Join the Cause to Bring Joseph Kony to Justice

There was nothing exciting about the start of this week...work. eat. sleep. repeat. The same old grind as each day blended into the next. One routine after the other. Then last night, I decided to check in on my Google+ friends and stumbled upon this amazing video created by documentarian Jason Russell and his non-profit organization Invisible Children. 

Initially, it wasn't the video that drew me in. There was an intense debate happening in the comments section over whether America should get involved or not. It was like watching the UFC in words! Many were arguing in support of the cause but there were plenty of critics chiming in to voice their disgust. Names were being called, jabs we're being thrown, insults layered on top of insults, avatars attacking, and one girl who just couldn't get over the fact that her exact same post of the video didn't get the same response vowing to never return to Google+. It was amazing! In all honesty, it made me want to watch the video...all 30 minutes of it. I was glad I did.

My uncle use to always tell me that when you know better, you do better. The crimes of Joseph Kony should be featured front in center in the news, but unfortunately its not. The cool thing about social media is that, when used successfully, it can be a vehicle for change. I truly believe this campaign is going to make history and I'm down for the cause. 

If you'd like to join the #Kony2012 cause, here's a few ways you can get involved:

1. Take the Invisible Children's online pledge to bring Kony to justice

2. Purchase the Kony 2012 Action Kit ($30)

3. Donate

4. Share this video 

AND if your really looking to make a splash...

5. Find ways to post Kony 2012 content (posters, stickers, etc.) around your city. Then share a photo of your work using #Kony2012

 

A typical day at work

They say that people who work in the PR industry are some of the most stressed out people in America...in fact, this year it earned the rank of the seventh most stressful job!

I came across a site called Om Harmonics that promises to put you in a deep meditatation state - the alpha level - just by listening to their audio tracks. I'm 10 minutes in and I do feel a little Zen, but I can't say I've acheived this alpha state yet. Could the reason be that I'm blogging as I listen to the track?!

My mind is to active to be still. Will someone check this site out, listen to the audio track and let me know what you think. I'm a novice meditator but would love to know if this works.

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for the Environment - Oklahoma Family Fights Keystone Pipeline And Wins

Opponents of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline won a small and perhaps only symbolic victory this week when TransCanada abandoned an eminent domain claim on the property of an Oklahoma family.- HuffPost Green

 

This David and Goliath like story teaches us that when we come together as a community and rally against companies/industries that have the potential to cause great harm to our environment and effect our quality of life, we can impact change.

Companies like TransCanada use the Great Recession as an opportunity to prey on families facing financial hardships to convince them that building a pipleline like this is actually for the public good. Then they undercompensate these families or steal the land (when they can) using eminent domain to move forward with their agenda which is supposedly for the "public good." Who decides that? Do they survey the communities and poll opinions or do they just look at their balance sheets and see a profit so decide it must be for the public good. And what happens when the pipeline bursts and causes catastrophic damages to our environment like the BP Oil spill? Is that then considered still for the "public good?"

Each of you have the power to effect change. Remember that the next time you come against an obstacle that seems to hard to battle. We put our fate in the hands of our government to handle, but please remember, you cast that vote that puts each of those officials in office and they depend on our support to keep them there.

Thank you Sue Kelso and family for fighting for having the courage to fight "Goliath" for our right to a clean environment!

Must See - I AM

For those of you in Atlanta, please go check out this film. It's playing at:

UA Tara Cinemas-Atlanta

2345 Cheshire Bridge Road N.e.
Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 634-5661

This week only!!!

 

Atlanta's Largest Single-Day Eco-Collection Event Scheduled for April 23

From the Atlanta Daybook:

With more than 400,000 pounds of electronic equipment collected since its inception, Atlanta’s largest and most popular single-day recycling event is proudly celebrating nearly a decade of caring for the environment.

This year, the City of Atlanta’s Electronics Recycling Day, will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at Turner Field (Gold Lot). The first 100 cars will receive a free one-gallon can of Legacy Recycled Paint and will have the opportunity win for a free rain barrel.

On April 23, residents can bring their paint and electronic items to the Gold Lot at Turner Field from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. during the City of Atlanta’s 2011 Recycling Day. The event is part of a wide-range of activities planned all week in celebration of Earth Day in Atlanta.

If you live in Atlanta, this is the day to rid your home and garage of all of your unused latex paint and unwanted electronic items and without harming the environment.

“We are pleased to be adding paint recycling to this event thanks to our newest partner, Atlanta Paint Disposal. It has been a frequent request of many city residents,” said Councilmember Smith. “Since the inception of this event, so many other cities in our area have followed Atlanta’s example to reduce, reuse and recycle for the sake of our planet. Through this single-day event we have created a regional community that cares about the environment.”

The goal of this initiative is to promote the recycling of obsolete electronic equipment and to encourage reuse of latex paint. During the event neighborhood groups will also have the opportunity to acquire 5-Gallon containers of paint for neighborhood projects. This opportunity is for city of Atlanta Neighborhood Associations and Community Groups that serve within Atlanta City. For more information please visit www.District1Atlanta.com.

All Latex Paint products will be accepted. NOTE: No commercial paint or paints from contractors will be accepted.

The following E-Scrap items will be accepted at the City of Atlanta’s Recycling Day:

• COMPUTER MONITORS
• TELEVISIONS ($10 fee required)
• MICROWAVE OVENS
• COMPUTER CPU’s
• TELEPHONES
• LAPTOPS
• COPIERS
• CB RADIOS
• PRINTERS
• VIDEO MACHINES
• CD PLAYERS
• DISK DRIVES
• VCRs and DVD Players
• PORTABLE RADIOS
• FLOPPY DRIVES
• CAMCORDERS
• CELL PHONES
• TEST & NETWORKING EQUIPMENT
• CAMERAS
• KEYBOARDS
• MODEMS
• RECORD PLAYERS
• SCANNERS
• CURCUIT BOARDS
• SPEAKERS
• ELECTRICAL PANELS
• TYPEWRITERS
• UPS / BATTERY BACK-UP
• FAX MACHINES
• CD ROMS
• PROJECTORS
• CABLES
• COMPUTER MOUSES
• STEREOS

The following items will not be accepted: consoles, projection televisions, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, freezers, de-humidifiers or humidifiers, gas-powered equipment, tires, household trash and NON-electronic equipment.

For more information, please call Councilmember Smith’s office at (404) 330-6039 or visit

www.livethrive.org

Introducing Six Magazine - The "Green" Vogue of the Fashion World!

Fashion enthusiasts around the world (including myself) are buzzing about the launch of Six Magazine, a publication that celebrates the designers, individuals, independent brands and companies who are creating a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry.  From their Website:

 We stand for slow fashion, respect for clothes and those who created them, and the return to individuality.

 SIX magazine heralds the way all fashion should be.

 It represents the sixth sense we all have: style and value.

 SIX. Sense. Fashion

Click here to check out their first issue.

Six Magazine behind the scenes at London's fashion week: 

 <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20098429">London Fashion Week BEHIND THE SCENES by Nyco Dyszel</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6067452">SIX Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Six Magazine meets students from the London College of Fashion:

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20370332">Six Magazine meets students from the London College of Fashion</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6067452">SIX Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

World Water Day: Water for Cities - How you can get involved

Click here to view the World Water Day Live Webcast!

The most important natural resource and commodity in this world is water. Because it flows to use so easily to us in different forms (ie. tap, bottled, flavored, sparkling), we sometimes take it for granted. World Water Day calls international attention to the plight of communities with inadequate access to water and sanitation. 

International World Water Day is held annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater.

This is the first time in human history that most of the world's population live in cities: 3.3 billion people...and the urban landscape continues to grow.

38% of the growth is represented by expanding slums, while the city populations are increasing faster than city infrastructure can adapt.

The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems. 

This year's theme, Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management.

Resources:

• World Water Day Official Brochure
• World Water Day 2011 Programme
• World Water Day 2011 Advocacy Guide

 In celebration of this day, Huffington Post offers 8 ways you can get involved: 

1. Charity: Water - dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to communities in developing nations. They fund 3,811 projects, which provide water for more than 1.7 million people by digging wells, harvesting rainwater and installing filters. Volunteer and attend monthly volunteer nights in New York City. Schools can get involved in Water for Schools, a student-led campaign that helps bring water to schools in developing countries.
2. Water.org - Cofounded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org provides communities in developing countries with adequate water supplies by building partnerships with local organizations. Water.org has projects based in 11 countries including an initiative in Haiti, to provide safe water and sanitation for 50,000 people. Supporters can follow Water.org's progress on my.Water.org, like it on Facebook, or follow it on Twitter. It also offers lesson plans for teachers and fundraising kits for supporters interested in running their own fundraisers.
3. The UNICEF Tap Project was started in New York City in 2007. The concept: participating restaurants ask patrons to donate at least $1 for tap water usually served for free. Funds collected go to UNICEF's water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Their Celebrity Tap Project gives participants the chance to win "some ridiculously famous water," drawn from the homes of celebrities "more famous than you." Donate $5 to enter the sweepstakes or find a restaurant in your hometown participating in the UNICEF Tap Project during 2011 Global Water Week (March 20-26).
4. Living Water International - This Houston-based nonprofit was founded in 1990 when a group of travelers went to Kenya and noticed the lack of clean drinking water available. Today, Living Water International trains, equips and consults nationals in 26 countries to create sustainable, long-term, local solutions for 9.5 million people. Make a donation, or volunteer at home or in the field. You can also create an advocacy page or show support for LWI on Facebook from the comfort of your computer.
5. The Samburu Project provides clean, safe drinking water to communities in Wamba, Samburu, Kenya. They drill shallow wells, which are easy to access and operate by locals. In the Samburu District, women and children walk up to 12 miles every day in search of water, which is often contaminated. Clean water in the region supports education, health care, livelihoods and women's empowerment. This Sunday in Hermosa Beach, Calif., the Samburu Project will participate in the 2nd Annual Walk For Water -- a four-mile fundraising walk to support the organization's water projects. Sign up for the Walk For Water and learn more about the Samburu Project.
6. A Drink For Tomorrow (ADFT) works with the drink and beverage industry to raise money for clean water projects and help the approximately 884 million people without access to clean water. The organization uses cause marketing partnerships and community events so the drinks consumed in America today can go towards providing clean water for someone in a developing country tomorrow. Establish a business partnership in your community with A Drink For Tomorrow or find an event year you.
7. Drop in the Bucket, based in Los Angeles and Gulu, Uganda, installs water wells and sanitation systems at large rural schools in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its inception 11 years ago, Drop in the Bucket has constructed over 90 water wells and numerous sanitation systems in places including Tanzania, Mozambique, South Sudan, Chad, Kenya and Uganda. Find a fundraising campaign or learn how to raise money and name a well.
8. Innovation, collaboration and urgent action -- these are the tools the Safe Water Network believes will solve the global water crisis. Safe Water Network uses a small team of specialized practitioners who adapt the latest technologies for local solutions. Their work using safe water kiosks and rainwater harvesting initiatives have given over 80,000 people access to safe water in Ghana, Kenya and India. Learn more about Safe Water Network or make a donation.