Barbie Movie & Girls In STEM

If you follow any Hollywood news or social media, you may have heard of a little movie called Barbie, which (at this writing) has made over $1.03 billion in the three weeks since it's July 21st released. For anyone who is unsure--that's a solid win and record breaking indeed.

I have not seen the Barbie movie yet (though we finally made it to Oppenheimer--fantastic!) As for the Barbie movie, I definitely have plans to see it at least once with a friend (who loved it), and hopefully too with my family. My 20-something daughter, who's been pretty anti-pink her entire life, even liked it, so that's strong reviews indeed.

As a product of the '8os, I played Barbies a lot. I had a wooden built Barbie house that friends of the family made (which was way cooler than the more plastic, more expensive variety), and I also had the camper and the corvette. [Also, as a product of the '80s, I also have yet to see Indiana Jones...which is a travesty given the first part of the sentence, but that is indeed another story.]

Given being a Barbie fan growing up, and a female and an elementary tech teacher, I was really drawn to Shannon Buckle's recent blog post on her DT with Mrs. B entitled "Girls Can Code - Barbie Says So!" She too is a an edtech teacher, though she is in New Zealand. She highlighted a lot of her adoration with the movie, and also the importance of needing more women in both coding and technology. I like her lens of looking at the movie with this vantage point, and am eager to do so myself when watching.

It also got me wondering about the tech statistics. I landed at Exploding Topics & Jessica Hubbert's April 25, 2023 post entitled "70+ Women In Tech Statistics (2023)." A very good read, but these highlights stood out:

With 47.7% women in the global work force (which is higher in the US at 57.4%--though even that number is lower than the US high of 60% in 1999), only 26.7% of women are in tech-related fields/jobs. Yes, women are under-represented. And no surprise, women in software engineering still report unequal pay. (Although, I was surprised by how close it was at 93 cents for every dollar men make.) 

So how do you get -- and then keep --girls and women in STEM fields? Here are two good reads with a lot of great answers:

• Education Week's The Key to Getting Girls Interested in STEM Could Be Their Teacher by Lauraine Langreo on August 17, 2022. Spoiler alert, these 4 pieces are key.
• Having early and positive tech-influences in their lives,
• Having a passion for how things work, innovation, computers, technology,
• Having multiple and meaningful opportunities in the field,
• Having supportive communities.
• EduMed.org's Women in STEM: Options, Opportunities, and Resources
  

In the meantime, looks like I've got two jobs:

1. Go see the Barbie movie.

2. Serve as a positive role model for the gals in my tech classes, encourage their interest, and provide them with a lot of opportunities to innovate and love it!

Images from https://noguiltlife.com/quotes-from-barbie-movie-2023/ and https://www.facebook.com/Finerton/photos/a.2080793535473288/2864858487066785/?type=3

Down to Earth w/Zac Efron Season 2

As I'm home recovering from a 2nd surgery this year, I'm faced with a lot of reading and TV time, once again. 

One of my binge-watching shows last time was Zac Efron's "Down to Earth," Season 1. 

Well, the second season of this Netflix series is out! This season, "Down to Earth" happens Down Under. Australia.

Back in business with wellness expert Darin Olien, Zac and the show continue to check out sustainable living. What began for Zac as a surfing trip in Australia morphed into Season 2 when Zac got stuck there due to Covid lockdown.

Some of my favorite parts included the educational animated shorts that teach about certain concepts on a very any-age-friendly, eco-friendly way. Additionally, it goes without saying that the scenery is amazing as well. Australia always has that exotic feel, and this show is no different. It is interesting to see the environmental issues that are unique (for example: koala populations) and those that are universal (wildfires, energy conservation, and more). 

The episode lineup is as follows:

1: Habitat Conservation
2: Regenerative Agricuture
3: Great Barrier Reef
4: Torres Strait
5: Waste
6: Wildfire
7: Aboriginal Voices
8: Eco Inovators

After soaking in these 8 episodes, you walk away with a greater appreciation of the planet, getting to be arm-chair tourists. Additionally, you grow your environmental stewardship by learning along the way.


Image from https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/zac-efron-down-to-earth-season-2-trailer, video from https://youtu.be/j2rlnsGWGBU, map from https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/australia

The Begley-Cohen Test

The word "test" is one of those words that instinctively ramps up the anxiety levels and beads of sweat.

Luckily, the Begley-Cohen Test isn't that kind of test. Instead, it is patterned off of the Bechdel-Wallace Test which measures female representation in film and television. 

The Begley and Cohen of test namesake are environmentalist and actor Ed Begley Jr. and Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and CEO of Plastic Pollution Coalition. The point of the Begley-Cohen Test is to analyze media for their use of single-use plastic. A movie or show passes the test if no single-use plastics are shown OR if they are shown, they are portrayed as problematic and discuss the environmental matter. 

Not only is their goal to "flip the script on plastics," but there is another section of the Plastic Pollution Coalition website with their media blitz campaign entitled "Flip the Script on Plastics." They want to normalize that plastics don't just magically disappear into the abyss, but that it's a real overuse on fossil fuels and petroleum to make plastic that then endangers our wildlife. 

On this website, members of the entertainment industry are invited and encouraged to sign the pledge to rethink both their usage and the use of plastics on the sets and in storylines. 

Also on the site are resources about plastic pollution and real world solutions.

The Begley-Cohen Test was introduced on social media and on the Plastic Pollution Coalition blog on October 6, 2022. With it being a new investigation just a month old, following these hashtags are the ones to follow: 

• #FlipTheScriptOnPlastics
• #BegleyCohenTest

Video from https://youtu.be/JTgy7gl2x2s and image from https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2022/10/6/the-begley-cohen-test-for-film-and-tv and https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/flipthescript

Chasing Coral

As part of my son's summer homework for his AP Environmental Science class, he had to watch at least one of a selection of nature documentaries. One of the films was Chasing Coral, produced and directed byJeff Orlowski.

Knowing his mom is an eco-warrior, my son asked me if I wanted to watch it with him. Of course, that was an offer I couldn't refuse. We had just come back from a vacation in Puerto Vallarta where we had a lot of opportunities to snorkel. While we didn't see a lot of coral on those encounters, it did hit home in a harder way than usual.

With my son's permission, he's the guest writer on the following post, his summary on the film. 

Coral reefs are the rainforest of the sub-nautical ecosystem. These beautiful regions of aquatic space give way to a flurry of marine life and wonder. The documentary Chasing Coral, which was released in 2017, is based around said natural wonders and how we as a species are driving the world’s coral to extinction. When Chasing Coral starts, you are met by Richard Vevers who introduces the viewers to breathtaking reefs and the first sights of coral bleaching. The viewers are then told about the biology of the coral and sadly how (due to human interference) the coral is starting to bleach and die. After a lesson on how coral affects the oceans, we are led into the mission which Vevers and his team are dead-set on pursuing. This mission includes installing cameras in places where they can videotape coral. In doing so the crew hopes to collect time-lapsed footage of coral bleaching. After some trial and error as well as some hardships, the team eventually gains these videos and spreads them to the world. 

Over the course of the documentary, the viewers are keyed into many different aspects of the coral species and how they affect the world around them. It would be trivial to watch this documentary and not mention how extreme coral bleaching is being stressed. Coral bleaching occurs when the water temperature rises 2 degrees above the water's average. Bleaching is a stress response, almost like a fever in humans, that causes the coral to purge itself of the phytoplankton living in the coral. This will most likely result in its death. A fact that shook me to the core is that 50% of the Earth's coral had died in the thirty years before this documentary was released. The fact that hit me hardest though was how we are living in the era where we could see the last coral reef bleach. If we don’t act, it will. Chasing Coral puts into words just how close we are to the collapse of our maritime ecosystem. I believe Chasing Coral pushes the depressing and cautionary message that if we let this ecosystem fall, so too will the remaining terrestrial ecosystems. This will, in turn, lead to the downfall of Earth.

The producers of Chasing Coral all believe that the world is in desperate need of reefs which in turn means they have a shared bias; but, that does not mean that the message they push is flawed. The only other perspective that could be offered is one of indifference to the life of the ocean, and that in my opinion is immoral. As a person raised in science and who has gone to “green schools” his whole life, this documentary hit me hard. My whole life has been entangled with animals and for something as pivotal as coral to be going extinct sends a wave of apathy down my spine. Although the documentary saddened me to watch, I highly recommend it. This documentary should be watched by everyone because as a species we have to come together and look at the science in order to create a world where life can thrive. Earth is the only planet we know with life. As the dominant species, it is our duty to bring security to said life, from the terrestrial to the sub-nautical.

To learn more about this film, check out the Chasing Coral website. They have a "For Schools" tab with additional resources such as lesson plans, short clips, a 6 minute virtual reality opportunity, and an Ocean Portal for school. They also have a "Taking Action" tab with several ideas if you feel like you need to do more.

You can watch it in it's entirety on Netflix or on their YouTube channel.

Video from https://youtu.be/b6fHA9R2cKI, Image from https://www.facebook.com/chasingcoral/photos/a.1615646605406137/1775349332769196/

A Binge-Watching We Shall Go: Down to Earth!

As I've mentioned in my last post, I'm a bit laid up right now. So in my "wintering" this summer, I'm reading a lot of books and binging a lot of shows. 

• Bridgerton
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• Heartstopper
• Virgin River
• The Gilded Age
• Working Moms

Those are just a few of my latest favorites. 

There's almost a science in finding the next bingeworthy watch. It's nearly a mathematical equation where you factor the number of seasons versus the episodes per season, Enough to get into, yet not so many that it feels like you'll never make it to the end.

Once again, it feels very "pandemic quarantine-like" in this time and space for me. In part given that, I decided my next binge adventure would involve some adventure and armchair traveling. 

My latest bingeworthy discovery: Down to Earth With Zac Efron on Netflix.

Not surprisingly, this original season came out in summer of 2020...when we all were actually arm-chair, "pandemicking," and glued to the television bingewatching any and everything. Together, Zac Efron & wellness guru Darin Olien traveled to 8 global locations (typically one per episode) to discover eco-innovation, healthy, and sustainable ways to live regarding to food, water, and greener energy. Iceland, France, Costa Rica, Sardina, Peru, Puerto Rico, New York City & London, and the Amazon Rainforest. Gorgeous scenery, environmental enlightenment, some amazing looking food, the ability to live  vicariously and see the world.... What's not to love! 

A second season, set primarily in Australia, is set to come out later this year.

Images from https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/why-do-we-binge-watch-and-is-it-actually-good-for-/p07nml87,  https://twitter.com/nacellecompany/status/1282100244553973761/photo/1, Video from https://youtu.be/oMzYiY5wcHU

Netflix's Documentary: The Social Dilemma

Several health podcasts I've been listening to lately have referenced the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," calling it one of the most important documentaries of our time to watch. Hearing that in multiple places, that's what you tend to do. 

Poignant phrases in the trailer alone include: "Using your psychology against you." along with "This is checkmate on humanity." This is especially powerful here in an election year--particularly THIS election year during THIS pandemic.

Watch the trailer here....then get to Netflix and watch the documentary in full! It will open your eyes and cause you to take a long pause in your parenting and your lifestyle choices.... Not to mention your ability to be so easily manipulated by the powers that be and that mobile device in your hand.

This documentary serves as an interesting companion to follow up Dig Cit Week and to the current book I'm reading by Vivek H. Murthy (the former Surgeon General under President Obama) entitled Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. All of the above certainly leaves this girl pondering a lot both personally (as I can be far more tech-connected than I should be) and professionally (as my Lower School Technology Specialist, in an increasingly more tech-centric world with Zoom School and more).

Video trailer https://youtu.be/uaaC57tcci0 and image from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFDNM9K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/

TED-ED's Series & Collections

I recently got reintroduced to TED-Ed at a one-day summer "Tech Tools" workshop I attended. In addition to being able to build lessons around a TED talk or animation, you can also use ones that others have created or customize it yourself. I like how the depth of investigation and questioning you can build in is structured around their "Watch - Think - Dig Deeper - Discuss" format.

Upon all my investigations of all TED-ED has to offer, I ran across their series, and the following are just some of their offerings--all of these have some great environmental education connections that are perfect for back to school season. I've included the number of videos in that series at the time of writing in parentheses following the series names. There are some overlaps between series.

• Ecofying Cities (10)
• Awesome Nature (220)
• You Are What You Eat (31)
• Discovering The Deep (39)
• Our Changing Climate (35)

And a fun last one--Periodic Videos, which has the periodic table as a graphic, with each element being a link to a TED-ED video.

Of course this is just a fraction of what's available over at TED-ED. For a wealth of more on a many more subjects, be sure to click their "Discover" button for both series and lessons!

Images from: "Watch - Think - Dig Deeper - Discuss" Screenshot from one of TED-ED's lessons and https://blog.ed.ted.com/2016/10/04/lead-a-ted-ed-professional-development-workshop-designed-for-teachers-by-teachers/

Minimalism Meets Environmentalism

Minimalism, like mindfulness, are on the move and trending a lot over the last several years. I just recently watched the Netflix show "Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things." It was striking. Here's the trailer:

Both minimalism and mindfulness make so much sense in our over-busy, over-filled, over-tech, over-stuff world! It's not a surprise to see them trending. Don't we all want to declutter--both our brains and our homes? For our homes, you certainly can see the general environmental benefits.

Shortly after watching this documentary, I ran across this video from The Whole Happy Life which pairs minimalism and the environments. It gives you some good ideas of minimalistic ways to save some money, cut down on your spending, and help the environment along the way! Makes sense for so many reasons!

What are you going to minimalism on this month?



videos from https://youtu.be/0Co1Iptd4p4 and https://youtu.be/sN9FrJ23mk0

When Vegan Meets NASCAR

NASCAR & Vegan aren't two words that usually go together. But they do when you look at Leilani Münter & her motto:

Leilani's short story: she was born Feb. 18, 1974, she was a biology major from the University of California San Diego, an environmental activist & a vegan, a lover of fast driving and scuba diving, a race car driver (not just any driver, but one of the top 10 female drivers of the world AND in 2007 the world's first carbon neutral driver AND in 2014 the first person to drive oil free in her Telsa Model X AND the first person to power her pit crew using 100% solar).

In addition to all of that (from her website):

"She sits on the board of three non-profits: Oceanic Preservation Society, Empowered by Light, and EarthxFilm. Leilani is also an ambassador for Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project and a patron of Population Matters. Leilani was featured in the 2015 documentary film Racing Extinction. Leilani wants our future to be a cleaner and kinder world."

For the long story on Leilani, check out her bio on her website as well as the story of what got her from a biology graduate to a race car driver.



Using her platform as a racer, she's able to reach a multitude of people on issues such as climate change, renewable and clean energy, and oceanic health. She's spoken on Capital Hill and took part in the 2015 environmental documentary Racing Extinction. She also knows a little bit about what it is to be a leading female in a male-centric sport.


Leilani's Links page is lengthy, with a list of partner and friend organizations she supports and documentaries she recommends. This is a great place to go if you are looking for environmental documentaries to watch.

As of this writing, she still also has a link on her website to VegNation, the apparel store she founded using 100% solar and environmentally friendly materials. However, VegNation has the note: "Next shipment date is Jan 7. Once our current inventory is gone, we will be shutting down VegNation." So, it might be your last opportunity to shop on her site!


Video from https://youtu.be/WKRvQVzskpg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJV8aCVKl8

Images from http://www.leilani.green

Environmental Films & Documentaries

In the mood for some movies--especially during these chilly days?

Here's a portal for some great eco films and documentaries! Click your computer, set your DVRs, or just make time to hunt down some of these cinematic finds!!

18 Films about Food to Inspire, Outrage, and Mobilize

Top Documentary Films on the Environment

11 Must-Watch Environmental Documentaries From The Last 10 Years

Earth Day Watch List: 17 Films About Sustainability and Climate Change

8 Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Documentaries You Don't Want To Miss In 2018

The Years of Living Dangerously Project

Videos on the National Geographic Years of Living Dangerously Channel

The Best Health Documentaries On Netflix Right Now



Image created at Canva.com.

#StopSucking: Straws, That Is

I have to say... I try really hard to make my posts fairly rated G... but this one may be more PG-13... or perhaps even PG-10 in this day and age. The title should give you a hint to the language that crops up in the video below.

I've written about straws before. And, I write this statement while drinking my green tea out of my reusable Corkcicle with my stainless steel straw... for over a year now.

There's a new trend in town, though I've been talking about it for quite awhile, and we've had our stainless steel straws in this house for 3-4 years. But it's a trend I've been seeing in area restaurants, bars... and even recently in the Chicago airport while traveling.  This video is great... though eye-opening with it's remark that by 2050 we could potentially have more plastic marine debris in the ocean than actual fish. Ouch. That's within my lifetime. I don't like these statistics!



A number of awareness websites are cropping up. Check them out, here below. Then maybe order some stainless steel straws, and go about seeing what you can do to #StopSucking!

• National Geographic Article: Straw Wars: The Fight to Rid the Oceans of Discarded Plastic
• For A Strawless Ocean (website)
• One Less Straw (website)
• The Last Plastic Straw (website)
• Plastic Pollution Coalition (website)

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=75&v=Q91-23B8yCg; US Consumption image from https://thelastplasticstraw.org/; corkcicle and stainless steel straws image from my house!

Crash Course Kids

I love me some Crash Course... not the wreck-up, destructive kind, but the John & Hank Green variety. They have a phenomenal way of making history--and every other topic under the sun--come alive with their fast talking, zippy animations! You can find them a few places:

• PBS
• Their YouTube Channel (my first line of defense)
• Their Website

Well, there's a new kid in town. Crash Course Kids, to be specific!  Bringing the same brilliance and humor that Crash course offers older students (although I've used their videos with upper elementary), Crash Course Kids is a little more on the elementary level, starting with 5th Grade Science--complete with standards, and they'll be adding as they go. Here's a preview:

 

You can find their entire playlist here.

Categories at this writing include:

• Engineering & Engineering Process
• Earth Science: Earth's Spheres and Natural Resources
• Life Science: Ecosystems and Flow of Energy
• Physical Science: Introduction to Gravity
• Physical Science: Properties of Matter
• Space Science: Introduction to Stars
• Space Science: The Sun and Its Influence on Earth

Crash Course Kids is addictive... in the best way! So go forth and gobble up the knowledge!

Crash Course banner from https://www.patreon.com/crashcourse, Crash Course Kids image from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QTPY4j65O10/maxresdefault.jpg

Let it Snow... Faux Snow!

 The other day we had one of those Hallmark Christmas movie snows. But
it was real! Big flakes coming down, landing on you, dotting your sweater with lasting white polka-dots. Best part too... it was quite mild out and you could really be out with just a sweater or light coat.

For a minute I thought I was in Christmas, Montana... Evergreen, Vermont... or wherever it is that Hallmark/Lifetime movies take place.

But I was really and truly in my own Hometown, USA... where the snow was real, and Hallmark Christmas movies are a staple of the season here at our house, especially during present wrapping time. 'Tis the season for that!

Unfortunately, when you are generating fake snow for a movie, it's a little less ice crystal & a lot more fabrication.

To find yourself slipping down a collection of faux-snow and see the ins and outs of all that artificial white stuff, check out the links below:

• A history of 7 classic snow-produced scenes in movies.

• The Chinese "Christmas Village" of Yiwu, where 600 factories make about 60% of the flocked Christmas decorations. (Spoiler alert: It's not a feel good read.)

• There's always the eco-friendly company Snowcel, where you can buy your own, ready-made.

• Apparently, "Snowbusiness" is a "world leader in snow and winter effects" (according to their webpage).  They have been in the faux snow business for 30+ years and have the ability to make 200 different kinds of pseudo snow. (Who knew there were that many!!) Paper and plastics seem to be the heart of the materials, along with some micro fireworks that create a "snowy ash"

• CGI is always there for the win as well... as this video shows.

• Then there's always this (shhh... no spoilers)!

Hopefully this season ahead, you find some real snow to make yourself holly, jolly, merry and bright!

Images from https://www.dafont.com/faux-snow.font (Illustration © Ænigma); http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/video-these-microbes-are-key-making-artificial-snow; https://www.balsamhill.com/how-to-flock-an-artificial-christmas-tree.

videos from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4e9i0sCX7c and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Q87WniJYE&feature=youtu.be

Destination Imagination's Amazing Invention Photo Challenge

It's always a beautiful day when imagination, innovation, and environmentalism weave themselves together. Thank you Destination Imagination for creating "The Amazing Invention Photo Challenge," a project inspired by the new Disney film "Moana" (which comes out November 23, 2016)

But mark your calendars, because you only have the 10 days between October 17--27th to get your creative juices flowing!

Destination Imagination (or DI, for short) is a global organization for students who's vision is "to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world." They do this by creating school groups with facilitators/team leaders who provide both instant challenges and broader thematic challenges for a team of students to work through and creatively solve together.

You can see why DI is inspired to challenge us, but how does Moana fit in? This DI challenge is meant to inspire kids to use the same ingenuity and cleverness of the newest Disney's character Moana. They want to spark kids' creativity by having them invent a toy-sized vehicle to lead that toy of their own on a grand adventure. Moana will do just that in the movie, embarking through lush natural wildlife that needs to be preserved. Given that, there's an environmental-awareness catch: the invention needs to be made entirely out of recyclables. This video details it beautifully!

Reminder: The contest is open for only 10 days!!  October 17th--27th, 2016.

Inventions will be judged on each of these 3 categories, for up to 20 points each (60 total):

• Overall creativity 
• Creative use of recycled/repurposed materials (up to 20 points).
• Creativity of your invention's name

 To learn more here are some of the places to investigate:

• The Destination Imagination website for more details specific to this challenge and how to vote.
• Submit your photo application on their specialized Facebook page.

More about Destination Imagination through their mission statement:

"To develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity.  The Destination Imagination program is a fun, hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic Challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and service learning. Our participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the collaborative problem solving process. Teams may showcase their solutions at a tournament."

Video and image from https://www.destinationimagination.org/blog/amazing-invention-photo-challenge/

Straws: Sipping & Stirring Up A Major Eco Issue

Here are some interesting visual factoids about the hidden environmental impacts of something so simple that we all use with probably every fast food run we make: straws.

They look so friendly and inviting when they come to us at the restaurant, greeting us there in our soda on the table.  

And yet...

Linda Booker wants to do something about this straw situation that's in front of us.

Linda along with Blair Johnson, who also produced the documentary Bringing It Home: Industrial Hemp, Healthy Homes, and a Greener Future for America, are the masterminds behind this next eco-documentary-in-the-making.  They have developed a whole Kickstarter program to help fund this next documentary all about the perils of this slim little sippers.  Check out trailer and Kickstarter plee here for Straws: A Documentary Film for a Sea of Change:

STRAWS KICKSTARTER Video from Linda Booker on Vimeo.

If you are feeling the straw-impact after watching this, please donate to the film.

Here are other places to learn why you should take a stand against straws:

• The Last Plastic Straw, where you'll find a ton more resources of where to go to fight this mission.

• Be Straw Free campaign, started by 9 year old Milo Cress in 2011.

• One Green Planet: You Are What You Eat With: Why Saying Yes to Plastic Straws is a Big NO for the Planet

• Xanterra:  Choose to Be Straw Free

• To find companies where you can purchase reusable straws, check out The Last Plastic Straw's Alternatives page

Video from https://vimeo.com/17150610, US Consumption image from http://thelastplasticstraw.org/; 6 million stirs & straws image from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/plastic-straws-and-the-environment/, Milo Cress video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flU66u9cStE, Infographic from http://tinarudolf.com/journal/dont-be-trashy

Finding, Not Buying, Dory

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the long-awaited sequel to "Finding Nemo" came out this past Friday.  That movie sequel, 13 years in the making, was of course called "Finding Dory."  We were away camping opening weekend, so we are still behind the times.... but we are so ready to see it!  Especially given we used to have a dog named Nemo, and due to that fact "Finding Nemo" was the first movie we took our daughter to go see, then still wee. Given that, this movie is truly on our bucket list.

After the first four days, "Finding Dory" made $154 million, which is far from chump change! Given that and it's frenzied fans who have been eager to see this blockbuster for years, Dory is going to be swimming in some cash--or at least her human producers and participants are.  With anything like this, the desire to own exotics goes up, crafting a dangerous imbalance on the delicate species.

Likewise is the same for the blue tang that Dory is.  Here's a great mini-clip on why we all should "watch" Dory, rather than "buy" her.  Don't let your desire to grab hold of nature put this li'l gal and her family in a perilous state.  Maybe that's where you need to "just keep swimming" and make more realistic choices for your fish tank!  For more help in finding a "just-right-fish" for you, check out the info page over at Disney's "Finding Dory" website to help you select the perfect fish for you.




"Watch Dory, Don't Buy Her" video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47iwWsycszE, image from http://movies.disney.com/finding-dory

Follow Matt Damon's MIT Advice: "Turn Toward the Problems You See"

It's commencement season, and all around speeches swirl. I've even written my own personal graduation speech in attempts to inspire my 5th graders in writing their promotion speeches, which they will eloquently deliver on Tuesday.

Matt Damon spoke Friday to 2016 graduates at MIT. He spoke as only Matt Damon can: with humor (at times self-deprecating), with environmental urging, with encouragement toward innovation, and with a lot of wise, thoughtful remarks.  He spoke of his experience at Water.Org, and he of the importance of "turning toward the problems you see."  Both the problems and the possibilities.

Here are two his most poignant quotes:

"Either way, what we do matters. What we do affects the outcome.... So either way, MIT, you’ve got to go out and do really interesting things. Important things. Inventive things. Because this world ... real or imagined ... this world has some problems we need you to drop everything and solve."

"What do you want to be a part of? What’s the problem you’ll try to solve? Whatever your answer, it’s not going to be easy. Sometimes your work will hit a dead-end. Sometimes your work will be measured in half-steps.... But for all of you here, your work starts today."

But what you really need to do is watch the 20 minute speech in its entirety below.  Then you need to go forward, turn toward the problem (your choice), and start working today.

Go here at MIT for a written transcript of Matt's speech.


Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj-cK_KfjsI; image from http://www.boston.com/culture/education/2016/06/03/matt-damon-commencement-speech

MidMonth Climate Manifesto: "Racing Extinction"

Earth Day is around the corner.  Might be a good time to watch an #eco documentary to get you in the right brain space.

"Racing Extinction" might be just the documentary!

In this movie, the production team details the potential of the 6th mass extinction and the first to be driven by human decisions and activities that are driving climate change. I first learned about the making of this movie by seeing something over at OneGreenPlanet.org about the "Racing Extinction" team displaying images of endangered animals on Vatican City's St. Peter's Basilica.  More amazing images and video footage for that are available here.  In the same manner of projected images, the team has shown similar images on the Empire State Building and NYC's United Nations Building.

Of course, from the beginning of this trailer, it's not for the faint of heart. But, important messages that need to be hear sometimes are like that.  The exposé scenes just in the trailer alone show crimes to endangered species. Those startling nature of that makes you mad, and it is often through anger that people take action.  I'm sure this is the exact emotion that the "Racing Extinction" team is going for!

To get the movie in front of you, check out RacingExtinction.com for a multitude of ways of where you can get it.  Likewise, there are a lot of resources, videos, and action steps also available at their website.  Excellent things to think about this Earth Day ahead, making plans on how we can start turning things around for our planet through both education and action!!


Panda image from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/racing-extinction-team-displays-animals-in-vatican-city/; Trailer from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxyrLUdcss

Wolves & Rivers & Changes Over Time

The 4 minute movie "How Wolves Change Rivers" is not new to the Internet--it was posted nearly 2 years ago.  Yet I'm always moved by it (as is my dog when he hears the wolves howl).

In 4 minutes it discusses the shift in multiple levels of environmental change--all brought about over the course of  the reintroduction of wolves that were once absent for nearly 70 years at Yellowstone National Park. This change is called a "trophic cascade," which happens when a top predator is either added or removed from a predator-prey food chain situation.  Over time the entire ecosystem is transformed.

It shows us the power of biodiversity!



For a visual about how wolves have kept "Yellowstone in balance," check out this infographic:

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q; photo from http://sacredecologyfilms.com/how-wolves-change-rivers/, & "Wolves Keep Yellowstone in Balance" in http://www.themudflats.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wolves-info-850-614x700.jpg 

Let Earth Week Begin!

The post-noon day sun shining down made for an idyllic spring day at the ole Eagle Cove School today. Yet, despite 1 of the first few beautiful spring days we have had this season, that was not the focus. The focus was more on the near-cloud-free day....& what that would mean to create perfect conditions for the 3rd Annual ECS Solar Car Races. The kick off to this year's "ECS Earth Week 2014.”

After 7 years now for me (& many years before), ECS's Earth Week is an annual tradition at our Maryland "Green" School. Perhaps more special this year, given our announcement from our board of trustees (just this past January) that ECS will be closing at the end of this school year. Nothing makes an annual tradition more poinyant than knowing that it will be coming to the end.

3 years ago, Solar Energy World came to ECS for an assembly, showing us all the importance of solar energy...and challenging us to decorate the plastic chassis of a solar powered car. With each class doing do, it leads to the classes facing off against each other in good, clean-energy fun! Last year and this year alike, our classes let go of the pre-formed chassis in order to construct a car using the wheels and solar motor, but then combining it with a recyclable to design a more unique vehicle per grade level. The results? Cars made out of Dove soap boxes, Q-Tip Containers, egg-filled Easter baskets made out of recycled boxes, and more!


In the end: It was a great day at the races. Kindergarten (& their "Kindergarten Car") won the K--2nd grade heat. (It was a close call, as all cars went out-of-bounds on the first shot. But, 2nd grade was nearly the clear winner up until a foot from the finish line that first round... yet, Kindergarten came out as the clear-cut champ the 2nd time). My 3rd grade class and their "3rd Grade NRG" car (made out of a Crystal Light container [sound out those letters:  NRG]) won the 3rd--5th grade heat. A photo finish of the final heat between Kindergarten & 3rd grade revealed....duh duh duh (insert dramatic music here):  3rd grade to be the 2014 ECS Solar Car winners.  Never more proud has a class and teacher been!

How does one follow-up a solar car race and all of the excitement?! The wrap up for the day was a school-viewing of the 45-minute version of "Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?” "Bag It" is a documentary on the pervasive nature of the plastic bag and plastic bottle. Even the youngest in the bunch was drawn in, and the teachers couldn't help but shake their heads at the wasteful statistic revealed. At the end, a Kindergartener was heard announcing: "I am never going to use plastic again!" (If only it were that easy.)  But it is telling when the youngsters in the bunch see it.

If you haven't seen that movie, do so. I stand by the idea that everyone, planet-wide should see this film. Non-negotiable. Were that to happen, perhaps we would be living in a more petroleum-reduced-use planet.

Pictures from my camera & embellished with the InstaFrame Pro app; "Bag It" Movie pic from  http://blueowlbooks.com/bag-it-free-film-screening-thurs-feb-21-2013/