Photo Credit: Raphaël Fauveau

Happy Earth Day 2011 everyone!  Earth Day is the designated day of the year to take a step back and appreciate the environment and all that it does for us.  Unfortunately, between global climate change and mismanagement of natural resources, the environment is not as healthy as it could be.  Days like Earth Day remind us of what we should be directing our focus towards.  However, I feel that many people do not know the full history of how Earth Day came into fruition.

The idea for Earth Day came from Wisconsin U.S. Senator, Gaylord Nelson.  Nelson recognized that the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill was becoming a huge environmental problem.  He decided that he was going to try to pair the ideas of air and water pollution with the drive of the student anti-war movement.  Nelson described his idea of a “national teach-in on the environment”, which soon evolved into the holiday starting on April 22^nd, 1970.  On Earth Day today, millions of people head to the streets to promote environmental protection, awareness, and good ol’ fashion trash clean-ups.

With Earth Day 1970 came the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.  Earth Day 2010 celebrated its 40^th anniversary of environmental protection.  It amazes me how much has been accomplished in just 41 years of a professional environmental agency.  Although we are in no way perfect and still have a long way to go, it is important to appreciate that people are working hard to make positive changes.  So, I ask you, take part in Earth Day 2011.  Pick up a piece of trash, spend some time outside, set “Earth Day” as your Facebook status, and spread awareness of this event.

Click here to learn more about Earth Day.

Click here to see a cool, time-lapse video if Earth from space.

Photo Credit: Melania

Earth Day often evokes images of VW Buses, the White House, hippies with long blond hair and peace signs hanging from their necks.  Though we are not in the 1970s anymore, we are still reminded of the responsibility we have to conserve our natural resources.  So, the question remains, what will you do?

Earth Day was born out of the lack of environmental issues in the political agenda.  In the late 1960s, after many attempts to campaign for the environment, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin had the idea of holding an environmental protest, modeled after the Vietnam War protests.  These protests, organized by activist Denis Hayes, were said to have launched our environmental movement.

Soon after, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created, and now, environmental issues are a huge part of the political agenda.  There is also us: me, Think Green Live Clean, and everyone who is trying to stay engaged and informed.

Now… what will you do?  Not just on Earth Day, but everyday?  Cheesy, yes.  But, it can make a big difference.

Read more about Earth Day here.

Photo Credit: macdomeng

Happy Earth Hour everyone!  Earth Hour has become an annual tradition that originated in Sydney, Australia in 2007.  The original concept was developed in order to help bring awareness to climate change, but has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.  The holiday is nothing more than shutting off all your lights for one hour.  Fairly simple, right?  That is probably the reason why so many countries are now participating in this event.  The 2011 Earth Hour takes place today, March 26^th, at 8:30PM-9:30PM (your local time).

In 2007, the event started in Sydney with 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses turning off their lights.  In 2010, the event had grown to the biggest Earth Hour ever.  Hundreds of millions of people across 128 countries all joined in to do their part to support the cause.  I think the concept is amazing because the idea is two-fold.  First, it shows how much of an impact lights and other electronics have on our lives.  Shutting everything off for one hour is extremely simple, but for some people, it is very difficult.  Secondly, the cause allows people to actually see the difference they make, a great motivation to make a change.  Shutting off lights reduces energy, reduces fossil fuel consumption, saves money, and many other great benefits.

I think it is very impressive that businesses, along with the hundreds of millions of people, are also taking part to show that they are showing support as well.  I am excited to see the numbers for how many people participate this year!  Not only does the event encourage the Earth Hour, but they also stress going “beyond the hour”.  Encourage your family, friends, employees, or anyone else you can think of to participate tonight and to also think of other things that they can do to help the cause every other day of the year.  Together, with causes like this, people can truly make a difference.  Have a Happy Earth Hour!

Click here to view Earth Hour’s Website.

Click here to view the official Earth Hour video.

Click here to view the 2011 Earth Hour event video.

Update- Click here for Earth Hour 2011: Click on each city to see the changes that turning off the lights made!

Photo Credit: Nic McPhee

Who doesn’t love a good trip to the theatre?  I recently came across a document that outlined a different kind of educational form of theatre called “Green Drama”.  The program is a training course that is intended to educate people about how to make positive environmental choices.  Their concept is fairly simple:

Environmental Education + Drama = Green Drama

The goal of environmental education is to use drama skills in order to educate and change a person’s behavior.  Green Drama is focused on hitting 5 main areas of the environment: Awareness, Attitudes, Sensitivity, Skills, and Participation.  One of the most appealing qualities of Green Drama is that it is not a stereotypical theatre/audience relationship.  All of the games and activities are completely interactive, improvisational, creative, and are based on experience, so everyone is involved and having fun!  The group works to build environmental skills of the younger generation, working on topics such as good sustainability, shopping habits, waste management, and many more.  The groups range from 8 to 25 people and the program runs continuously for 1.5 to 2 hours.

I think that Green Drama training course would be a fantastic thing to start incorporating into the American school systems.  As children, I’m sure we have all experienced school assemblies that were not very memorable.  However, I think there is a huge possibility that if this program is done correctly, then the participants will learn a lot and have a lot of fun doing it.  If kids can have fun experiencing environmental education in a very enjoyable way, then our younger generations will have the lessons of environmental awareness engrained into their head for years to come.  Be on your lookout for Green Drama!  It may be making its way to a community near you!

To download the PDF, I simply Googled “Green Drama”

Green Drama: Influencing Choices and European Youth Work Training Course

Hyvärilä Youth Centre, Nurmes

Metsäkartano Youth Centre, Rautavaara

Finland

Photo Credit: David Goehring

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many of us will be shopping for chocolates, flowers, stuffed animals of all sizes and romantic cards.  While we’re looking to impress that special someone, we should also try to show the environment some love as well.

Even though we are often thinking about making sure we’re keeping our significant others full on chocolate, smelling like roses and on the verge of crying from our romantic cards; sometimes the environment can be left in the cold.  When you think about the impact these small acts can have, you may want to reconsider your plans.  Whether its the environmental costs of the pesticides used in floral growth, the social costs of the cocoa used for your chocolate hearts, or the amount of deforestation caused by the printing of cards, a green valentines isn’t beyond your reach.

When you’re in the market for some flowers, do some quick research and find a local florist who offers organically grown flowers, such as Organic Bouquet.  These flowers have been grown with the environment in mind and have typically been grown with natural pesticides and fertilizers.  Secondly, if you’re in the market for a chocolate heart, bear, bunny, or some other edible animal, look for a fair trade chocolate treat.  You can find some good fair trade options HERE.  Finally, why not show love interest that you really care by finding a card that wasn’t the cause of deforestation.  Why not save the trip to the local card shop and make your own card from recycled paper, or make a special, downloadable e-card that your special someone can save for years to come.

There’s lots of ways to show some love and be sustainable at the same time.  This Valentine’s Day give the environment a little extra love.  To read about more sustainable Valentine’s ideas, click HERE.

Welcome to Windowfarming.org, the best place to go if you want the skinny on growing food in your, well, window. More precisely, it’s the best place to go if you want to learn how to grow functional, space saving, creative works of art in your living room. The fact that Window Farms are suspended means that they are incredibly high yielding, and they fact that they’re hydroponic means they’re incredibly efficient. And wonderfully enough, because these gardens are made from mostly recycled or low-impact products, the cost so little to make and maintain you can afford to have a garden in every window you want.

Perhaps even more interesting is the Windowfarms.org community that has developed over the years. Their RD-I-Y tactic (Research and Develop It Yourself) has created a “network of individuals sharing information can implement a wide variety of designs that accommodate specific local needs and implement them locally.” This means that although it has only been online for about 2 years, the site has already sprung 12 new, innovative ideas for window farming that are changing the face of urban gardening.

With step-by-step guides for all levels, there has never been an easier way to grow your own food where you never previously imagined you could. Check it out: www.windowfarms.org!

Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes

Have you thought of your New Year’s resolution yet?  Well, let me suggest adding a very simple resolution that will have a positive impact in the world.  This resolution is as simple as reading a book.  Many people love learning about how their actions can specifically impact the world by seeing statistics and learning facts.  However, it is very hard to find sources that are reliable.  My New Year’s resolution suggestions are to read The Green Book and The Lorax.

The Green Book, written by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen, outlines information ranging from how to save energy with your computer all the way to purchasing beer with the least amount of packaging.  The book is broken down into sections such as work, sports, and health, so the information is easy to find for the topic you are looking for.  It is nearly impossible to read the book without finding some type of statistic that applies to you.

If you are a parent, my second New Year’s Resolution suggestion applies to you.  Do you want to teach your kids about how they can Go Green, but find it difficult to explain why it is important?  The Lorax, written by Dr. Seuss, puts the concepts of Going Green and environmental protection into the clearest way possible, a children’s book. The children read about how a character started out with a colorful forest inhabited by very interesting animals, but as he chops down the trees to make products the forest loses its color and the animals go away. This book will not only teach your children, but it will also create a bonding experience for you and your child to read the story together and leaves time to ask questions.  I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did!

Click here to view the Green Book Project

Click here to view the Lorax Project

Photo Credit: Selman Pinarli

The actuality of running out of water is quite unfathomable; especially given that, well… we live off the stuff. But when you take into consideration circumstantial influences, like a sizeable starving population, a rapidly expanding youth populace, and an addictive plant (similar to tobacco) that is quickly depleting the water supply, the notion becomes a bit more real.   All things considered, it is no wonder that Yemen could be the first country to completely run out of water.

As the outskirts of the country continue to dry up over time, more and more people are fleeing to the capital of Sana’a, causing the city to grow over 7% per year. The water is vastly consumed by the farming population that actively grows qat, a plant chewed by 75% percent of the male population that is replacing other crops like grapes. And when 20% of the population is starving,  there is a drive to continue growing- it’s about making a living, and saving water will always take a back seat.

On top of the farming dilemma, Yemen lacks the governmental infrastructure to effectively manage the drilling of water wells. The government itself claims that 99% of the water extraction on the land is unlicensed, as the oversight in outskirts of the country is defective. But this can only go on for so long before serious measures must be taken, like moving the capital to a coastal environment conducive to desalination or baring rural folk from moving to urban centers.  Imagine that for some green news!  Either way, it leaves room for many unhappy citizens and an open door for certain organizations (we won’t name names) to take advantage of a discontented population.

It’s important to note the significance of the water issue on a global scale, beyond the borders of Yemen. While we may not realize it, water has and may continue to be a cause for conflict among societies in the future- human beings can survive when deprived of many things, but not the very source of life. On a positive note however, we mustn’t forget the role technology and design could play in finding a solution. After all, progress has already been made by organizations like IDEO and Acumen Fund in initiating projects like the Ripple Effect, aimed at improving access to safe drinking water for the worlds poorest. Point being: there is hope, and a desire to help.

And more…

Photo Credit: Aussie G.

Christmas season always brings out the gift giving, big meals and lots of parties.  With the New Year just around the corner, what kinds of resolutions are needed to make 2011 the most sustainable year yet?

The biggest change most society will need to make to improve its behaviours and reduce the impact it has on the environment is a change in attitude.  Sometimes the commitments we have to environmental protection and sustainability can take a hit when big consumer holidays come into the picture, such as Christmas.  Mainly due to excessive advertising and the promotion of consumerist tendencies, we feel that we aren’t having a successful holiday unless we are overindulging in purchases, foods, distant vacation trips, etc.  Environmental ideologies and big consumer holidays are very often on opposite sides of the sustainability argument.

Published in the International Journal of Sustainable Development, a team of researchers conducted surveys to find a statistical correlation between factors that influence our ability to behave in an environmentally friendly way and the mechanisms of household consumption that contradict those attitudes. They found three paradoxical aspects of this problem. First, they discovered that a desire to project an environmentally friendly image has little influence on energy use in the home or on transport. Secondly, a sense of powerlessness prevents people from translating positive environmental attitudes into low energy use in the home and for everyday transport. Thirdly, a desire to self-indulge prevents people from translating their environmentally friendly attitudes into low energy use for long distance leisure travel, commonly air travel.

Since New Year’s represent new opportunities for us to change our lifestyles and attitudes for the better, in 2011 let’s ask ourselves one question: “What is more important: our desire to indulge or the environmental impact of our activities?”  Have a safe and sustainable holiday season!

To find out more about the study discussed in this article, click HERE.

So this video is more about social justice then the environment per se but it is so moving that it must be shared on ThinkGreenLiveClean! The man in this video was honored on CNN’s Heroes of 2010. Get ready to feel a handful of emotions!