Brainforest: How Does Community Sustain Us?
Brainforest is a Chicago-based creative agency that has integrated an ethos of social service (people) and sustainability (planet) into the workplace (profit). The Triple Bottom Line seems to come effortlessly to a company that volunteers at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, dedicates pro bono service per annum to a specially selected…
350: Global Warming. Global Action. Global Future.
Last night I was reading my favorite magazine, Orion. Bill McKibben was discussing the campaign 350. From the website: 350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide…
Cell Towers and Health Effects: Cellular Disservice?
This past week a local in my town contacted me to see if I would be interested in discussing the issues surrounding a potential cellular tower that would be constructed within one mile of my house. Some of us from the town had the chance to voice our concerns to…
Green Schools 101
Green schools are inarguably the right decision for our children and the environment. Though up-front costs are higher, green buildings save enough in operation and maintenance expenses to pay for their original construction in a matter of months. The money saved on energy bills (the annual energy savings from a…
No Child Left Inside
Environmental education and experiential learning need to be incorporated into our lives, and our children’s lives. No Child Left Inside is an initiative coordinated to raise awareness and government funding, so that no child is left sitting idly in front of a television screen or computer monitor during their education…
Styrofoam Sucks!!
Cause you can make only so many goofy art projects out of old styrofoam…. The kiddie set gets active about protesting the over 4 million styrofoam trays used in NYC schools in this great NYTimes video. As the footage mentions, McDonald’s stopped using syrofoam 17 years ago…why are the NYC…
Love Lost and Hope Found at "Design for the Other 90%"
Text by Guest-Blogger Josh Wiese Images by Starre Vartan and Josh Wiese Have you ever just known that the person who’s call you’re eagerly awaiting is the one for you? I mean THE ONE. It’s this strange penetrating feeling you just can’t shake. You want to. It doesn’t make sense,…
MTV Seeks Eco-Activists for TRUE LIFE Documentary Series
Believe it or not, MTV is seeking eco-activists for its award winning documentary series TRUE LIFE. The series is looking to cast young environmentalists taking on the issue of global climate change in their schools, towns, and greater communities. I spoke with MTV this morning and it sounds like they…
Creative Reuse Centers— An Artist's Dream
As an artist, finding new places to obtain cheap and interesting materials is always a challenge. Fortunately creative reuse centers are a great way to find inspiration while giving old materials new life. The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse on the Oakland/Berkeley border is a nonprofit corporation “devoted to…
Evergreen Makes a Difference
Evergreen State College in Olympia , WA has taken on the rarely addressed issue of college students with mental disorders. Their facility and program emphasizes another aspect of the importance of a clean and healthy environment. We are all greatly affected by our environment and when one is hyper sensitive…
