The Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.
The global Elders enlisted their grandchildren's help to warn of the perils of climate change. Martti Ahtisaari, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu invited their grandchildren to join them on October 29th to remind the world of the catastrophic risk of climate change to future generations. The seven Elders and their thirteen grandchildren from Asia, Africa, Europe and America met in Istanbul - the group ranged in age from 3 to 85.
Elders’ Chair, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: "No one is immune – rich, poor, developed and developing countries. We are all in this together. I will probably be spared the worst effects of climate change but I worry for our children’s future and for the millions of people who are already being impoverished and displaced."
To read their list of goals for Copenhagen, go here.
To view a slideshow of photos from the event, go here.
The Green Festival -- an annual event that takes place in San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Washington, DC.
Current Schedule: San Francisco -- Friday, November 13th - Sunday, November 15th, 2009! Chicago (May 22 - 23, 2010) Denver (2010 dates TBA) Seattle (2010 dates TBA) Washington, DC (Oct 16 - 17, 2010)
Join us at the nation’s premier sustainability event, where you will see the best in green. Enjoy more than 125 renowned authors, leaders and educators; great how-to workshops; cutting-edge films; fun activities for kids; organic beer and wine; delicious vegetarian cuisine and diverse live music.
Shop in our unique marketplace of more than 350 eco-friendly businesses—everything from all-natural body care products and organic cotton clothing to Fair Trade gifts and beautiful kitchen tiles made from renewable resources.
See the most recent developments in renewable energy and green technology, and learn how to invest in your community, green your home and avoid products made in sweatshops.
Photo: Flickr by Franco Folini.
Admission to the Green Festival is very reasonable - in San Francisco the cost is $15 for all 3 days. Discounted rates for students, public transit riders, seniors, and cyclists. Free for youth under 18, Green Festival volunteers (like myself!) and members of the organizations Green America and Global Exchange.
The Green Festival has something for everyone. For example, in San Francisco this year, on Sunday night you check out the panel "Soul of Green" featuring Dead Prez, SPEECH of Arrested Development, Climbing Poetree and Davey D. Moderated by Alli-Chagi Starr.
In today's world of climate chaos and pop tune ringtones, is Hip-Hop, helping generation Y" become a generation of "Why Not's?" Come learn how conscious cultural leaders are creating a pathway for self-determination and vibrant healthy communities, especially for those often left out of this new surge of green? This panel will give space for cultural revolutionaries to share their ideas and passions. Books and merchandise to be made available after the panel.
photo: Dead Prez
dead prez, comprised of members stic man and M-1, have been the leading voice in progressive hip hop for over a decade. Their music has long been a platform to discuss issues such as police brutality, racism and poverty. Collectively, the duo has released 2 albums, 3 mix tapes and 2 solos albums making them accomplished international musicians. Their ideals and activism are not limited only to their lyrics, the group is highly active in communities throughout the world. It is this longtime community activism that brought about the lecture series “Red Black and Going Green- The Environmental Movement Remixed”. dead prez offers a “hood” centered perspective on the sustainability movement as a matter of political education, economic development, holistic health and wellness, environmental justice, community mobilization and self empowerment. This is a not to be missed discussion that will enlighten and inform.
There's also a related official Green Festival Party on Sunday night -- Info and tickets available here.
There are so many things that I love about the Green Festival. One of my favorite discoveries at Green Festival - San Francisco 2008 was the clothing vendor Kate Organic/Synergy Organic. Kate Organic is the premiere line. Synergy Organic is the more affordable line. I bought a beautiful long brown coat from their booth, and have since purchased some skirts and tops.
Here's a great example of their stuff:
To view a selection of their other stuff, go here and here.
We just finished going through the submissions to Organizing for America's Health Reform Video Challenge, and they're great. There are personal stories that grab your heart, brilliant summaries of what reform would really mean, and plenty of biting satire that calls out the insurance lobbyists.
Out of nearly a thousand excellent videos submitted, we're down to the top 20. Now it's your turn to watch the finalists and vote for your favorites -- and then we'll air the winner on national television.
The top 20 ads will also be voted on by our panel of experts and artists, including Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, animator and director Seth MacFarlane, actress Kate Walsh, Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.
As an aside, check out the story of Obama's first meeting with Kate Walsh.
These were my favorite 3 videos of the 20 submitted - in no particular order --
Click here for more information and to submit your film. The deadline is December 10, 2009.
Selected films will travel to:
* Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, New York : June 10-24, 2010 * Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, London : March 2011 (Dates TBA) * Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, San Francisco: March 2011 (Dates TBA) * Selected films will be included in the 2010 Traveling Film Festival * Films will be added to the Adobe Youth Voices and Human Rights Watch websites * And distributed to teachers throughout the United States
Thanks! We look forward to seeing your films!
Best Regards,
Jennifer Nedbalsky Program Manager Human Rights Watch Intl Film Festival
Miguel Salinas Senior Program Manager
SOME ADDITIONAL INFO:
About YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE: Armed with digital cameras and their own creativity - young people across the globe are bravely exposing human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE is a program of short films created by filmmakers under the of 19.
To learn more about YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE check out this podcast - Christina Salerno caught up with some of the young filmmakers at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in New York.
To watch the films from the first year of YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE please click here. Click on the tiny box to set the videos to "fullscreen" mode.
To read the summaries of the films that you are watching on the website, gohere and here.
When you go to that website you'll be able to watch all of the films, including this one -- "A Maid Is Not A Slave (Mbindaan Du Jaam)" (2007) - a drama in French with English subtitles, produced as part of the Make the Link, Break the Chain anti-slavery programme. In conjunction with National Museums Liverpool and Plan UK.
It tells the story of Kiné, a young Senegalese girl is sent to the city to work as a maid in order to support her family back home. When her employers begin to abuse her - who is there to protect her?
Created by Mariama Maréna, Seynabou Ciss, Dioundiouba Diagne, Marietou Ndoye Seck, Salimata Sow, Aissatou Gueye Seye, Aminata Dème, Dieynaba Koné - Mariama Ba Girls Boarding School – Senegal, West Africa
Last Tuesday night I attended the 2009 Brower Youth Awards ceremony at San Francisco's Herbst Theater.
It was an AMAZING night!
The awards ceremony recognized and honored this year's winners of the Brower Youth Awards.
The annual Brower Youth Awards, established by the Earth Island Institute, honors six young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. Each winner is awarded $3000 and brought to San Francisco for the award week and a backcountry camping trip. The Brower Youth Awards not only promote the accomplishments of these young leaders but also invest in their continued success by providing ongoing access to resources, mentors, and opportunities to develop their leadership skills through Earth Island Institute’s New Leaders Initiative.
This year's winners are:
Robin Bryan, age 21 - from Winnipeg, MB Robin helped save nearly one million acres of boreal forest from industrial logging.
Sierra Crane-Murdoch, age 21 - from Middlebury, VT Sierra co-founded Power Past Coal to spotlight communities impacted by the mining, processing and burning of coal.
Also check out an older blog post that I wrote about Alec, here.
Diana Lopez, age 20 - from San Antonio, TX Diana co-created an organic garden at a site in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the struggle for environmental justice.
Rickshaw Films produced the short videos to introduce the rising eco stars and their work. These films were shown at the Brower Youth Awards ceremony.
In addition the films I really enjoyed the 2 performances by Youth Speaks. Founded in 1996, Youth Speaks is the leading nonprofit presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs in the country. Check out some of their work on the Youth Speaks YouTube channel.
Join Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange & the Green Festival, as well as students and young leaders from across California -- including Erica Fernandez, a Brower Youth Award (BYA) winner 2007, and Alec Loorz, Kids vs. Global Warming & BYA winner 2009 -- as we all come together to build community and organizing capacity amongst individuals, campuses, and campaigns in the student sustainability and campus greening movement. Share skills and resources, learn about what your peers are doing, network with other schools, and have fun!
2009 Student Sustainability Coalition Convergence (Conference) @ UC Santa Cruz Campus - Friday, November 6 - Sunday, November 8, 2009.
Workshops available at the Convergence include topics like Real Food Challenge, On Campus Organizing and Water Justice, Eating the Power of your Plate, UCSC Campus Sustainability Plan/Campaign Strategies, Sustainable Consumerism, Power Shift: California to Copenhagen, Environmental Education for the Next Generation, Fair Food: Socially Just Farm Labor in America.
To register for the event (for a very reasonable fee; or apply for a scholarship) go here. Discount if you register by October 28th.
I attended the Spring 2009 Convergence at Cal Poly, and it was fantastic! I'm sure that this one at UC Santa Cruz will be great, too.
photo: by Ryan Andersen - Birds eye view of lunch during CSSC's Spring Convergence 2009 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The Convergences are organized by the California Student Sustainability Coalition - a project of the Earth Island Institute
Founded in 2003, the California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC) is made up of student organizations from all over California that collaborate to advance sustainability in all areas of human endeavor.
We are an active community of young leaders who are empowered to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our lives and work. Our goal is to catalyze and create life-affirming change in ourselves and the institutions we engage so that we can rise to the unprecedented challenges of the twenty-first century and thrive.
While we were founded in the University of California (UC) system, we are rapidly growing to include California State University (CSU) and California Community College (CCC) campuses, as well as private universities and even a handful of high schools.
You can sign up to receive their e-newsletter here, as well as read past editions of the e-newsletter.
This viral PSA YouTube video was released today by the League of Young Voters in order to educate and activate young voters around climate change legislation.
"Shut Up Windmill," which was written, directed by and features League staffers, pokes fun at America's reliance on dirty energy and asks viewers to get engaged in the conversation.
The PSA is linked to this website, which helps voters contact their elected officials so that voters can ask their elected officials to support strong climate legislation.
The League of Young Voters Education Fund, founded in 2004, empowers young people nationwide to vote and participate in the democratic process -with a focus on youth from low-income communities and communities of color.
The League of Young Voters Education Fund is a member of the Energy Action Coalition, a national coalition of over one hundred youth organizations who are interested in environmental causes.
Photographer Chris Jordan and friends recently traveled to the US territory the Midway Atoll (also known as the Midway Islands) in order to document the effects of marine debris on the Laysan Albatross.
The Laysan Albatross is one of 21 albatross species. The IUCN has identified 19 of these 21 species as threatened or endangered. The large seabirds make their home on remote oceanic islands; the Laysan Albatross calls the Midway Atoll home.
The Midway Atoll is a 2.4 mile large stretch of coral and sand, located near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo.
photo: The white dot in the center indicates the location of the Midway Atoll.
The Midway Atoll, located in the Pacific Ocean, is not far from the site of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
photo: prepared by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has received a lot of media coverage in the last year, and was even featured on Oprah. (Watch her segment on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch here.)
While some say that the mass of plastic is twice the size of Texas, NOAA has reported that the size of the mass is unknown. Additionally, the highly-regarded Captain Charles Moore has reported that there are floating garbage patches in NINE of the planet's ocean gyres - the Great Pacific Garbage patch is not the only one.
The world's plastic waste (which when found in the ocean is referred to as "marine debris") is having disastrous effects on the Laysan Albatross. Since the Laysan Albatross is a scavenger that feeds both on land and at sea (by surface seizing and diving) they mistakenly pick up bits of marine debris that resemble squid, fish, and krill, and bring these items back to their nests on the Midway Atoll to feed to their chicks.
The plastics that the parents feed to their young obstruct the chicks' digestive systems, making the birds feel full yet providing no nutrition, thereby causing the birds to starve to death. (This happens to the adult birds too; not just their chicks.)
Chris Jordan took these photos to show the world what is happening to the Laysan Albatross.
To document what is happening to the albatrosses as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2,000 miles from the nearest continent.
To view the rest of Chris' photos and to read the group's blog, go here. To view the photos in a fullscreen slideshow format, go here.
For more information about Chris Jordan and his other work, check out my previous blog post on Chris.
For more information about marine debris and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch check out Captain Charles Moore's organization the Algalita Marine Research Foundation's free resources for educators here.
photo: This was not done by Chris Jordan, but it's a good resource - the photo depicts the stomach contents of ONE Laysan Albatross chick that starved to death as a result of marine debris.
Do Something hosts Social Action Boot Camps to bring a diverse group of young community leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs together for a day of networking and training dedicated to giving each attendee the tools to grow and sustain their community action ideas, projects and organizations.
A Social Action Boot Camp is coming up in NYC, and can be streamed online, live, for free!
NYC BOOT CAMP Date: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH Place: NYU School of Law, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012 Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm EST (Breakfast and Lunch Included) Cost: FREE (Attendees are responsible for travel and accommodation costs.) Registration Deadline: October 23rd
If you can't make it you'll be able to watch Boot Camp LIVE online. Here are the details for how to watch the live stream, and what you will see on the live stream, and at what time.
Requirements to attend: All attendees must be 25 AND UNDER and actively engaged in improving their communities (locally and/or globally).
Sessions and workshops offered on:
* Path to Change: Turning your Ideas in Action * Measuring Your Impact * Building a Website * Foundations and Grant writing * Branding and Marketing: How to find your voice and tell your story * Individual Donors: How to pitch your program and manage donor relationships * Online Communications * Starting your Own Not-for-Profit * Corporate Sponsors: How to pitch your program and manage donor relationships * Public Relations: How to get press for your project * 501c3 and Fiscal Sponsors: Benefits and Pitfalls * Succession Planning: How to keep your project going without you * Political Activism: How to get your local officials to listen * Recruiting and Managing Volunteers * Public Relations * Partnerships * Applying for a Do Something Grant
If you have questions please email bootcamp@dosomething.org
This Boot Camp is generously powered by American Express.
Senator John Kerry and Senator Barbara Boxer have written a climate bill together - the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733). This original version of the bill as it was introduced, can be read, here.
Senator Boxer chairs the US Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, one of the 6 committees that US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has charged with the responsibility of drafting climate legislation.
Senator Boxer's committee will hold the first of a series of 3 hearings on the bill that she and Senator Kerry introduced, this Wednesday, October 27. As the legislative process moves along, the content of the climate bill will change.
If you'd like to stay current on this by reading an e-newsletter that comes out once every six weeks, then sign up to receive the Sustainability & Conservation e-newsletter that I write as a volunteer for the nonpartisan nonprofit HeadCount.
To sign up for the e-newsletter go to this website, check off "Sustainability & Conservation" as your issue of concern, and then enter your contact information into the required fields.
You can read my first two editions, here and here.
If you are a younger climate activist and you'd like to hear from Senator John Kerry directly - and ask him some questions about the climate bill - then sign up for this conference call. It has been organized by the Consequence Campaign, which provides younger climate activists with a forum to share ideas and be heard on this issue.
photo: Senator John Kerry
October 22, 2009
Friends,
This Tuesday, Senator Kerry will engage young people across the country to talk about this historic moment in the fight for clean energy. Senator Kerry, the author of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, understands the importance of youth action on the climate issue and wants to hear from us.
Please join our call to discuss the bill and the roll we can play in getting it passed. When you sign up, remember to take a moment to add your question for the Senator. On Monday, you can vote for the best question and the top vote getters will ask their question on the call.
RSVP today and submit a question for Senator Kerry here.
What: Conference call for youth climate activists Date: Tuesday, October 27 Time: 9pm EST
photo: fadhu, abee and koki for 350! Little Weekend vacation @ Banyan Tree maldives Vabbinfaru! We won't be seeing this beautiful beach and ocean if we don't act now! Photo courtesy of 350.org on Flickr.
Saturday's the day -- October 24, the International Day of Climate Action. So join the nearest 350 action knowing you'll be part of something big.
Very big, in fact.
This campaign has gone viral--there will be 4,000+ events taking place simultaneously in over 175 nations. As far as the 350.org organizers can tell, this is going to be the single most widespread day of political action about any issue that our planet has ever seen.
Here are some of the highlights:
* In Hungary, hundreds of bathers will jump into the public baths in Budapest and do a 350 synchronized swimming performance.
* In Nepal, over a thousand young people and monks will march to the Swayambhunath world heritage site temple where they will form a large 350 with traditional lanterns.
* In the United States, 350 people will dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller in Seattle -- because if we don't stop global warming, we might as well be undead.
* In Panama, indigenous youth will lead a moonlight vigil in Kuna Yala, their vulnerable low-lying islands off the coast of Panama, forming a 350 at sunrise.
If you're in San Francisco, check out this preview of the day's events --
And WHY is this called 350.org???
350 parts per million is the safe level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere according to the latest science, and it's the target world leaders should commit to when they sign a new international climate treaty in December.
I have not yet written a blog post about what I was up to, last summer (2008.) Or why the photo at the top of this page is of me standing in front of the stage at a Jack Johnson concert at the Gorge in rural Washington State, when I am originally from a suburb of NYC ... I'll get to that in a later post.
However it is related to the topic of this post - and my involvement with the non-partisan, nonprofit organization HeadCount. HeadCount's co-founder and Executive Director, Andy Bernstein, just released the following stats about HeadCount's voter registration work at music festivals and concerts, in 2008.
This is a momentous day for HeadCount. Check out Andy's blog post for the full story - this is just an excerpt.
We were even more excited when an independent organization studied the voter registration work of 25 different organizations, and HeadCount had some of the best stats in all the key measurements.
Yeah, our report card arrived. And it looks like we got A’s.
The study, prepared by the Washington, D.C.-based New Organizing Institute, won’t be public until next month, but the preliminary data in a draft version showed the following:
- 92% of the people we registered made it onto the voter rolls. We were number one in this category, (compared to about 25 other groups in this study, who averaged 80% in aggregate).
- 85% of our registrations were considered “impactful,” meaning the registration was unique and that the person was not already registered at the same address. This was the second best percentage for any group in the study.
- 72% of the people we successfully registered in the “field” (at concerts) voted, compared to a national average of 59%. In this category, we had the third best totals of any group.
I just read a great "open letter to President Obama" from Edo Segal, published on the blog Tech Crunch on October 11th.
Edo's letter opens with ...
Mr President,
On the night of your acceptance speech, just before you walked on stage, “you” sent out an email saying “i will be in touch soon”—but you disappeared and all we were left with was the strange feeling you get when your older brother ditches you for his cooler friends. Does it take you winning a Nobel prize to get another direct letter from you?
Where’s the attention? The yes-we-can attitude, making us feel we can be good again? It seems that since you made it to the Oval Office you have been too busy at work, and our relationship has really suffered.
I recall that as the election results where announced, there was an epiphany that hit the pundits and us web folks at the same time. “He’s going to govern this way” we all thought. What we meant was that you will continue the evolution of direct democracy beyond using the Internet for fundraising, heralding a new age of direct access to the citizenry. A new age of democracy where the President has your email and can talk to you directly. An age without intermediaries and pollsters—just us and that cool guy who’s running the country.
Edo provides President Obama with a series of ideas. Visit this website to submit your own (and to vote for your favorites.) I was moved to publish this post not only because I totally hear what Edo is saying in his letter (particularly as a recipient of the Organizing for America emails), but also because I really connect with a line in Edo's idea for Obama #3:
Use your power to promote things that have to do with generosity of spirit, not just hard core policy.
Now that's good advice for anyone - not just President Obama:)
Atlas Service Corps seeks nonprofit leaders from around the world to apply for their 2010-2011 fellowship positions in Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD and Bogota, Colombia.
Expenses are paid in this prestigious fellowship program, including a living stipend, health insurance, and training. Applicants must have 3 or more years of experience in the nonprofit sector, a college degree, fluency in English (and Spanish if applying to volunteer in Colombia), and a commitment to return to their home country after one year.
Candidates from outside the U.S. are placed at outstanding host organizations in Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD including Ashoka, Asian American LEAD, CentroNía, Grameen Foundation, and Population Action International. Candidates from the U.S. are placed at organizations in Bogota like Global Humanitaria and Oxfam GB.
In addition to volunteering full time at their host organizations, Fellows are enrolled in a management development training program and join a growing network of nonprofit leaders from around the world.
For more details about eligibility requirements and the application process, please go here and watch a short video about the application process below. The speaker is Scott Beale, founder of Atlas Service Corps.
Photo: HeadCount voter registration volunteers posing for a photos with Jack Johnson - Jack Johnson 2008 Tour - Mansfield MA show, August 2008.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill into law that permits 17 year old California residents to register to vote before their 18th birthday. The 17 year old will then be able to vote in an election beginning on the day that they turn 18 years old.
This process is called "pre-registration." California is the 8th state, now, that permits its residents to register to vote at either 16 or 17 years old. For example, over the summer North Carolina passed a law permitting its residents to register to vote when the residents turn 16 years old.
According to this report, this will facilitate youth registration at two highly convenient locations – in school and at the motor vehicles department when applying for a driver's license. Currently, the majority of voters register when conducting business at motor vehicle departments, and this change will extend that option to younger people as well. And in doing so it will link in young people's minds the rite of passage of getting a driver's license with that of registering to vote.
When signed by the governor, the state will join Hawaii and Florida in allowing for pre-registration. But in true North Carolina, pro-voter style they are coupling this reform with other important provisions – requiring schools to include voter registration information in the 10th grade civics curriculum, encouraging school boards to “adopt policies to promote voter registration,” and including schools in the yearly voter registration drives conducted by local boards of election.
California students were the most persuasive advocates for pre-registration. The students were joined by organizations including the New America Foundation, AARP, The League of Women Voters and FairVote.
MA may be the next state to pass such a law. Representative Ellen Story, a member of the MA House leadership, has put this as her top agenda item. She bluntly stated at a press conference that "[w]e are looking for good bills to pass that don’t cost anything because we don’t have any money.”
I'm writing this post in support of the 3rd annual "Blog Action Day" sponsored by Change.org. This year's theme is "Climate Change."
According to an email that I just received from the organizers, nearly 10,000 bloggers in 150 countries have signed up to participate in this year's event and are writing about climate change today. The organizers believe that 99% of participating bloggers have never written about climate change before, so this is a great way to engage a new audience in conversations about climate change.
Additionally, "Blog Action Day" has been the top Google blog search today and CNN just wrote an article "Bloggers Unite On Climate Change" about it! It's not too late to participate! Here's my contribution to the cause:)
Did you catch the Monday, September 21st world premiere of the film "The Age of Stupid" or any of the events that took place during NYC's Climate Week last month? Maybe you heard that Moby and Thom Yorke of Radiohead performed benefit concerts that week? Or that Kofi Annan spoke, and Thom Yorke played "Reckoner", during the live world premiere of the film, from the NYC location?
Well if you were in NYC during Climate Week then you might be familiar with the work of the NY-based graphic design firm MSLK. The firm uses art to raise awareness about the consumption of plastics. Their project "Watershed" toured NYC during Climate Week. The eco-installation is composed of 1,500 plastic water bottles, to represent the number of plastic water bottles consumed EACH SECOND in the USA alone.
The installation was accompanied by hand-painted signs with facts that say things like "17 million barrels of oil are used in producing bottled water each year."
But this isn't just a climate-change related issue. It's also a matter of public health. Another sign says that "plastic leaches toxins into the water, which have been linked to health problems such as reproductive issues and cancer."
If that isn't reason enough to stop drinking bottled water, there's also the fact that (also on a sign) "bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water. Drinking 2 Litres of tap water a day only costs 50 cents per year." And "NYC tap water surpasses all federal and state health standards."
There was a bit of a ruckus lately over the aluminum bottle manufacturer SIGG's disclosure that prior to August 2008 the bottles that the company manufactured contained a liner that was not BPA-free. However this is no longer the case - all SIGG bottles now contain a BPA-free liner.
That being said, I was disappointed to hear about this because I own two SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 - one of which is the Jack Johnson 2008 Sleep Through The Static Tour water bottle. (The photo at the top of this page was taken in August 2008 at a Jack Johnson show at the Gorge Amphitheater in WA.)
From the October 2008 Kokua Hawaii Foundation e-newsletter: (Jack Johnson has organized several Kokua Festivals to raise funds for this nonprofit organization.)
... As a result, Kokua Hawaii Foundation has partnered with reusable bottle company, EcoUsable, to trade SIGG bottles for new EcoUsable stainless steel bottles. EcoUsable invents, produces and markets reusable water bottle products with the mission of helping the environment and people's health, affordably. Beginning October 1 through November 15, 2009 EcoUsable will be offering a trade of any SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 for new EcoUsable bottles.
Receive one (1) Stainless Steel EcoUsable bottle in exchange for any SIGG bottle traded to EcoUsable. There is no limit to how many bottles you can exchange. Got a Kokua branded bottle? Trade your Kokua branded SIGG bottle and receive a new Kokua branded EcoUsable bottle.
To exchange your bottle(s) with EcoUsable please print the Return Form and Label and send to: Ecousable Inc. 500 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #106, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Replacement bottles will be shipped to you free of charge in the US only from EcoUsable during the month of November.
Bottles collected by EcoUsable will be "upcycled" or converted into something usable. Please direct questions regarding the EcoUsable bottle trade to bottleexchange@ecousable.com
Stay posted for more exciting aspects of the EcoUsable and Kokua Hawaii Foundation partnership, including our new Plastic Free Schools program and EcoUsable's EcoRaising Program for schools. To learn more about EcoUsable please visit www.ecousable.com.
Similar news from Jack's October 9, 2009 e-newsletter: The 2008 Rise Above Plastic - Sleep Through the Static Tour bottle produced by SIGG does contain the old liner. As a result, Jack Johnson Music has partnered with reusable bottle company, EcoUsable, to trade SIGG bottles for new EcoUsable stainless steel bottles. EcoUsable invents, produces and markets reusable water bottle products with the mission of helping the environment and people's health, affordably.
Beginning October 1 through November 15, 2009 EcoUsable will be offering a trade of any SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 for new EcoUsable bottles. Receive one (1) Stainless Steel EcoUsable bottle in exchange for any SIGG bottle traded to EcoUsable. There is no limit to how many bottles you can exchange.
Got a Jack Johnson Sleep Through the Static branded bottle? Trade your Jack Johnson Sleep Through the Static branded SIGG bottle and receive a new EcoUsable bottle with a, fresh off the press, Jack Johnson:En Concert sticker that you can apply to it.
To exchange your bottle(s) with EcoUsable please print the Return Form and Label and send to: Ecousable Inc. 500 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #106, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Return Form and Label will be available on jackjohnonsmusic.com. Replacement bottles will be shipped to you free of charge in the US only from EcoUsable during the month of November.
Bottles collected by EcoUsable will be "upcycled" or converted into something usable. Please direct questions regarding the EcoUsable bottle trade to bottleexchange@ecousable.com. To learn more about EcoUsable please visit www.ecousable.com.
So please - ditch the disposable plastic water bottles (and all disposable plastic goods, and as much plastic goods as possible, in general) and use the aluminum reusable bottles instead. Also check out http://noimpactproject.org/ for other lifestyle tips that you can follow to help make a difference in the struggle to end global warming.
A 21 year old Indiana National Guardsman, Jacob Sexton, shot and killed himself in an Indiana movie theater on Monday night. Jacob was home on a 15-day leave from his service in Afghanistan because his girlfriend had recently given birth.
Jacob was at the theater to see "Zombieland" with his two brothers, Jeremiah and Jared, and his best friend, Terry Keagy.
When the group went to buy tickets, the manager asked for 18+ identification because it was a Rated (R) movie, according to police. Jacob said "I shot 18 people and you want to see my identification?" He then showed the manager a military ID.
Jacob’s family told Indiana's WTHR that he was supposed to report for duty on Monday (October 19th) to be shipped back to Afghanistan and wasn’t any signs anything was wrong with him.
But during the movie Jacob asked his brother if he could see his brother's semi-automatic handgun. (His brother has a permit for the gun.) Then Jacob told his brother to duck, and shot himself in the head.
According to the Columbus, IN Republic, Jacob was serving with the Indiana National Guard's Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. The unit responds to attacks on military installations or convoys near the Kabul area, said Lt. Col. Deedra Thombleson, a guard spokeswoman.
Sexton had spent three months in Iraq in 2006-07, she said.
First Sgt. Steven Bishop said Sexton was a "great kid" who volunteered to go to Afghanistan. He let other guard members in the unit select their leave dates before choosing his so that everyone else could get their first pick, Bishop said.
"He was always smiling - always joking," Bishop said. "He was always making the best out of any situation and never complained. It's really a shock for all of us. This would have been the last thing in the world we would have expected from him."
Yet Jacob's father, Jeffrey Sexton, spoke out yesterday and said that the families of service members who have returned home from war need to closely watch their veterans for signs of stress. Mr. Sexton said that Jacob had showed no signs of being suicidal before shooting himself in the head.
"We just need to watch these boys and the girls coming back home. Something's just not right. Too much is happening."
Jacob's brother Jeremiah, who owns the gun that Jacob used to commit suicide, is in the same National Guard unit as Jacob, but has not yet been deployed to Afghanistan.
Photo: October 13, 2009 press conference. Photo taken from Speaker Pelosi's blog.
Yesterday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), announced that a key provision of the house version of the health care bill would allow youth to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until their 27th birthday.
This article from the Hill says that Speaker Pelosi has been working with fellow leaders to merge the versions of the healthcare bill passed by three different committees into what will in many ways be a whole new bill.
Watch highlights of yesterday's announcement, below, including excerpts from Krisja Kendricks' remarks.
According to Nancy Pelosi's blog post, while a senior in college, Krisja was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She was still covered by her dad’s insurance plan and received excellent and prompt medical attention, surgery and therapy—but two months after she graduated college, she was kicked off the plan. She applied to numerous insurance companies and, time after time, was denied coverage because she’d had cancer. Krisja said, “essentially because I needed insurance, I was not eligible for it.”.
Photo: Pete Wentz
On October 21st @ 4pm PT Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz will participate in a live online health care forum with Rock the Vote President Heather Smith and U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. Register to participate here, and submit your questions for the participants.
UPDATE (11/9/09): watch the archived footage of the online health care forum below.
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