Think Bigg

Not that the death of the planet isn’t entertaining on its own, of course, but global warming is always so much more fun when you can turn it into a computer game! No?

American Public Media — producer of public radio programs like “Marketplace” — has put together a light-hearted little game called Consumer Consequences that lets you “find out if you are living a sustainable life.” (Hint: you’re not.)

Select your avatar, select your neighborhood, and Consumer Consequences asks you a series of questions about your lifestyle — do you recycle? do you take public transportation? do you fly first or economy? As you play, it will show you how many “Earths” of natural resources it would take to sustain all 6.6 billion humans if everyone lived like you.

Once you find out what a resource hog we all are, the game gives you a chance to modify your choices and reduce your footprint.

According to the website,

Consumer Consequences is built using data that represents average U.S. consumer habits. When you answer the questions, you increase or decrease your score, which is expressed in global acres.

If you divide the number of global acres by the number of people on the planet (6.6 billion), then each human’s fair share is 4.5 global acres. So, if your lifestyle requires more than 4.5 global acres, you’re using more than our planet can sustain.

I gave up when halfway through I found out I had already blown through 6.1 Earths. I must admit that it’s a bit self-defeating when you see how much you (I) consume and realize how hard it is to make the lifestyle changes that are really necessary in order for life to be sustainable.

But enough wallowing in self-pity! Get on over to Consumer Consequences and remind yourself why you feel guilty enough to read my blog!

Share This

Now that kids are back to school, it may be time to reconsider what you’re sending in their lunch bags. With an estimated 17 percent of kids overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control, teaching good eating habits must begin at a very early age.

Image Source

According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer,

Water and fruit may be important, but the building blocks of a healthful lunch are carbohydrates, not the white kind, but the complex ones, according to Berkeley’s Cooper.

Then parents can load those grain breads and pitas with healthy peanut butter, other nut butters, turkey and other protein sources. Of course, nutritionists suggest tossing in fruits, vegetables and dips.

What goes between the bread is critical, says the UW Medical Center’s Simon. She encourages people to focus on buying quality meats and chicken, then using it in sandwiches, rather than slapping in lunchmeats.

Fat isn’t always the enemy, Simon says, noting that there is good fat in nuts and hummus.

And next time you head to the grocery store, don’t forget to take along the EWR’s free guide to Pesticides in Produce! It turns out that conventional apples — a lunchtime staple for my mom’s brown bag lunches — have the second highest pesticide load of any fruit or vegetable except peaches.

Leaving an apple for the teacher suddenly got a lot more complicated…

Share This

You may have seen President Clinton making the rounds recently to promote his new book, GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World.

As an adjunct to the book and part of the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative, they recently launched MyCommitment.org, which is dedicated to helping ordinary citizens find a way to make a difference.

There’s almost too much information on here, with literally hundreds of ways for you to make a difference, but it’s all excellent stuff. I could probably post on just one of these things every day for a year!

From their website,

No act of giving is too big or too small. Whether it’s hosting a potluck to raise money for your favorite cause or volunteering with your church group once a month to clean a local park—everyone can give something. Inside this My Commitment 101 Kit you’ll find everything you need to get started on your commitment, including a database of volunteer opportunities available in communities worldwide, downloadable charity badges to post on your blog or website, 50 tips for improving the world, lists of organizations and groups you might want to join or buy from, and more!

Being a former president seems a bit like becoming a grandfather — without the constant pressure of making sure you raise the kids right, you can become a softer, gentler version of yourself. I liked the old President Clinton, but I think I like the new one even better!

Check out all the options and pledge to make a difference — one action at a time!

Share This

What are you doing on May 10, 2008? Perhaps you’ll be presenting your latest film masterpiece on Pangea Day!

What is Pangea Day? Watch this trailer and find out:

According to their website,

Pangea Day was created by award winning documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim after she won the prestigious TED prize. Pangea Day’s mission is to create a worldwide network of caring and concerned citizens who are making a difference. Our first action is an upcoming global film event called Pangea Day.

Sites in New York City, Rio, London, Dharamasala, Cairo, Jerusalem and Kigali will simulcast a program of films, speakers and music.

So even if you don’t get one of your films chosen for the program, maybe you should mark your calendars anyway!

Share This

In October, Brian and I are taking off for a 4-day desert camel trek in Morocco with my favorite adventure travel specialist, Mountain Travel Sobek. This two-week vacation won’t be quite as selfless as the prior trip to India, I’m afraid, but it turns out I can’t blame that on the tour company!

Mountain Travel Sobek has just published two new tours — both led by one of the original company founders — for folks who want to combine their adventure vacation with a unique opportunity to do some good.

The first is an exciting trip through Egypt:

It’s a fascinating journey exploring the Nile through the lens of Sobek (yes, our Sobek!), the crocodile god that influenced so much of dynastic Egypt, and of the crocodile itself, which through poaching, pollution, and the blockage from the Aswan Dam has disappeared from the Egyptian Nile. Traveling to temples and active dig sites not included on any other itineraries, you’ll witness the art and architecture influenced by the great god Sobek, as well as many other great icons of Egypt. And, you’ll “make a difference” by taking one of the many live poached crocodiles at Aswan and releasing it back into the waters of the Nile, where through efforts like this it might one day thrive and reclaim its place as “Lord of the Nile.”

The second trip is through the north and south islands of New Zealand:

If you’re the kind of person who likes to get the most out of your vacation, you’ll love this trip! The itinerary is very similar to the one Mountain Travel Sobek co-founder Richard Bangs designed for the PBS series Adventures with Purpose, and it’s an action-packed discovery of both the South and North Islands of New Zealand. Go canyoneering in the spectacular canyons of the Matukituki Valley; try your hand at ice climbing at the Fox Glacier; swim with dolphins; sea kayak on a vast crater lake (with volcanoes looming on the horizon); and ever so much more, including meeting a Maori elder who will share his people’s perspective on history and natural geography. And, you’ll make a difference, by spending time on volunteer community projects that benefit New Zealand’s people and their stunning environment. More than just a vacation, this is an adventure with purpose.

I traveled with a MT Sobek group a few years ago on a sea kayaking expedition in Baja California and had an amazing time. The guides were fabulous and the other people on the tour were interesting and friendly. If we weren’t already on our way to North Africa, I just might be convinced to change my plans!

Why not check out the tours and clear your calendars!

Share This