Green Patchwork

If you have been wondering what to do with a broken umbrella or your jeans that are beyond patching then look no further, ReadyMade Magazine is packed with ideas for what to do with stuff that is broken or you just don’t know what to do with it.

Every by-monthly issue has a challenge for people to find new uses for broken or out of date stuff. Last issue’s challenge was to find a new use for broken umbrellas. Two women from Madison,Wi had the idea of creating a magazine rack out the umbrella frame and fabric. Next issue’s challenge is to find a new use for a broken suitcase.

I’ll admit, I couldn’t think of a more interesting name for this post, I just wanted to give a thumbs up to Pandora radio. If you don’t listen already you have to check it out. Its an online radio channel where you create your own stations by your favorite artists or songs. I listen to it while I’m blogging, surfing online, or doing my school work.

Listening to your music online and downloading from iTunes or Amazon is a good alternative to buying packaged music from retail store. When you buy digital copies online you get all the benefits of having great music without all the packaging and a piece of plastic that will just become clutter and collect dust. FYI- make sure you buy DRM-free copies of music so you can listen to it via your various media players.

Many people are starting green blogs to help spread the message of global sustainability. Through my online searching I have found NoImpactMan and some others, but I thought NoImpactMan’s blog was the most interesting with a lot of good information. So read and learn, and then keep passing this information on!

This May you can participate in Global Exchange and Co-op America’s Green Festival in Chicago and  enjoy a party with a purpose!  Attend lectures, listen to music, eat organic food, and shop green vendors. Last year Paul Stamets of Fungi Perfecti gave a lecture at the Green Festival on how mushrooms can benefit humans and our environment.

I am always thinking of simple solutions to help ease the burden of our consumer-driven material culture. Some months ago, I learned that I can request books and movies from the Madison library system online and have them sent to the library branch I frequent most. I work a block away from the Monroe St. branch so on days that I work I can drop off and pick up the books and movies I requested. Read the rest of this entry »

I bet this will be news to you as it was for me. There are massive floating patches of garbage in the Pacific Ocean weighing over 3 million tons that are killing marine wildlife and releasing toxins that enter the human food chain. Most of the garbage is plastic that is breaking up and falling to the ocean floor. Marine wildlife are being poisoned by either eating the plastic or being smothered by the plastic (that falls to the ocean floor). This problem is not easily resolvable since there is so much garbage and because it is breaking up into tiny pieces that is impossible to collect. Also, there is no one to be held accountable for the mass of garbage in the ocean.

Read The Daily Galaxy’s article titled “Are there really ‘continents’ of floating garbage?’ to learn more about this issue and what you can do to help.

And now for a serious and disturbing post. If you go to vbs.tv and watch “Toxic Alberta” you will learn that Canada has become a key player in the oil industry and is tearing their land apart for it. There are 15 episodes as of now of the show so you don’t have to watch all of them at once, but definitely watch them when you have the time. After watching the first episode you will be wondering how we as humans can do such things to our planet. We are killing it little by little for short gains at the expense of all.

After you have watched “Toxic Alberta” check out VBS’ other shows, I suggest “Thumbs Up”, “The Cute Show”, “El Dorado”, and “Manila’s City of Garbage”.

Our local news station, WISC-TV, has an online presence at channel3000.com where they have a page dedicated to sustainability and how the communtiy can get involved. I have watched a few of their news programs and they usually fit something into the show having to do with green technology, natural health,mass transportation, or alternative fuels. With the help of mainstream media I think people will start recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship. If it’s on the news it has to be real, right?

There are many resources available to us about everything we might want to know or learn about. I was just reminded of another good resource to add to my blog, Grist Environmental News. The link brings you to an interesting article which brings up the issue of greenwashing.

I just recently found this neat site, Sustainable Style Foundation, full of fashion, trends, designers, and new materials for the eco-aware. I found it while I was looking around online for possible internship opportunities for this summer. Well, I didn’t find any good internship leads, but I did find a ton of other information. I also found a 20 minute video called “The Story of Stuff”. After I found it I sent the link to all of my friends and family to help spread the word about the real cost of all the stuff out there. If everyone watched 20 minutes less t.v. or surfed online 20 minutes less then they would have enough time to fit the video in. Please give it a watch and pass it on.