Archive for the ‘Social transformation’ Category:
The Happy Planet Index
I came across this video the other day, and I was in awe. Suddenly, my desire for economic fairness, environmental sustainability, and my focus on inner happiness and well-being all came together. Nic Marks’s brilliant work is a fine example of hope in the world. He is a practical visionary. I believe the Happy Planet Index is truly where humanity is heading, if we choose to.
Can community campaigns stay positive?
I just came home from a City Council meeting in Mt. Shasta, CA, where I live. I’ve been working on a community initiative since last year called the “Mt. Shasta Community Water Rights Ordinance.” Tonight the city councilors voted to publicly oppose it by writing an argument against it for the November election packet that all residents receive.
Becoming a “neutral activist” (#1)
Am I becoming a “neutral activist?”
I say “becoming” because I’m not a neutral activist – not quite yet. In fact, I’m not even sure if it’s possible. But it’s certainly been a desire of my heart (and an obsession in my head) for many years.
Walking in someone else’s shoes
Recently, I did a marathon.
No, not the 26.2 mile sort. Instead, I went on a TED marathon . . . as in getting mesmerized online for hours and hours by videos from the TED Conferences (Technology, Entertainment, and Design, though their motto of “Ideas Worth Spreading” says it better).
The courage to hug a stranger
While I was driving around town running errands a few weeks ago, I saw a young man walking around with a piece of a cardboard box. I could tell something was written on it in bold black marker. My guess was that this teenager was in desperate need of some cash. The light turned green and I turned left before I could read his message.
Optimism as a radical act
Imagine deciding to live without creating any environmental impact for a year: no trash, no carbon emissions via car or bus, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no flush toilets. This is what “No Impact Man” Colin Beavan, his wife, and daughter pursued last year in New York City and filmed as a documentary. Radical? Yes.
The heart of an issue
I’ve been on the east coast for over a month – in Buffalo, NY and in Burlington, VT. After the three and a half hour drive from the Sacramento airport back home in Mount Shasta, my partner and I went directly to a Parks and Recreation District board meeting in our town.