How to be Green

Oh, the green lifestyle. Hippies, tree-huggers, liberals – we all get a bad rap for caring about the planet, but let me just say I am SO glad that green is more mainstream. It only makes sense. Living a green lifestyle helps you save money, and it preserves this beautiful Earth. So without further adieu, here are some handy-dandy ways to be green.

SHOPPING: Want some cool, original stuff that also helps people out? Check out http://www.overstock.com/Worldstock/6/store.html for some green shopping. They have clothes, jewelery, purses, shoes, all made by people in countries with extreme poverty. This is a great way to not only define your sense of style, but know that the shirt you’re buying is going to feed a family in Thailand for the next week.

FILMMAKERS! Make your production green and of course save money! http://www.film.ca.gov/GreenFilmmaking/index.html will give you all the resources you need to make sure everything from your catering to your wardrobe is Earth-friendly. And did I mention save money? Use that money for some dope special effects. Also check out the Environmental Media Association at http://www.ema-online.org/for_productions.php for more info about how to produce your film or project in a more green way.

NEED A JOB???? Get a green job! Not only do you make money, but you save the Earth! Super-hero status all the way. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/businessconnections.main <—- all the info and resources you need for green job-hunting. Here’s one more for good luck http://www.greenjobs.com/public/index.aspx

And here, just because I think it’s cool, are some entrepreneurs who are making being green their business. A great read. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061101/green50_intro.html

Stay tuned for more tips, and especially those of you looking for jobs, I GOT THE HOOK UP! Well, I just have some great resources, but will be sharing them in the next post, next week. Until then – stay green 🙂

Turn the Water Off!

Check out our new video.  We make water conservation SEXXAYYY!!!  Then read below for more info on why and how you should slow your use of h2o!

Part 1 of our water-saving series.

Water is abundant on our planet, it is abundant in our bodies, however the availability of fresh drinking water is not all that abundant. As an American you don’t always have to worry about having access to clean water, yes maybe you worry about the water bill but what if there was no possibility of even HAVING a water bill??

Imagine walking to a well everyday and bringing water back in a bucket on top of your head. I couldn’t do it. Thank God I have plumbing and can take a shower whenever I please. Thinking about this makes me wonder about the people who don’t have this luxury. Feels like I should do something. I should conserve the water I use, be efficient with it, and advocate policies and procedures for helping people without clean, fresh water to gain access to clean, fresh water. Let’s conserve water. Time for some water-saving tips.

Haiti needs a new system for water. Read this article in the NY Times about it.

1. Buy some water conserving products for your household

1. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
2. Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
3. Repair dripping faucets. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.
4. Wash vegetables with a bowl underneath, then use the water from the bowel to water plants.
5. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
6. Take shorter showers. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs.
7. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.
8. Don’t let water run while shaving or washing your face. Or, you can brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave.
9. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
10. Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
11. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
12. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
13. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
14. Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.

According to Charity Water: “Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war… Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.  Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.”

In other words… turn the water off!

Happy National Blog Day! Subject: Climate Change

Happy National Blog Day!

I’m proud to say I’m part of the blogging phenomenon. It couldn’t have come at a better time for technology to be simplified so your average citizen can utilize it to make their voice heard. OK, on with the message.

Climate Change.

It’s no joke. It’s for real. And the U.S. needs to step up and take action. Copenhagen is coming up in December, so we need to make sure we urge President Obama to make strong, long-lasting and decisive goals for reversing the damage we’ve done to our planet.

There have been a lot of natural disasters lately. Tsunamis, hurricanes, wildfires… pretty heavy stuff. How can one thrive and be happy when they’ve been displaced? We can prevent this from escalating. How? Being vocal and letting our government officials know WE WANT ACTION! Writing our councilmembers to enforce policies on environmentalism, writing our senators to encourage them to stand strong for environmental bills.

If you don’t know who you government representative is, check it out here

The Internet makes everything soooo easy. With the power of search engines and the connectivity of social media, we really have the power in our own hands.  With this power, let’s do what is needed most – urge the government to take action. While we can be green on an individual level (and we should be!) we also need laws to stand in place to prevent corporations, automakers, etc. from polluting.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) is a bill designed to put a cap-and-trade restriction on greenhouse gas emissions. (Don’t know WTF that means? Here’s what Wikipedia says) Can you believe this is the first bill Congress put into place to specifically address climate change? I mean, at least it’s a start! However, we need more action. We need incentives for businesses to switch to alternative energy. We need incentives for consumers to switch to alternative energy. The government provides a tax credit when you install solar panels. And you know what the crazy thing about all this is? YOU SAVE MONEY WHEN YOU SAVE ENERGY!!!!

Energy, consumption and waste… three areas of focus for terra firma residents to improve on. I really hope after reading this you becoming inspired to take action.  Individually, find out ways to be more green and collectively, write your senator to urge him/her to enforce environmental laws. We have the solutions already, we just need to make them happen!

Let’s do this! Until next time.

In solidarity,

Raychel Espiritu

Thousands rallied this week to support the PUBLIC OPTION!

Wednesday night Raychel and I had the pleasure and honor of cohosting a MoveOn rally in support of the public option.  It was so refreshing to be around hundreds and hundreds of community members who, despite the heated tension on the topic, all managed with great enthusiasm to keep the gathering 100% POSITIVE! There was even a girl out there celebrating her 18th birthday!

We’ll see if our message rang clear to Senator Feinstein, whose office we gathered outside of, when Congress comes back in to session next week.

Check out this video from the event.  It features Raychel talking about why we were gathered, and the voice on the mic in the background is yours truly. 🙂

We encourage all of you to call your representatives this week before they get back in session and remind them that…

WE NEED THE PUBLIC OPTION TO PASS!

You can find your reprentatives contact info here by punching in your address.

Until next time, best of health 😉

Tara

Healthcare Reform

Why should you care about healthcare? If you have money, its not even an issue because you can go to any doctor you want. If you have a job, its not a issue since your company provides you with healthcare. If you’re young and healthy, its not even an issue because you probably don’t even go to the doctor on a regular basis. HOWEVER! (And this is a mighty however) If you are any of the above mentioned, in all actuality you should be concerned about healthcare reform. After doing a lil research, I came to a few conclusions:

1. Obama’s plan makes Health insurance more affordable for small-business owners or individuals (so those of you who freelance, have your own production company, run your own studio etc. you guys won’t have to pay WAY more than everyone else)

2. A public option is essential.  Amnesty believes “A Medicare-like public plan for all remains crucial for realizing the human right to health care in the United States.” I couldn’t agree more. Considering Americans are getting fatter by the second, and baby boomers are getting closer and closer to retirement, we the young, healthy, working individuals are going to have to cough up a lot of cash to cover the rising cost of healthcare. We shouldn’t have to. Nope nope nope.

3. Pre-existing conditions should not determine eligibility for health insurance. It’s pretty shady if insurance companies are denying coverage to people who need insurance the most. I understand that from the business perspective, someone with cancer or heart problems is a “risky investment” but we’re not talking stocks and bonds… it’s someone’s life! Even if you are young, healthy, working, and don’t have any preexisting conditions, you might have an aunt, uncle or sister that has a condition. And losing someone you love because you can’t afford the medicine/treatments/chemo? Not fun.

Let’s help Obama implement his plan. Show your support, Tweet your senator, voice your opinion, create dialogue in your community, and spread the truth.

Here are some links that have been useful:

NY Times Blog

Huffington Post Article

Fora.tv interview with Howard Dean

Until next time… empower yourself with the truth!

xoxo

Raychel

Some ill rhymes in some tough times

That’s right y’all.  We finally finished our EQUAL RIGHTS RAP VIDEO!! Check it out and let us know what you think.  If you like it, forward it to your friends!  We want to use this to spread the word about how people can make a difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.

I had the pleasure of doing some door-to-door work with a local LGBT rights group a couple of months ago, and it was so inspiring to see how willing people can be to take a couple minutes and gain a new perspective on their views.  I actually changed a couple people’s minds that day, so I know that if enough people take action on this issue, minds can change and we will see true equal rights.

In case you missed it in the video, check out Equality California’s website at-

http://www.eqca.org

They’re doing a lot of great work on this issue here in California.

Here are some other great organizations working for equal rights –

http://www.hrc.org

http://www.couragecampaign.org

Thanks for watching!

Tara

The Possibility of Positive Politics – Believe!

The last week or so I’ve been wanting to write a blog entry about the California budget negotiation fiasco that finally came to an end this week.  The problem is, the word ‘budget” is NOT sexy, and more importantly, while it feels counter intuitive to say, getting pissed at decision makers and bitching about how they spend our money is NOT how we’re ever going to make positive change.   All it really does is give us a little adrenaline high meanwhile California continues to spend more per capita on prison inmates than on K-12 students, and the list of problems goes on and on.

What am I trying to get at?  As I’ve been reading over graphs and summaries of the 2009-10 state budget (nerd alert), trying to figure out how to write this, I am realizing that a lot of my beliefs are actually reflected in how these financial figures are playing out.  For example, while the state rehabilitation (prison) budget is still among the largest in the state, it also was the area of the budget that received the largest cuts percentage-wise.

It’s really tempting right now to give you a run down of the budget numbers, but that’s not sexy.  What I am going to talk about instead is the tone of our radical, world changing efforts, and how as fun and personally satisfying as it is for us to get pissed and write angry blogs and call our legislators mean names, that kind of messaging will only further distance us from those whose job it is to represent US.  If we want to see our vision for our world, our countries, our states, and our cities implemented, we have to all work as a team and do a better job of keeping it positive.

I try to start from this perspective – everyone believes that they are doing the right thing.  I personally think we in California should raise motor vehicle taxes and repeal Prop 13 to close the deficit, but I still believe that Joe Blow conservative republican in the state assembly truly believes that he is doing the right thing by not raising taxes and making deep cuts to social services, and he believes it because the majority of those that voted for him probably believe it too.

So how does this get us any closer to a solution?  Starting on the common ground that we all believe the other is acting from the heart is huge.  It gives us room to have adult conversations as opposed to 3rd grade arguments.  If we start by believing that our decision makers want to do the right thing, then we can offer our support for them doing the right thing, and not start every effort as a smear campaign.  It allows us to work in alignment instead of in opposition.

In my organizing experience, it’s always been funny to me that when I throw a scenario campaign at someone and ask how they would go about targeting their decision maker, they always give me this elaborate story of how they will get an article written to call the decision-maker out, and get a bunch of petitions signed, and do a big protest etc, without ever considering the option of just asking the decision-maker first and saving themselves all the trouble.  Maybe they’ll just say yes!

It’s been engrained in us to think that our decision makers are evil bastards who only have their personal ambition at heart.  I am not saying that it’s not true in some cases, but the more we can assume the best-case scenario, the further we’ll get.  Maybe we could have preserved more education and social service funds in the budget if, instead of having angry living room conversations and making demanding phone calls to legislative offices, we would have gathered to show support for our legislators in their desires to protect the programs that we value most.

Even if taking a more sunshine-y approach to how we work toward a better future doesn’t yield the specific policies we want right away, it will surely lower our stress levels and help us to all like each other more, and that can only lead to better things.

Anywho, I’d love to hear what you all think about how the CA budget turned out, as well as any ideas as to how we can avoid these drastic cuts next time around!

Tara

H to the izo… as in H20

Ahhhhh. That’s me drinking my sweet, 1.5 Liter bottle of Electrolyte enhanced water from Trader Joe’s. Snobby and pretentious? Some might say. I’m a water elitist. But one thing I am not, is a water waster (OK made that word up.) There are many countries and places in the world who have no access to clean, drinkable, running water. Although the tap water in LA tastes like rusty old pipes, it still won’t give you chlorea like the water in Angola. According to the BBC  “Humans have available less than 0.08% of all the Earth’s water. Yet over the next two decades our use is estimated to increase by about 40%.” We have to take action now. Individually, conserve water. Collectively, clean up air pollution. (water and air are inseparable) Most importantly, get clean water to communities living without it. No lie: 

 Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.

1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation – 4,000 child deaths a day or one child every 20 seconds. This equates to 160 infant school classrooms lost every single day to an entirely preventable public health crisis. (WHO/WaterAid)

Households in rural Africa spend an average of 26% of their time fetching water, and it is generally women who are burdened with the task.

On a personal note, I went to Mexico like three years ago and forgot to order my drinks without ice… oh my gawd does it feel like hell when you get sick from bad water.  

Most of us in the world are privileged enough to take hot showers, use washing machines, wash our dogs, water our plants and water our lawns. But do you ever think of what life would be like if you did not have such privileges? If you care about human rights like I do, then clean water for everyone in the world should be a top priority. There has to be some serious changes in the way our world functions. Did you know that over 70% of water consumption is for agriculture? It’s really sad to think that children die on a daily basis because of lack of access to clean water!!!! All the while we go about our business using as much water as we please, sometimes even letting it run while we brush our teeth. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. 

But, do not despair! There are small actions we as individuals can take to preserve Earth’s most precious resource. 

Check out the 100 ways you can save water. My top 5 are

1. Turning off the water when brushing your teeth and shaving
2. Take showers between 5-10 mins
3. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
4. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators 
5. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.  

Check out this organization ——> Charity: Water http://www.charitywater.org/whywater ($2o can give a person in Africa clean, safe drinking water for 20 years…. and you spend HOW MUCH at the bar in one night??) A United Nations report predicts that access to water may be the single biggest cause of conflict and war in Africa in the next 25 years…

Here are a few more links to find out more info on the water crisis:

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-12-water-childhood-deaths

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_water

Clean air and fresh water: we need those suckas to live! 

Treat water like the precious resource it is… because without it life on Earth doesn’t exist! Think about all the money you will be  saving on your water bill. I’m telling you, going green and being conscious of your resources will keep the dough in your pocket. And do good. Word is bond.

❤ Raychel

Ain’t Nothin but (GAY) Mammals

Love comes in many forms for many species

Did you know that humans aren’t the only animals that mate with members of the same sex?

Research has been done that shows in areas where a specie of animal has become so populated relative to its food supply that it endangers its own survival, the animals will start to mate with members of its same sex.

So what is my point?  I don’t want to put people in boxes, but I am going to anyway and say that a lot of people who are against equal rights (not separate but equal) for the LGBT community are the same people who want to deny global warming and the dangers of our rapidly increasing human population on this planet.  Maybe that is because if they acknowledged the legitimacy of both of these issues, they would realize that the only answer to maybe abolishing homosexuality would be to revert to cave(wo)men lifestyles and stop having a bunch of kids (read: sex).

Okay maybe I am reaching…but seriously.  It is bewildering that still today so many of us still think that homosexuality is unnatural and that a whole set of people deserve less rights than the rest of us.  Take the time to have a conversation with someone who is against gay marriage and ask that person why.  They’ll usually tell you one of 3 answers –

• 1.    my religion says its bad
• 2.    its about the word “marriage.”  “Marriage” is between a man and a woman.  They can have something else.
• 3.    and the perennial favorite reason for any stance on any issue – THE CHILDREN!

Then ask that person how Joe and Jason from Bakersfield’s marriage has affected their children or their church or their lives.  A moment of inward reflection.  “I guess it hasn’t,” they’ll likely respond.

It’s these kinds of conversations that are going to move this issue.  It is already happening, and it can happen faster.  This week a familiar face among the Washington elite and not usually one to take a bold stand, Senator Chris Dodd, “came out” in support of gay marriage, which I have to say is great to see.

So if you’re for equal rights for all, check out the websites below for ways you can help in having some of these simple conversations with voters.

Human Rights Campaign

Equality California

Courage Campaign

If you are still unsure about the issue, I ask you with all due respect to ask yourself a few questions that align with the 3 reasons stated above –

• 1.    Is it not true that Jesus taught us to love all our fellow human beings equally?
• 2.    Is it not true that your church or whichever Institutions you have faith in will continue to marry people as they see fit?  That it is only under the law that marriage would be equally available to all?
• 3.    If you knew (and this is true) that the California Superintendent of Schools says that, should gay marriage become legal, nothing in the curriculum would change about how kids learn about marriage, would you worry less about your kids?  And besides, don’t you want your kids to grow up embracing ideals of tolerance and respect for all?

So let’s move on already and LET LOVE BE!  After all, you and me baby ain’t nothin but mammals.

-Tara

Consumerism schumerism

So, like, where do you go shopping?

No seriously. Where and from whom do you purchase your food, clothing, and commodities from? Before becoming aware of the impact of my purchasing decisions, I would just go shopping, look at the specials, and purchase whatever caught my attention through price or shininess. We can’t deny the lust factor of something shiny, and marketers know this. However, I came to realize how buying clothes made in sweatshops has a price tag a lot higher than what that small, square piece of paper reads. I came to realize how much damage the cost of beef has on the environment. I came to realize that shopping is a lot deeper than what we think.

Let’s start thinking about our power as the consumer!

You can make a HUGE impact in the world through your purchasing decisions. Think of how much you spend in a month. I’m sure the media hype over the economic recession has you counting all your pretty pennies, so I’m sure you are a lot more conscious of where they are going. I’m asking you to go a little further and start changing the way you shop. Whether you’re male or female, young or old, rich or poor, there’s a certain button in our brains that go off when we buy something new. It presents a sense of satisfaction. So think about how freaking good it will feel when you know that you when you buy a pair of shoes, an impoverished kid in Brazil is going to get the same pair. For free. Check out TOM’s shoes http://www.tomsshoes.com

There are so many ways to make an impact, you don’t have to be all up in the streets with foghorns and signs (although that would be way awesome) and by becoming a conscious consumer, you are speaking volumes with your decisions. If there is no market for commodities and services that are harmful to the environment or human rights, there will be no businesses for such commodities and services. You don’t have to shop at Whole Foods and drive a Prius to make a statement about your consumer purchases (although, again that would be way awesome) Think about not eating or purchasing meat for one day of the week. Reuse and refill your water bottle. Try not shopping at Wal-Mart. Small, subtle changes that nonetheless have the power to make an impact. And thats’ what we’re all about, bringing the power back into the hands of the people. So show some muscle and flex your consumer guns. Be a minimalist. To quote MGMT “Enjoy yourself, take only what you need…” If only we could all realize we already have everything we need

Here is the list of the 2009 Brands with a Conscience award-winners:

Chhatra Sagar

Ekomarine

Kiva

One Water

rag-bag h

TOMS Shoes

Paul Newman (Colin Morley Award)

For more information on conscious consumer shopping check http://www.newdream.org/marketplace/index.php or http://www.changeeverything.ca/change/be-conscious-consumer

Oh, and one more thing. Please turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Thanks 🙂

❤ Raychel