The Earth Savers Blog

The World Was Ripe for Superman

Superman was a reflection of his era, and the troubled times. 

The stock market collapsed in 1929, and it was the beginning of the Great Depression. It was a time of economic crash and burn. Millions were out of work and the unemployment rate was staggering.


The great railroads had been built, and now thousands were out of jobs, and the environment was not cooperating. The Great Plains states had the worst drought in their history, and the land had been overworked and had begun to erode. Farm topsoil turned the sky brown, and many families joined the breadlines and considered themselves homeless.


In another part of the World Adolf Hitler's army only grew stronger, and his oppression knew no bounds.

The world was ripe for a Superman, and Superman delivered. He became especially comforting to children during the hard economic times. Superman led them on a magical journey, and gave them hope.

Does any of this sound familiar? Must we repeat history?

St. Francis is on to Something.

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis

Lately I have been going through a funk of sorts. Too much going on. I'm getting overwhelmed with the juggling act that is mommy + wife+ entrepreneur + who am i? = nobody is getting much focused attention from me....not even me!

When I found out I would be a mommy....that seemed impossible. I think that's why you are given 9 months to prepare.You can always pre-think the way you think it's going to be. Then life happens and you get handed your baby and they say "Go!" 

You go on auto-pilot, and operate out of necessity; sleep deprived, overwhelmed, and hormonal you start to prioritize whats important and small achievements (like getting out the door in the morning or surviving with the kids until your husband walks through the door at 5:30 pm) seem major.

When I started Little Bits the same thing happened. If I had looked ahead and imagined the grand list of accomplishments we have been so blessed to achieve I would have told you it was impossible.

Now with the Earth Savers Gang it's happening all over again. I'm so charged up about the plan, and so inspired by the future, but it seems daunting....impossible. When I take my eye off the goal, all I can see are the obstacles in the way. Why do I believe that children all over the planet will one day be able to share information and celebrate and acknowledge each other, and encourage each other to make a difference for the future of the environment? I feel like Martin Luther King and his "I Have a Dream" speech.  Who the hell am I?

Maybe St. Francis has it figured out (Duh.) 

Right now it's become necessary to a lot of people to make change occur. I think as a global community we are waking up to a more sobering reality. We are having a more realistic conversation as a nation about the future of the planet.  Each individual that we touch with that conversation, holds the potential to impact change.  Having a global agreement that change is necessary, change is possible, gets more obtainable. Rainbow_elam_2

I'm pregnant again now...not physically, but metaphysically.
I am pregnant with possibility. Who I am is the possibility of change, the possibility of making a difference.  I do have a dream.

When I look at the facts before me...I am afraid. Paralyzed.

Extinction; global warming; water depletion; carbon emissions; political denial; I feel that it's simply impossible to affect change, yet change it must, and change it will.

St. Francis put it into perspective for me this morning.   I can live by these words for today, because today is all I have.  Today I will do what is necessary right now, and the rest will have to follow.

The Power to Choose.

I woke up this morning with my nagging mind chatter in full throttle.
Get my daughter Manon out of bed, dressed, lunch packed, on the school bus- wave bye bye.
Get Shaw to the sitter...rush, rush. Kiss, kiss....i love you.

It's gray outside- yuck.
I need a shower.
Do I have time for a shower?
Back to the grind.
Which task do I complete first?
Why am I doing this again?
Who am I to make a difference?
Who are any of us?

I watched a short video on  TED:  TED: A POWERFUL STROKE OF INSIGHT.
As I sit here, moved, I share the insight.

I am alive...and I can make that mean anything I want it to, and I can choose each moment and choose it deliberately and on purpose.

I hope you enjoy the video.
It's astonishing, and inspiring.

- Monica

Last but not least, please welcome Jimi the Animal Saver

 

 

Soft Spoken and sensitive, Brooklyn born Jimi is responsible and conscientious. Jimi is youngest of the gang and the introvert who appreciates companionship with animals and is shy about communicating with others. Although reluctant to offer his input he usually stops everyone dead in their tracks with his deep insights and thoughtful way when he does. His most amazing gift is that he is a gifted singer and uses his voice to transform the way people relate to the universe.

STATS

Favorite Hobby:  Visiting the animal Shelter to hang out with the animals
Favorite Sport:  Horseback Riding
Favorite Food:  Pasta and Veggies
Favorite Animal:  all but if he has to pick one, Elephants
Best Known For:  Kindness and compassion
Eco- Peeve:  When people don't consider animals when we build and develop land
Future:  When he grows up he wants to become a veterinarian
Sign:   Capricorn
Element:   Earth

 

 

Just A Farm Girl Having Fun.

Let me begin by telling you that I am a rookie Earth Saver, a wannabe.

I have been added to guest blog from my perspective (as twisted as that may be.)

Who am I anyways? I'm Maya. Four Three Kids and a Husband. I grew up in Vermont with a socialist hippie for a mother. We only had two TV channels; PBS, and Canadian PBS. We had no money, virtually no TV and no stuff. Life was simple. I made my own fun.

ME ON THE FARM HAVING FUN...

I'm doing the best I can to keep it real. I accepted the invitation to guest blog because I watch myself grapple with this whole green thing and I feel I could pretty much write endless comedy skits about my adventure. Thought you might find it entertaining.  I'd like to go green - really, but i have to admit I am a humor girl. It's tough, and when the going gets tough I like to laugh, and if you are laughing by yourself, it's not as much fun.

If I can't try to find the humor in it all I'd rather not do it, and not doing when it comes to the environment really isn't an option....now is it?
So now that I'm on the green path I try:
I don't eat spotted owl sandwiches...anymore. I also only use paper plates on weekends (I am an inspiration, I know.)

My motivation for reducing my carbon footprint on the earth is purely selfish.
I believe in reincarnation and I am actually learning this time around, but it's quite possible that I will have to do at least one or two more victory laps here on good old planet earth.
It would be great if there were still human beings to manifest inside of, because I would hate to come back as a cockroach (I do have my standards.)

If I remember my canvas bag before getting to the grocery store, I can smugly look polished at others who forgot. I do get both enjoyment and satisfaction from this activity, because it's fleeting.  The next day, I will be on the other end of that look... but for a moment I am the righteous green queen, looking like I have it all handled. NOT!
I also turn lights off.... Pretty gooood eh?...I know. The point is, I do give a hoot

My  biggest challenge is how I explain the environmental crisis to my children. When my kids want STUFF, my first inclination is to buy it for them, so they shut the heck up and leave me alone for 7 minutes.

Bad Earth Mama!

The carnage of plastic debris inside my sweet mini van is my witness- can someone say WALMART?  Next time, I will tell them if we go to that Ahem- Nasty Mart and buy all that crap junk all the Polar Bears will die be sad.

A stretch? Not by much. Really, I think animal extinction resonates with children, and why would it not resonate with everyone?  It's SO SAD.
Walmart or Polar Bears...can you make the right choice? can I?
Stay tuned and we’ll see.

Interview #10 Earth Saver Mr. John Bradford VP Operations & Research Development, InterfaceFlor

Who is John Bradford and why should you care?

I really want you to care about Earth Saver John Bradford because he's a technical and thought leader in the environmental movement. When I visited their team in Georgia, I had a first hand opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. The fuss is that there is no fuss.

I met with John Bradford, Ray Anderson, Ray's Daughter is Mary Ann Lanier who manages Interface Flor Education Fund, and Joyce LaValle who the VP of Marketing for Interface Americas.  I felt  kind of like I was meeting with my family. There were no pretenses, airs, or agenda. They genuinely wanted to hear about what we are up to with the Earth Savers Gang, and how they could help. I decided I wanted to interview John for our series after learning how much he has contributed to his company, and toward the environmental movement. John drove me to back to the airport in his farm pick up, and as we rambled along the highways he told me about his family, his passion, and his motivation. John is a pioneer in the new industrial revolution, and he's doing it one carpet tile at a time.

Here is his official Bio:

John Bradford is VP Operations & Research and Development, Interface FLOR Commercial
Holding 16 years’ experience in research and development, and several patents, Bradford has helped drive InterfaceFLOR Commercial’s status as a leader in innovation and sustainability.  An engineer by trade and expert in both product and process development, Bradford has helped the carpet manufacturer reduce its environmental footprint by more than one third over his 10-year tenure; the company’s stated goal is zero footprint by 2020.  He is the company’s connecting point between technical research and conception, product development, manufacturing, marketing and product introduction to the marketplace.  This effort has resulted in new product categories for the industry as well as significant technological breakthroughs that are helping Interface distance itself from the petroleum well head. Recent innovations developed under John’s leadership include TacTiles, a no-glue installation method; Cool Blue, a backing line utilizing recycled carpet components; the industry’s first technology to reclaim and recycle nylon 6,6 for the commercial market; and energy conversions throughout manufacturing facilities that include renewable energy and a partnership with the City of LaGrange to harness methane gas from the local landfill for power generation. A resident of LaGrange, GA., Bradford and his wife, Nancy, have three children Julia, Bo and Jack.


MR: What does global warming mean to you?

JB: Global warming means that human behavior is impacting the operating temp of the earth. The temperature is going up small percentages at a time- effecting the way we do life. Seemingly insignificant, but think of it this way: if your body temp goes up by a few degrees you will certainly realize that you are not feeling “well.”  Your own body is a small microcosm of how the earth works....even one or two degrees is incredibly significant for any species.... If we are walking around with an elevated temperature we are not operating under our optimum capabilities. Our bodies energy is working to fight infection. This is basically what is happening to the planet. We have undermined the perfect natural health of the planet...and she is sick. She is not operating at optimum capabilities.

MR: Help me understand the difference between natural vs. unnatural cycles of global warming.

JB: The distinction is this: warming from natural cycles vs unnatural cycles...I make this distinction because it’s hard for people to understand what the real difference is.
Yes...it’s true that the planet’s temperature has always increased or decreased due to the natural cycles of natural carbon creation. However, when this natural cycle is taking place...the earth can regulate itself and establish the balance it needs to still operate at it’s optimum level.

What humans do however, especially with our extraction of oil from the earth ...is we take, and we do not put back. In other words we disrupt the cycle...the natural re-cycle that must happen for the earth to be able to regulate itself.

When we manufacture petroleum based products we add excessive carbon to the atmosphere, and then we don’t do anything creative with it. The carbon just “hang’s out” in our atmosphere increasing temperatures. Humans have a “take make waste” system, and our challenge is to teach that should only take what we can replenish.

Another way to look at this difference is this;  Nature has a closed loop system.  It closes it’s own loop naturally. Take the existence of a tree. The tree grows, matures, decays, dies, and gets reabsorbed. The carbon output it makes in it’s cycle gets regulated in the cycle.

What we take, we do not put back. This means that we are depleting, and plundering, and basically undermining the earths basic need to have this system mimicked.
Mother nature is the great regulator. Many of us have witnessed her in action. She is a powerful force..and we are merely fleas on her back. We are starting to give her a strong reason to scratch. Nature is now trying to regulate herself and in doing so we can witness her erratic behavior and increased propensity for very temperamental weather patterns etc.

Our excessive abuse of this has meant a massive increase in warming due to human activity. When we burn oil, all we do is accumulate C02.  There are not nearly enough trees or plants to counteract the sheer volume of emissions, and so the earths temperature is steadily rising, and as it rises it disrupts every ecosystem in it’s wake. Animals, atmosphere, water, land, and humans too. We are destroying our own habitat by doing this.

MR: So John...in your opinion how do we break this vicious cycle...or lack of cycle?

JB: When thinking of sustainability, and breaking this habit we have to consider closing the loop. Our mentality is to throw away...and every time we purchase a bright shiny new replacement....we have to think, where is the old one going and what went into making the new one? Usually oil. and many times the things we manufacture out of oil are non-renewable. They don’t bio degrade and they will not be reabsorbed into the earth. This is not good. We need to think about manufacturing in a sustainable way. We need to think about how to close the loop, and make products that when their usefulness is over, that we can rest easy that they will be absorbed back into the earth, and regenerate a new use and then the cycle continues.

At this point, we have what I call “an action with no reaction”  we have nothing in place to to counteract the effects of our output of carbon. We are not using the CO2 we create in a useful way, we are simply increasing the concentration of it and therefore making the temperature rise.

MR: So if I am a parent John- I’m busy, overwhelmed, I am seeing information coming at me about going green and it’s importance but I really don’t quite understand why...what would you tell me to do?

JB: Don’t be overwhelmed. Just do something. Many of us read or have a conversation, and then do nothing with the information.  It would take a few simple steps to put one eco tip into action

Today would not be the day to read an eco tip and do nothing. I believe that time is running out.  I believe that we will be affected 20-25 years from now.... if we do not stop making bad choices today our future generations don’t stand a chance. Read a tip and DO the tip. Put it into action. You have to start somewhere. Just do something.

MR: Speaking of generations...where do you see we might have a gap?

JB: We’ve definitely  got a generational gap going on right now, and we can use it to our advantage.  My generation learned their values due to our exchange of information. It was so much slower. Think how tweens communicate today...everything is in real time. Text messaging, the information age, web 2.0. The information is at peoples fingertips now, but it’s the tween’s of today that will really be able to absorb information at a very quick pace and turn that data into action. I think our generation - older generations have got to support tweens in being in action however, and not being passive observers.

The challenge is getting them related to nature. Making them apply what they are learning, because otherwise it gets lost inside all the other data that is getting thrown at them.  Today information has to be more meaningful and experiential- as educators our challenge is the sheer volume of info that comes through their world, and supporting them in finding a way to make what they are learning stick.
I think that with the Earth Savers Gang - it’s relational - informative, learning by doing, action oriented, what you are building with your online and offline missions will make a huge difference. Teaching kids how they can have both the natural and virtual worlds and use one to impact the other in a more meaningful and socially responsible way.


For instance, when I was young, if I wanted to learn about something I would take something apart and put it back together. Now, if they want o learn how a radio works they can read about it, and then take it apart and learn about it. It became intrenched because I was doing it.

My generation did things on a schedule. When you had it on your schedule- you gave the task your full attention and got it done. Even though I have a cell phone now, the way that I operate and get things done is still the same. I can easily turn my cell phone off and answer the messages later in the day and return the call.

Our tween generation it’s all real time. They are bombarded with instant messaging, and information from every angle. They are less likely to apply themselves to a schedule like the one I am suggesting because their world never operated that way to begin with.

If I look at my parents generation the way they made decisions was face to face. They needed facial expressions and body language. They don’t understand the information age. It’s scary to them and completely foreign. The gap of understanding from one generation to another is very large.

Family influence and a huge thing for kids and it’s very very critical, but the influence of our kids piers and what they are exposed to and influenced by is a huge part of who they are going to become.

MR: So what do we do? As parents?

JB: Introduce them to nature any and every way that you can.  Lets face it, every family and how we raise our children all very different. One might respond differently to one thing vs another and another but a key element of my own children’s growth and understanding how nature works is by being in it.  We made an effort to get into it. Walk the farm, go to the orchard, climb, whatever. We use the opportunity to talk, observe, and question. Everything comes back to the conversation of the natural cycle and order of life.

My kids are all teens now- they are aware of the global conflicts that are taking place.They are wise to the flexing of military muscle, the violence in schools, the consumerism that is misleading our culture. This generation also vividly remembers 9/11 it’s indelible imprint on their life. They want answers...where does this hatred some from?  They know it’s based on deals we have made over time...deals that largely have to do with the hoarding, greed, and economical impact over oil. This plays back to the natural resources have been given to us...how we have used, misused, fought and warred over them. They want to know, at what point did we start to honor money, fame, and celebrity over honoring the very habitat that gives us the gift of life?

Unfortunately now, we are so separate from understanding how the world really works - the grave consequences of separating ourselves so entirely from nature one of ignorance.

There is a lot of educating to do, and a lot of action to be taken. The good news is that kids believe in the power they possess to get the job done. Harnessing their natural inclination for optimism and their zest for learning and their energy and we will be well on our way. I’d like to think the Earth Savers Gang project is one of the great ideas out there that can teach kids how to apply the knowledge to elevate global consciousness.

The opportunity, if we really collectively give it the credit and significance it deserves is a deal breaker.  We have the opportunity to achieve a global goal collectively as human beings. This is unbelievably special, and real.

MR: John, if you asked my reader to do one or two things...to start somewhere, what would you tell them.

JB:  TWO THINGS: RECYCLE AND COMPOST
The reason why is that it touches the two major transformations we have to make as a culture to reach sustainability. Both teach and allow practice of the closed loop system I spoke of earlier. If you do these two things, which every single person can do...you are actually making a HUGE difference. You are closing the loop. Giving back to nature what it needs to regenerate.

MR; What is your favorite movie?

JB: Second Hand Lions- story about two old guys who live on a farm away from everything. They have a nephew who comes to live with them who is about eight years old I think. I loved the  story telling part of it was compelling because I grew up in a family of story tellers. I also loved the fantastical part of the story because these two  regular guys who told stories of things they that were so extraordinary they were actualy unbelievable. Their whole life was an adventure and their used their ordinary gifts to make extraordinary moments. I think it resonates with me because it’s so true of ourselves as humans. We are given or discover our own unique talents and they are ordinary talents, but used to their maximum potential we have the same opportunity. It’s a matter of believing in yourself. Believing in the power of one. You make your life’s adventure. Life does not happen to you...you happen to it.

MR: What is your favorite Book?

JB:
The LORAX by Dr. Seuss.
The Art of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance- It’s philosophy but it gets down to who you are and how you created who you are in your mind. It gets to the essence - it’s deep, but so great. The reading is great for anyone who is searching.
Bio Mimicry  ...learn from nature it instead of trying to control it.
The Ecology of Commerce. - Deep for business people- It’s the thing that started our industrial revolution inside of interface.
Vital Signs- if you were the CEO of this economy what would be the key indicators you would look at...trends on those. It’s a comprehensive book on that that would open everyones eyes about where our world is headed.

MR: Who is your eco hero?: Ray Anderson: The founder of Interface.

MR: Who is your favorite Earth Savers Gang Character and why?


JB: I’m Ernie personality wise: I’m a Farmer, a soil saver- but my passion is around energy...and so I choose Zach. I guess I am a cross between them.



MR; What is your little bit every day that you do , that you think makes a difference?

JB: I work to focus on how to make “take make waste” into a cyclical system without totally upsetting the profitability of the business. God gave me all the gifts to take all those moving parts and develop a strategy. So I do it for both interface and myself.

I love my work in sustainable development. I love the challenge of communicating across all generations the importance and the emergency that is the state of the environment today. I look for opportunities to restore our place in nature. I consider this my gift, that inspires and motivates me for our future generations. My children..your children..their children.

MR: Where can you most likely be found on a Friday Night?
High-school football game watching my daughter Julia (age 17) cheer.

Spelling Hope

I did my own design using the alphabet for change.
The Earth Savers Gang is how I spell hope. I experience the worlds environmental state as a reflection of our collective consciousness as a global community. Our culture is immersed in the habit of perpetual consumption and in the indulgence of every whim. We have created a throw away mentality in favor of shiny and new. We have forgotten how to think for ourselves, use common sense, and live in harmony with the very planet in which we live.


We have some time left to take action, and I hope that everyone takes a minute to spell out their own hope for the future at www.spellchange.com.

 

SPELL CHANGE for OBAMA..while there is still time

Top Designers, Photographers, Artists
Unveil Obama-Inspired Alphabet at SpellingChange.com

Supporters Can Create Banner Ads, Bumper Stickers, T-Shirts, and More

http://www.spellingchange.com/

NEW YORK, October 10, 2008 - How do you spell “change”?

A fun, very addictive site launching today, SpellingChange.com (www.spellingchange.com), allows supporters of Senator Barack Obama to create custom banner ads, t-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, and postcards using letters of the alphabet specially-designed by dozens of the nation’s top designers, photographers, and artists.

Contributors to the project include Stefan Sagmeister, Karen Collins, R.O. Blechman, Larry Fink, Jake Chessum, MC Paul Barman, and even a housewife in Texas who created an embroidered “S”. Each of the participants reinterpreted one letter of the alphabet in a way that represents what Obama’s candidacy means to them. In all, more than 100 letters were created.

Supporters can browse the alphabet and click on individual letters to learn more about the artist and the inspiration behind the design. To view the alphabet, go to http://www.spellingchange.com/browse-alphabet.php.

To create banners ads to post blogs and web sites, bumper stickers, and t-shirts, supporters simply type in their personal message and the site generates an original design using letters from living alphabet. To create a message, go to: http://www.spellingchange.com/make-a-word.php. 

Supporters can also design and upload their own letters at http://www.spellingchange.com/create-a-letter.php.

In addition, letters from the alphabet were printed on t-shirts and photographed on Obama supporters from all walks of life.  These images, as well as the letters created to date, are now posted on the site.

“I’ve never been politically active before, but this election is far too important to remain on the sidelines,” said Michael Ian Kaye, head of Mother Design, who spearheaded the project.  “We wanted to give Obama fans a fun, creative way to show their support and voice their own messages of change.”

The project was designed and executed by a rich collective of creative activists lead by Kaye, and the site was produced by POKE New York.

Known To Fans Around The Planet As Soil Saver Please Welcome Ernie

 

•Earnest a.k.a Ernie a.k.a Soil Saver

Ernie is a budding entrepreneur and loves to eat. He started selling lemonade by the side of the road when he was little, and then got another idea…..he wanted to plant his own garden and grow fresh veggies. His garden would provide for his own family, as well as a roadside farm stand that he would start.
   • 

•He is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and his southern charm and odd accent are huge sources of entertainment for his friends. He is a wealth of information for the gardener, the farmer and budding epicureans all over the world.

STATS
Favorite Hobby:        Gardening

Favorite Sport:           Mud Wrestling

Favorite Food:           Mississippi Mud Pie

Favorite Animal:       Worm

Best Known For:         His Cooking

Eco- Peeve:                Pesticides

Future:                         Wants to teach kids about the importance of   Organic Gardening and Nutrition
Sign:                              Taurus
Element:                      Earth

Bringing School Back to Nature

So how can our children's schools bring nature into the classroom? How can we bring school back to nature?

First we need to create the listening inside the classroom on the topic of conservation, and before you can do that we have to create a relationship between the current state of the environment and explain to children where it all began.... History? Anyone Anyone?

I'm not talking about the story of creation or suggesting any religious story. I am suggesting that teachers and educators create a "context" for children within which this conversation will reside. There is in fact so many great history lessons within this story that a history teacher might add into his or her lesson plan for the year.

So if you are a kid, you want to know the following:
Who? What? Why? Where?

How did the planet get sick in the first place?
What is global warming?
Where did it all begin?
Why did we create so much waste and why did we not know any better?
Who did this?
How are we going to fix it?

As adults I believe it is our responsibility to let children be children. I don't want to burden them with the problems of adults, and certainly I think that the topic of global distress if not delivered effectively can even cause a more dangerous result: fear, and resignation.

What we really want to do is leave our children in a place where they can empathize with our collective humanity.
Realize that as a human species we've made some mistakes, and actualize with their own tendencies to make them. It's very freeing for a child to get a lesson in an adults humility. Ultimately we want to leave them empowered to want to make a difference, and teach them not only the power of one, but the power of community, forgiveness and resolution.

There is a very valuable lesson for all of this in the face of the environmental crisis we find ourselves in and so we should embrace the opportunity and not try to overstep the responsibility and the explanation we owe our children.

That said I'm sure it begs the question of how then do we actually start a dialog with children on this topic?
My solution is to create a story form. Allow a child to relate to characters in a story line that allow them to make their own parallels, and draw some conclusions. Inspire their imagination, and harness their can do attitude to help us.... I'm not a particularly religious person ( I grew up in a strict catholic home) but I do know that the Prophet Jesus said "and the little children will lead us...."

I believe that children today if given the right tools, can be the thought leaders for our future generations.

My intention is to create a story that I will offer here in episodes on this blog in the category of The Earth Savers Episodes, and you are welcome to use them, embellish them or alter them to suit your own household or student body.

The goal of the series is to awaken inspiration, self actualization, and elevate environmental consciousness in the lives of children and their communities.