when just about everyone is doing their part to lessen their environmental impact, it’s exciting to see the trend catching on at a bigger level.  Concerts, conferences, and even the Olympics are becoming “greener.”

According to the Vancouver 2010 website, the Olympic committee researched local and global sustainability issues, as well as past Olympic Games to decide which practices to put in place.  The committee went beyond recycling and conserving by including “social and economical dimensions of sustainability.”

Some of the initiatives taking place this year to create a more eco-friendly Olympics include:

• Signing the the Protocol with the Four Host First Nations, ensuring that indigenous people and businesses are involved in the Olympic planning, hosting, and legacy, which is the first time something like this has happened.
• Making the Games more accessible to inner-city people and others who couldn’t afford to attend the Games by distributing 50,000 tickets through the Celebrate 2010 program.
• Integrating sustainability practices into all operations, lowering the overall carbon footprint through practices such as energy efficiency.
• Using LEED standards in design and construction.
• Instituting a carbon neutral torch relay.
• Creating long-lasting programs, such as the Sustainability Stars Program, which recognizes efforts by Games partners and sponsors, and the Buy Smart program, which is a sustainable purchasing and sourcing program.
• Raising awareness by encouraging participants and spectators to do their part during and after the Games (using alternative modes of transportation, and reducing, reusing, and recycling).

The sustainability practices will be monitored during the Olympics and initial dissolution phase (April 30, 2010) and then a final report will be issued.

This is a major turning point for the Olympics, and possibly sustainability practices around the world.  It’s not just about the events this year in Vancouver.

Community Connection:

If you’re headed to the Olympics, you’ll definitely want to read Olympic Sidetrips.

Not everyone thinks the Vancouver Olympics are good for the community. Read Chris Vandenberg’s article, The Dark Side of the Olympics for an alternate perspective.

On Thursday February 4th, a case against the big manufacturers Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Church and Dwight, and Reckitt-Benckiser was taken to court in an effort to force them to uphold a 1971 New York state law requiring them to list the chemicals in their products (as well as the chemicals’ health risks) on the label.

Ingredient disclosure requirements are almost non-existent in the United States, considering that federal environmental laws do not currently require companies to report the chemicals they use.  If the activists win this case, the companies will at least need to report to the state.

Groups such as the American Lung Association and the Sierra Club, in addition to health and environmental activists, are fighting for the public’s right to know what kind of chemicals they are bringing into their homes, and the potential risks associated with the chemicals.

The outcome also has the potential to make an impact at a national level, considering that the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works recently held a hearing looking into the public’s exposure to toxic chemicals, and found that the chemicals have led to health problems. The Soap and Detergent Association responded by saying “the research is flawed.”

Many companies have argued that they have disclosed ingredients on their websites as part of an initiative launched last month.  Environmental advocates responded by saying that some ingredients are too vague, listed simply as “fragrance” or “dye.”

Take Clorox, for example.  Clorox recently began disclosing ingredients on its website, but that doesn’t mean the list is easy to find, or easy to understand.  Once I did find the list, I still had to do some research to find out exactly what alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (found in Formula 409 All-Purpose Cleaner)  is and what it does.

Companies internationally are preparing to comply with Europe’s new chemical regulations (known as REACH), making it seem that the United States is beginning to lag behind in this area.

What can I do to protect myself?

Until companies are required to disclose their chemical ingredients and potential health risks, you might want to try more natural cleaners, which actually work just as well.

There is a great list of 10 tested and true green companies on our very own Matador Goods, all of which are healthy for you and the environment.

Care2.com has an informative article about how to make a non-toxic cleaning kit from household ingredients including baking soda, vinegar, and (a good) liquid soap.

Another useful resource can be found at About.com: Housekeeping, which describes how you can clean just about anything with vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda.

Community Connection:

For more green products, check out our green products focus page.

On January 14th, these celebrities (along with a team totaling 16 people) summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise awareness for the more than one billion people worldwide without clean water. Mt. Kilimanjaro rises 19,341 feet above Africa, making it one of the highest peaks in the world.  Getting to the top is certainly no easy task, no matter how many hours per day you have to work with a personal trainer!

Feature photo: activefree/Video found on YouTube

Between monetary donations and gear sales, nearly 6 million liters of water have been donated.  According to the Summit on the Summit website, just 1 cent = 1 liter of clean drinking water.

Even though the hike is over, you can follow @SOTSK on Twitter for news and updates about the water crisis in our world.

There is also a great Summit on the Summit website, with everything from the celebrities’ heart rates and O2 levels  at the top to how you can get involved and support the cause.

You can also watch the documentary of the adventure on MTV (no, not our MTV, the other one!) on March 14th at 9 p.m./8c.

Community Connection:

Read Julie Schwietert’s article, Celebs plan Kilimanjaro cake walk to raise money for clean water, for more about the challenge.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, the home of the Ku Klux Klan.  Raised in a middle class household, King experienced racism throughout his childhood.  As he got older, he started hating white people, even though his parents continued to tell him that he should not.

In September 1944, King entered Morehouse College, and everything began to change.  He met white people who shared his ideas of justice, and he joined the Intercollegiate Council, a mixed race organization.

His path eventually led him to the ministry, and after receiving a doctorate, King and his wife moved back to the South, ending up in Montgomery, Alabama.

On December 1, 1955 one of King’s parishioners, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger.  A few days later, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his first speech.  The rest, as they say, is history.

In tribute to a man who changed the United States, if not the world, forever, I have compiled a collection of inspiring quotes spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must all learn to live together as brothers.  Or we will all perish together as fools.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.

Hate begets hate; violence begets violence.

There is within human nature an amazing potential for goodness.

It may well be that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition is not the glaring noisiness of the so-called bad people, but the appalling silence of the so-called good people.

True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice and brotherhood.

But we simply cannot have peace in the world without mutual respect.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous are my adversaries…They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Community Connection:

For more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and other inspiring people, read 10 Revolutionary Acts of Courage by Ordinary People.

The inhabitants of the smaller islands in the Pacific Ocean notice the effects of climate change and rising sea level everyday, and each day that passes these people get closer and closer to becoming “environmental refugees.”

Cartaret Islands

The Cartaret Islands rise five feet above sea level, and due to flooding and high tides, are practically uninhabitable. The people of the Cartaret Islands have tried to save their land by creating sea walls and planting mangrove trees, but it is estimated that the islands will be totally submerged by 2015.

In 2007, the government of Papua New Guinea officially designated money to relocate the families living on the island, making them the first island residents in the world to be relocated by the government due to rising sea levels.

Tuvalu

Global warming has been a concern for Tuvaluans since the 1990s. The government even runs workshops to educate the residents about the impacts of climate change and how it continues to affect them.

Tuvalu’s highest point is 15 feet, much higher than some of the other islands, but most of the island is just over three feet above sea level. As with the Cartaret Islands, high tides are causing severe erosion and widespread flooding.

According to assistant secretary for Foreign Affairs Paani Laupepa,

“Even if we are not completely flooded, in 50 to 70 years we face increasingly strong storms and cyclones, changing weather patterns, damage to our coral reefs from higher ocean temperatures, and flooding of all our gardens.”

Maldives

At just four feet above sea level, the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has already pledged to use tourism revenue to buy land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia for Maldivians to relocate to once their island is gone.

Over the next 90 years, the sea level is expected to rise two feet, and with the highest point in the capital city, Male, just three feet, the 70,000 people who currently live there might want to consider relocating for their future children’s sakes.

Not Just Islands

Not just the islands of the Pacific are feeling the effects of global warming and rising sea level. The coastlines of Chesapeake Bay in Delaware and parts of Florida are diminishing each year, but one of the major areas of concern is Bangladesh.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is situated on a large delta, created by hundreds of tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers. 90% of the land is on the flood plain, and 15-20% of the population lives on land that is just three feet above sea level.

Every year, storms and extreme flooding cause the communities in this area to be evacuated, and some permanently relocated.

Community Connection:

For more information, read Ian MacKenzie’s article about The First Casualties of Climate Change, or Julie Schwietert’s article, “Maldivians Abandon Archipelago; Establish New Country in Australia”.

MatadorU student Dona Francis started the Team 100 Athletic Scholarship Program in August 2008 to help Tanzanian students who show academic and athletic potential obtain full athletic scholarships to top US universities. Says Dona, “We focus primarily on girls from the Manyara region…due to the severe inequities in education, their tendency to have babies very young, and the vast untapped athletic potential in the region….” Francis shares Team 100 photos in this essay about the organization’s work.

1.Although Tanzania has a strong primary education system, girls rarely continue on to secondary school. For young girls who are gifted athletes and good students, the Team 100 Athletic Scholarship Program is changing that.  The girls in this photo have short or shaved hair to prevent lice and make grooming easier to manage.

2. Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Africa, but it has a long tradition of superb athletic talent. By involving girls in running from an early age and focusing on education, young girls are empowered to realize their dreams and develop skills to shatter a cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and teen pregnancy that has gripped their families for generations.

3. Most young students in Tanzania dream of a university education, while at the same time, coaches at U.S. universities dream of having a talented Tanzanian on their roster. This provides the perfect opportunity to utilize running to forever change the lives of young girls who may otherwise have few other opportunities.

4. Team 100 athletes live at the training camp started by head coach, Zach Gwandu, in 2004. The girls train twice a day, running through the foothills and villages in Mbulu, a small town located in the Rift Valley. The girls range in age from 16-24, and the team’s senior member, Zakia Mrisho, made her Olympic debut in 2008.

5. Local races are held bi-monthly to scout new talent. Girls are recommended by primary and secondary school teachers based on academic potential, and athletic prowess is assessed by coaches during local races and training workshops. Student-athletes who are invited to train with Team 100 are expected to maintain at least a B-average in school and meet stringent running standards.

6. The development of life skills and a strong work ethic are an important part of life at the training camp. Cooking is done in an outdoor hatch over wood fires, clothes are washed by hand, and living quarters are cleaned daily. Preparing meals is a leisure activity the girls particularly enjoy; it’s a time to socialize, gossip, and chat about home.

7. A heaping portion of ugali with a rare treat of bananas and oranges is one of the most popular meals among the girls. Ugali is an inexpensive, carbohydrate rich staple in East Africa that sustains the athletes in their rigorous training schedule.

8. Not used to the glamor of beauty products, three of the youngest girls revel in the novelty of nail polish while getting ready for church.

Community Connection:

Team 100 is excitedly anticipating the departure of three student-athletes to United States universities in the fall of 2010. Team 100 receives support from the generous donations of individuals as well as A Running Start, a New York based organization that helps prepare athletes in East Africa for earning scholarships to US universities. If you’d like to learn more about Team 100 or other projects supported by A Running Start, visit their website or contact Dona Francis at dona.j.francis@gmail.com.

Feature photo by acbo

The new climate change feature for Google Earth lets you view some of the major environmental concerns (rising sea level, rainforest deforestation, glacial melting, and species turnover) and how they affect different areas of the globe. There are also special features like “Climate Action in California” and “Protecting the Arctic Ocean.”

Download it from the Google website.

Community Connection:

One judge ruled climate change a religion. Read the article by Julie Schwietert and leave your thoughts!

Stiv Wilson, a surfer and environmentalist from Portland, Oregon, was invited to participate in the mission by Dr. Marcus Eriksen of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation as a Surfrider Foundation Ambassador.  

Wilson is currently the chair of the Portland, Oregon Surfrider Chapter, working on plastics issues and advising Surfrider’s national Rise Above Plastics campaign.

Why does he want to go?

“I’m a surfer and an environmentalist.  I see plastic floating in the ocean every time I surf. Within the past year, media coverage of The North Pacific Gyre has become prolific, but what the greater public doesn’t know yet is that four other gyres exist in our world’s oceans.  This debris collects because of the way in which ocean currents swirl.  We need to study them all.”

What is he going to do out there?

While onboard, Wilson will be shooting a ton of video and photographs, as well as conducting interviews with researchers and scientists.

During and after the voyage, Wilson will publish articles about his findings on the Huffington Post, Wendmag.com, and on the Surfrider Blog.

Wilson will also be creating “media deliverables” for Surfrider to help spread awareness about the plastic pollution in our oceans, including a curriculum for teachers, short videos, and photos for outreach materials (in addition to the press coverage on Huffington Post and Wendmag.com.

How can you help?

Participation in the voyage will cost $5,000 plus an additional $1,000 for a plane ticket.  The fee will also help fund plastic in sediment analysis, fish tissue sampling (checking for toxins), and marine debris density testing in the Atlantic gyre.  The budget also includes carbon offsets.

Surfrider National has agreed to pay $2,500, leaving Wilson to raise the remaining $3,500.

That’s where you come in.

He has set up a website for donations on Kickstarter.com, where more information can also be found.

Community Connection:

Read more about trash, including the Great Pacific Trash Gyre, in Carlo Alcos’ article, The World’s Most Offensive Landfills.

Imagine waking up everyday only to be brutally beaten and raped.

For most of us that idea is a nightmare, but that was reality for a young Somaly Mam. Growing up in extreme poverty in a village in Cambodia then sold into sexual slavery at the age of 12, she saw her friends murdered and very young girls abused. After several years, Mam was lucky enough to escape. Her tenacious spirit and undying will led her to commit the rest of her life towards rescuing and rehabilitating other survivors.

Several years later on the other side of the world, Jared Greenberg and Nicholas Lummp were two college roommates fed up with the lack of action about an illegal industry that was only less profitable than narcotics and weapons. Greenberg and Lummp decided to raise $1 million towards this cause, but had no idea how they were going to do it. They went to the one place that information about virtually anything can be found – the media – and found out about Somaly Mam.   Somehow the email from Greenberg and Lummp was not only read by Mam, but answered by her as well, and within days they were on a plane traveling to Cambodia.

In Cambodia, Greenberg and Lummp met with Mam, toured the shelters she had created, and met some of the survivors. Inspired by a woman Greenberg calls an “incredible leader”, “passionate”, and “positive”, and with Somaly Mam’s vision of creating an organization in the U.S., the Somaly Mam Foundation was born.

By the fall of 2007, the Somaly Mam Foundation was having a launch at the U.N. What started as two college kids and a human trafficking survivor was turning into a non-profit that was really going to make a difference. People and organizations began to back the foundation, and it became obvious that this whole thing was getting too big for Greenberg, Lummp, and Mam to handle alone.

Enter the current executive director, William Livermore, in Spring 2008. Formerly of Lexus Nexus with a specific interest in building legal systems in developing countries, Livermore brought in a corporate skills set that would take the foundation to the next level.

Programs

When Livermore became involved, his priority was to develop a purpose and focus, which became counseling and empowering survivors to get the skills needed for reintegration into society once they have been rescued from slavery. The Somaly Mam Foundation does this through rescue and recovery, education, and reintegration programs.

The rescue and recovery program gets women and young children out of sexual slavery and into one of AFESIP’s (the organization Mam founded in Cambodia before the Somaly Mam Foundation) safe houses, which provide food, shelter, and medical care. The Somaly Mam Foundation (SMF) then focuses on educating the women. Livermore believes that creating an educated community with sustainable employment will make a significant dent in the human trafficking industry.

Lastly is reintegration. Previously, SMF has previously taught the women skills such as sewing and hair styling, but Livermore has realized that for the long-term success of the organization, there needs to be a compromise between Western market needs and more traditional employment. The SMF is currently planning to launch a micro-financing program in early 2010 that will provide survivors with money to start their lives over and encourage financial independence.

The Somaly Mam Foundation also believes in the importance of creating hundreds, if not thousands, of role models for survivors to look up to through the Voices for Change Initiative. The Voices for Change Initiative empowers survivors who have gone through the recovery, education, and reintegration process to counsel newly rescued victims and be a stand for others’ recovery.

Getting Involved

Greenberg and Livermore agree that spreading awareness about the human trafficking industry is the biggest way for people to get involved. For obvious reasons and current restrictions, it is not possible for volunteers to travel to Cambodia and interact with survivors, so both Follow Somaly Mam on Twitter @SomalyMam or the foundation on Facebook.

Sign up at Somaly.org to get ideas for letters/emails to send to your friends, newspaper, and legislature. If you’re a blogger, write about it. Hold your own fundraising event.

SMF recently partnered with the Body Shop and a portion of the sales of every Soft Hands, Kind Heart Hand Cream will benefit the fight against human trafficking. Mam has also written a book about her experiences called The Road of Lost Innocence.

But don’t think that human trafficking only happens “somewhere in Asia” – it happens right under our noses. There have been cases of human trafficking reported in all 50 states in America, and despite the fact that having sex with a minor is illegal is every state, there are still a few that don’t have human trafficking laws.

To get involved with organizations fighting human trafficking within the United States, check out the Polaris Project or Children of the Night.

Community Connection:

Learn more about human trafficking in 10 Shocking Facts About Global Slavery in 2008, or about the sex tourism industry in Asia in The Shameful Truth About Sex Tourism.

You may remember reading about Anna Brones and her new social media start-up on Matador Pulse. She’s now competing to become the Huffington Post’s Hopenhagen Ambassador at the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference.

Anna took a few minutes out of her day to answer a couple questions.

Why do you want to cover Copenhagen?

I’ve been wanting to go to the Copenhagen conference for a long time. First of all, the importance of the conference itself is huge; our global future is at stake. Second, because of new media, the whole world gets to take part.

The Copenhagen conference won’t just be happening with political leaders making decisions behind closed doors; because of blogs, video interviews, Twitter updates, etc. everyone is going to be able to stay up to date with what is happening in real time. That’s a pretty amazing thing.

Why are environmental issues important to you?

I [grew up] spending my time outdoors, and over the years I’ve come to realize that if I don’t personally take steps to protect it, the natural spaces that are so key to our existence may no longer be here.

As a writer I’ve committed myself to educating others about these issues, so that they too can push for change. We need to learn how to live in balance with nature, and that means changing how we live our lives.

Vote for Anna Brones on the Hopenhagen Ambassador website here.

Community Connection:

Keep in the loop about what other Matador members are doing and what’s going on at Matador on Matador Pulse.

Feature Photo: m.a.r.c / Photo above:Frenkieb

I passed by the latest issue of the Utne Reader several times, even flipped through it once before I actually bought it.  It was the story, 50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World that caught my attention.

With the Dalai Lama on the cover, I figured the usual suspects would be on the list – Bill Gates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Oprah- but was surprised (and a bit disappointed in myself) to find that I didn’t recognize any of the names.

I chose to highlight a few of them here, and you can find the full list at Utne.com.

Will Allen – Founder and CEO of Growing Power

Growing Power is a national non-profit whose vision is to “inspire communities to build sustainable food systems.”  The organization creates Community Food Centers in the city, then provides training, demonstration, and outreach to get it going and get people involved.

Hiroshi Sunairi – Founder of The Tree Project

The Tree Project takes seeds from trees that are still alive from the time period of the Hiroshima bombing and gives the seeds to people who then plant them across the world.  In December 2009, the seedlings will be exhibited at the Horticultural Society of New York.

Daniel Kish – Co-founder and Executive Director of World Access for the Blind

World Access for the Blind (WAFTB) is a non-profit organization that approaches blindness as non-limiting, promoting public awareness and advocating for people with blindness to follow their goals, from biking to hiking mountains.

David Bacon – Documentary Photographer and Journalist

Bacon is a photographer and journalist who tells the underreported stories of average yet inspiring people, mainly focusing on the forces behind migration and poverty.  He has written books, including Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants, Communities Without Borders: Images and Voices from the World of Migration, and The Children of NAFTA: Labor Wars on the US/Mexico Border (also in Spanish).

Patricia van Nispen tot Sevenaer – Executive Director of International Legal Alliances Microjustice for All

International Legal Alliances (ILA) Microjustice for all is a network of lawyers and activists that help people who are unable to fight for their basic social and economic rights, based on the structure of microfinancing.  The organization has also developed a handbook to assist communities in setting up their own microjustice services.

Who would YOU add to this list? Share your favorite visionaries in the comments below.

Community Connection:

Some of our very own Matadorians are changing your world! Read about JoAnna Haugen, who co-founded a fund for Machu Picchu porters, or Anna Brones, who launched a social media start-up.

Photos: jesse.millan

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 7: Giving Back

After a whole week of conservation and consumption tracking, the end is in sight! The final day is for giving back.

I volunteer on a fairly regular basis, but today I decided to focus on the little things I could do each day to impact someone else’s life. As step one of the No Impact Guide suggested, I made a list and it looked something like this:

*Give spare change to a tip jar or to someone in need (coins just weigh down your wallet/pocket anyway).

*Go out of my way to hold doors open for people (even if it means they are going to get in line in front of me).

*Help someone else out (this turned out to be babysitting for a few minutes at my friend’s wedding so the bridal party could take their pictures).

*Instead of just walking by trash (and grumbling about how someone shouldn’t have thrown it there in the first place) just pick it up and throw it away.

Step two was to make a list of all the charities I’d like to help, why I feel like I can’t, and how I can address and remove these barriers. The No Impact Guide asks, “Do your barriers outweigh the importance of participating?” Surely the answer to that question is almost always no.

I know I get caught up in the thought of making sure I’m making a difference by helping a lot or working on a major project, but the reality is that I can make a difference by participating in a one day project, by donating money, by playing a minor part within a bigger project, or even by spreading the word about the cause.

For resources and to find volunteer opportunities near you, try Idealist.org or VolunteerMatch.

If No Impact Week inspired you to take action about an environmental issue, try Take Back the Tap, which encourages people and businesses to eliminate bottled water; 1Sky, focusing on climate change; and the Alliance for Biking and Walking, which is working to create walkable and bikeable neighbors all over the U.S.

The final challenge was perhaps my favorite: Take a break from everything. The No Impact Guide suggests taking one day, one afternoon, or even just one hour a week to not buy, cook, answer the phone, use the Internet or anything electric. I’m going for it, but taking a break from everything each week could possibly be the biggest challenge of all.

Community Connection:

Interested in learning how you can make a big difference by making a small contribution to an important cause? Matador member JoAnna Haugen has just launched the Karikuy-Haugen Fund, an initiative intended to provide travel experiences to Peruvian porters who help tourists reach Machu Picchu. You can read more about the fund here.

Photos: JC Rojas

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 6: Water

I was really surprised to find out the average American uses 1,189 gallons of water per day. You really don’t think about how much water is used with each flush of the toilet (4-7 gallons) or from brushing your teeth (about 2 gallons/day).

The first thing I did today was make a list of all the water I consume throughout the day (a general list, not specific amounts). I wrote down the basics: toilet flushing, tooth brushing, hand and face washing, showering, dishwashing, and then I looked at http://www.waterfootprint.org. I realized that I needed to add every meal as well. And my clothing. And the book that I’m reading. Almost everything in our day has or does require water. It’s mind-boggling.

When I was in Cambodia, I couldn’t brush my teeth with the faucet water, so we used water from bottles. I was trying to conserve my bottled water, so I would brush my teeth with a carefully measured cup of water. It worked perfectly fine, so that’s definitely something I could implement at home.

Something that I am already doing that was also suggested in the No Impact Guide was to reuse the same glass throughout the day. Just rinse it out and keep using it instead of constantly washing it.

Some things that most of us have heard before: take shorter showers, turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. But have you heard this one? “Only flush if you must!” When you do need to flush, use water saved in a bucket from your shower.

When you go to restaurants, only order water if you’re going to drink it. If you are going to drink it, go for tap water (bottled water is 1,000 times more expensive than tap water!). Drinking water also uses less energy to produce and transport than other processed beverages.

I’m almost done with No Impact Week! Tomorrow is my last day of action!

If you’d like to find out what your water footprint is, visit http://www.waterfootprint.org.

Community Connection:

Learn more about water with these 40 facts.

Photos: stuartpilbrow

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 5: Energy

A couple weeks ago, one of the three light bulbs in the bathroom went out. I kept procrastinating replacing it, and then I got used to it. We don’t actually NEED three light bulbs in the bathroom; we can totally get by with two.

In my classroom, we have two light switches. A teacher next door always complains how bright my room is. I decide to turn on one switch, and I get used to it. Just like with my bathroom, when I use full light power, it actually gives me a headache.

Which brings me to today’s challenge – energy.

Today I assessed my current energy habits by making a list of EVERYTHING in my house that uses energy to operate (electricity, oil, gas, batteries). Then I went through the items and chose certain ones that I could eliminate (lights in the extra bedrooms), and others that I could definitely cut down on (turning off or unplugging electronics, turning off lights even if I’m leaving the room for a minute).

Besides using less electricity for lights, you can save electricity by stripping down or bundling up and turning off the AC or heat for a while. Use natural daylight when possible and burn candles at night. Not only will it “set the mood”, it will reduce your electricity bill!

Take advantage of the solar and wind power outside to dry your clothes. This natural drying method will save you money and your clothes will smell great. If you don’t have a backyard, use a drying rack or hang up a line in your shower.

If you are a tea person like I am, make tea from solar heated water with a homemade solar water heater.
Reuse plastic water bottles and use solar power at the same time. This is one I’m really excited to try out!

Did you know that electronics still suck energy even when you aren’t using them? Plug your computer, TV, and other electronics into a power strip and turn the strip off when you are done. I’m going to use one for my computer, printer, and wireless router, and another for my TV and video games.

Here’s a challenge that I’m going to take on – not using one of my top electronics (TV, computer, or stove) for a whole day once a week. My goal is to go for not using my laptop, but we’ll have to see on that one!

Water is the challenge for tomorrow!

Community Connection:

Curious about the environmental impact of your gadgets? Check out our article “Is Your Computer Killing the Planet?”

Photos: Francisco Collazo

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 4: Food

The first step today was to take my food list from yesterday and calculate my carbon “foodprint.” I found the website to be rather limited, and didn’t have most of the foods that I ate, but there was some interesting information. I read that a “high carbon” day for people in the United States would be 4,500 points (1 point=1 gram of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of greenhouse gases). Creating this kind of carbon dioxide everyday equals about three tons of emissions each year, the same as three roundtrip three hour flights.

Most of us are at least aware that our trash, transportation, energy, and water usage have an effect on the environment, but how often do we think about the impact our food choices have? I know I didn’t.

There are several ways to lessen the impact from our food choices, and many of them will in turn improve health and save money. First, buy fruit and vegetables that are in season locally. Buying locally will cut down on the emissions created from transporting your food from another country (or just across this country), as well as support your local economy.

Check out the Slow Food movement, the goal of which is to reconnect people with the whole food process – people, plants, animals, soil, water– by conducting public awareness and educational outreach workshops, encouraging people to enjoy local, sustainable foods, and advocating for farmers.

Another way to lessen your impact is to eat fewer animal products. I’m not saying you have to go vegetarian (if you want to find out more about becoming a vegetarian, visit The Vegetarian Society) but cutting out meat just one day a week can make a significant impact. If you need recipe ideas or want more information, visit Meatless Monday.

Some of the other suggestions from the No Impact Guide include preserving your food through canning or freezing those seasonal fruits and veggies, asking for tap water instead of bottled, and bringing your own doggy bag when you go to restaurants.

After today’s challenge, I’ve committed to buying my fruits and vegetables locally and seasonally. If you want to support your local economy, find your nearest local bakery, butcher, and farmers’ market here.

Photo: Rodrigo Basuare

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 3: Tuesday: Transportation

The first thing to do was to make a list of everywhere I’m going today and how I usually get there. My list would be work, home, maybe the gym. The drive to work isn’t really negotiable, because my commute is 25 miles each way, but a couple years ago, I joined the Prius revolution. Going from 27 miles per gallon to 42 miles per gallon definitely saves money but also dramatically reduces my environmental impact.

I tried to think of another way to impact my carbon footprint, and remembered that another preschool teacher lives near me, so I’m going to ask her to carpool a couple days a week. Luckily, the gym is right down the street from me, so it will be easy to hop on my bike to get there. As a bonus, the bike ride can double as my workout warm up!

According to the No Impact Guide, 50% of trips are less than two miles away. I’m committing to riding my bike or walking if I just need to pick up a couple items from the grocery store.

Is there mass transit near you? Taking public transportation saves money on car maintenance, gas, and you don’t have to worry about the stress of traffic. Most major cities have a metro or bus system that you can take advantage of. For more information or to find a transit system near you, check here.

If you have to drive, some suggestions to increase mileage include keeping your tire pressure where it’s supposed to be, turning off the AC, accelerating gradually, and turning off your car if you’re not moving. Change the way you drive by learning about hypermiling techniques to save gas.

Today, I’ve also been keeping track of the things I’ve been eating to get ready for Wednesday’s challenge: food.

Community Connection:

Want to dust off your bike and get those wheels rolling? Matador has lots of guides and resources for cyclists, including:

The World’s 15 Most Bike Friendly Cities

A Traveler’s Secret Way to Save Gas Money

and many more in our archives!

Photo: CJ Sorg

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 2: Monday: Trash

The mailman is trying to sabotage my carbon cleanse. I come home from work to find my mailbox stuffed with junk mail AND a plastic bag hanging from my door, with samples of paper products from a local grocery store chain.

Are you kidding me?

I immediately go to Do Not Mail and add my name and address to the registry. The website says I should see a reduction in my junk mail within 6-8 weeks.

The first step for today’s challenge is to go through the trash bag from yesterday and separate the items into two piles – stuff used for less than 10 minutes and stuff used for more than 10 minutes. Considering most of my trash was food product packaging or paper products, I decide to really look at the packaging my food comes in. The least environmentally friendly package was organic pears in a plastic container. Is that really necessary? Probably not.

I also decide that if I’m going to take my own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store, I might as well take smaller reusable bags for my fruits and vegetables so I don’t have to use those plastic bags, either.

The next step is to put together a “no-trash travel kit” with a reusable cup/mug, utensils, and containers. I bring my lunch to work everyday, and already use a Sigg water bottle, but I’ve really been going through plastic bags for my sandwich and snacks. Instead of throwing away the plastic snack bag from Friday, I save it and reuse it. I find a container hidden in my cupboards that I can use for my sandwich, and voila! My no-trash travel kit is complete!

The third step is the hardest – stop making trash. I make a very conscious effort to either not make trash or reduce the amount of trash I created. I use a white board instead of Post-it notes. I use an old towel at work to clean up messes instead of using a paper towel. I actually don’t get Starbucks today because I forgot my reusable cup. It turns out reducing my trash is saving me money, too!

The No Impact Guide has some very useful suggestions about ways to avoid making trash: use bulk bins at grocery stores instead of individually packaged items, use receipts for scrap paper, use natural cleaning alternatives, download GreenPrint on your computer to save ink and paper, and re-gift or pass on items to be reused instead of trashing them.

Tomorrow’s challenge? Transportation.

Community Connection:

Ever wondered where your trash ends up? Carlo Alcos takes a look at the world’s most offensive landfills in this article from our archives.

Consumption will consume you. Photo: Daquella manera

In November of 2006, New York City resident Colin Beavan, along with his wife and daughter, set out to live with no net environmental impact.

Fast forward three years later, add the Huffington Post, and you have No Impact Week. According to the website, the goal is to “demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world.” Together, they’ve provided a daily guide with steps you can take to lessen your impact over the course of a week. Each day has a different theme.

I’m joining over 4,000 people to take on this challenge to identify what impact my actions (or lack of action) are having, and to find out what areas of my lifestyle I can change to balance out my carbon footprint a bit more.

Day 1: Sunday: Consumption

The Sunday challenge was to not buy anything new (excluding food). Considering I am on a tight budget anyway, this would not be too much of a challenge. The first step for today in the No Impact Guide was to make a list of things you “need” this week, take off the ones you can live without, and find an alternative way to get the rest of the items (second hand, borrow it, make it). I didn’t have a very long list, so this was relatively easy. I’m also trying to jump start my workout regimen, so every time the urge to go to the mall comes up, I’m going to consider a run or bike ride instead.

What about people who do need to buy something new? Luckily, there are plenty of resources available for you to make an earth friendly purchase. Try The Green Guide for Everyday Living for information about making better product choices, or the GreenPages to find a directory of screened and approved green businesses.

There is also a non-profit organization called Freecycle, whose members give away stuff they don’t need to people who do need something. The mission statement of this group is to “build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.” Membership is free and there are close to 5,000 groups globally. If you don’t feel comfortable getting something from a stranger, have a clothing/item swap with your friends.

The next step was to start collecting my trash from the day in a separate (reusable) bag from the regular trash can. Unfortunately, my week’s worth of food runs out right around Sunday, so I conveniently finished the apple juice, cereal, and a box of crackers today. Add in the receipt for the new food I purchased, and the plastic container the pears were in, and my bag is almost full. The good thing is that those items are all recyclable, which I have a separate trash can for already, so I wasn’t too hard on myself for that one.

Day 1 complete. That wasn’t so difficult, although I am a little nervous about tomorrow’s challenge – trash.

Community Connection:

Are YOU taking the No Impact Week challenge? If so, share your experiences with us in the comments.
To learn more about Colin Beavan, aka No Impact Man, check out this article from our archives.
Want to learn more about consumption and its impact? If you do nothing else, watch this video. “The Story of Stuff” is a video by Annie Leonard about our production and consumption patterns and the environmental impact these patterns create. Its fast pace and compelling facts make the 20 minute long video feel like five minutes.