A Story Just Perfect for World Water Day

I personally don't need to write today, for Annie Leonard did it far better and clearer than I ever could in her email newsletter that came in my email box!  Below you will find the text of that email copy and pasted here!  

Next stop:  Watch The Story of Bottled Water to pay tribute to "World Water Day" today at http://storyofstuff.org/ or http://www.storyofbottledwater.org/ .  (They have had so many hits today that their server is going bonkers!  You may need to try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0.)

Dear Vicki,

Today is World Water Day, and to mark the occasion I'm joining with some of North America's leading environmental groups to release the latest Story of Stuff Project short film:  The Story of Bottled Water.

Like The Story of Stuff, this new film uses simple words and images to explain a complex problem, in this case manufactured demand:  how you get people to think they need to spend money on something they don't actually need or already have.

Over the last two decades, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle and other big beverage companies have spent untold millions of dollars making us afraid of tap water. They've told us that if we want to be sure what we drink is pure and clean-not to mention hip and fashionable-we should buy bottled water.

Unfortunately, it worked.

In the United States alone, we consume approximately 500,000,000 bottles of water each week. Imagine that: while 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide, other people spend billions of dollars on a bottled product that's no cleaner, harms people and the environment and costs up to 2,000 times the price of tap water.

But there's good news: Last year, for the first time in a long time, bottled water sales fell-not that much, but they went down. Consumers who want economy, portability and convenience are switching to refillable metal bottles. Restaurants are proudly serving tap water. And cities, states, companies and schools around the world are ditching the bottle to save money and do their part for the environment.

Still, we've got a ways to go.

So please, take a minute today to watch The Story of Bottled Water. Then pass it along to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers-anyone you think might be interested.

You are The Story of Stuff Project's strongest allies:  You made the original Story of Stuff an Internet phenomenon, with nearly 9 million views total. Last December, you pushed The Story of Cap & Trade past half a million views in just under six weeks. And in the last ten days, you've helped our new book, The Story of Stuff, enter the New York Times extended bestseller list at #35. Thank you a million times over.

After you've forwarded The Story of Bottled Water to your networks, I encourage you to join a campaign for investment in clean tap water for everyone, like those sponsored by our partners at Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, Polaris Institute, Environmental Working Group, and Pacific Institute. Visit these fantastic groups' websites to learn more, sign-up and get involved.

Together, we can send Coke, Pepsi, Nestle and the rest of the industry a message as clear as a glass of tap water: We're not buying into your manufactured demand anymore. We'll choose our own demands, thank you very much, and we're demanding clean safe water for all!

Sincerely,

Annie Leonard

P.S. It takes a pretty penny to make and distribute these short films. After The Story of Bottled Water we have films coming on electronics (planned obsolescence anyone?), personal care products and more. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to The Story of Stuff Project today to help us keep these films coming and on-line for free.

Ode to Annie Leonard

Walking into DC's Politics & Prose bookstore (and local gem in Washington, DC for over 25 years), I'm not sure why I was startled to find standing-room-only for their 5 pm speaker event on a Sunday afternoon.  Especially when the speaker was Annie Leonard... someone who has become an internet phenomenon over the past few years with her animated documentary "The Story of Stuff."  With over 10 million hits to her film, a packed room in a political town was truly a no-brainer.

Annie's quick pace, positive spirit, and sense of humor made for a rapid fire of stories about how she got to where she is now, both with the film and the new release of her book by the same name.  I think she truly has her finger on the pulse of where we are and -- more importantly -- where we need to be.  A recurring theme in her talk was about the interconnections of issues.  You most certainly don't need to be an environmentalist per se to be concerned about the environmental issues.  It's connected to the issues of production, health care, consumption, economy, personal satisfaction, time we spend working/making money (and conversely time away from our family), and our role as citizens in our communities and our planet.

Other nuggets of memorable moments from Annie today:

• When asked "What should I do?" (whether that be to question "What's best for the planet?" or "Where should I begin?), Annie's retort: "I don't care...just do something that excites you to make a difference."

• We all need to get off the "Work--Watch TV--Spend $  Treadmill."

• There is a "dis-ease within society, and a desire to make a change" as 60-85% of Americans (depending on the polls used) support the environmental movement.  In order to move more people along the continuum from sympathizers to activists, what's needed most is to bring more people into the conversation.

• We all need to "exercise our critical thinking muscles."

• "Make sure our victories don't create burdens elsewhere."  We need to move away from being "NIMBYs" ("Not In My Backyard" people) to being "NOPEs" ("Not On Planet Earth" people)...meaning, if it's not good enough for us to have a harmful/toxic situation nearby, then it's not right for anyone--whether that be computers dumped in African countries or a "downstream dumping" mentality.  She felt that a visit to New York's Fresh Kills Landfill should be required viewing for all!!

Annie sees a change as not only a necessity, but inevitability.  Given we're using natural resources at a rate of 1.5 planets per year (and gee folks, we only have one planet per year to use), change is on the horizon "by either design or by default."  Seems wiser to be the designers & decision-makers.  Hence the reason there's a boat out there in the San Franciscan Bay that's readying for a journey to show that reclaimed bottles can be constructed into something purposeful like the Plastiki.  Hence why we need to rethink what it is we buy, and honor it, rather than trashing it a season or two later. 

More people need to be part of the conversation, making connections.  Annie Leonard's "The Story of Stuff" is helping to make that happen!

My ode to you, Annie Leonard....

(sung to the tune of "the Brady Bunch")

Here's a story, of a gal named Annie

Who admits she's obsessed with garbage & waste.

Who saw a need to do something about it

Before our planet became utterly disgraced.

Till the one day when this lady made a movie,

To share her eco-knowledge "off the cuff."

That little film turned into a sensation

That's the way we've come to know "The Story of Stuff."

"The Story of Stuff," "The Story of Stuff..."

That's the way we've come to know "The Story of Stuff."

If you haven't seen internet film "The Story of Stuff" yet, find 20 minutes to do just that!  Click the title link above or go to http://storyofstuff.org/index.php.  There you will also find Annie Leonard's presentation of "The Story of Cap & Trade" and the upcoming "The Story of Bottled Water" (coming out on World Water Day, March 22nd, 2010). By joining their mailing list, you'll get email notification when new movies come out (& there are a handful in the works!)

picture from a scene in Annie Leonard's www.storyofstuff.org

The Story of Microbeads

Annie Leonard from the "Story of Stuff" Project does it again,  She and her team of  activists & illustrators from Free Range Studios have created another in her series of "Story of Stuff" videos.

This time, her focus in on the tiniest of pesky tiny things:  microbeads.  What on Earth are microbeads, you ask? The technical term is polyethylene microspheres, but you know them as the little plastic grit in lotions, face cleansers, exfoliants, makeup, toothpaste, and more.  And, much like the other "Story of's..." we learn they were purposely made to go away and be thrown away. Watch here:



After watching "The Story of Microbeads," you can take it a step further and take action to "ban the bead" with the help of their informational website by learning more there, and also by sending (or modifying) their templated letter to your Senator.

For more "Story of'..." videos, be sure to check out all of these:

The Story of Stuff (Dec 2007)

The Story of Cap & Trade (Dec. 2009)

The Story of Bottled Water (March 2010)

The Story of Cosmetics (July 2010)

The Story of Electronics (Nov. 2011)

The Story of Citizens United v. FEC (2011)

The Story of Broke (2011)

The Story of Change (July 2012)

The Story of Solutions (Oct. 2013)

The "Story of Stuff:  Microbeads" video is from http://storyofstuff.org/movies/lets-ban-the-bead/; The penny/microbead pic is from http://www.npr.org/2014/05/21/313157701/why-those-tiny-microbeads-in-soap-may-pose-problem-for-great-lakes (another great article, in and of itself!)

Annie Leonard Does it Again: The Story of Solutions

Annie Leonard has been a long time favorite over here at GTG.  She had me at "The Story of Stuff," and kept me with her many other animated shorts speaking out on other "stuff."  She's covered a lot of ground in the last 6+ years.

Her latest:  The Story of Solutions.  A look at "game changing" solutions, making a move away from "more" to "better."  (The timing of its release I find interesting given the situation of our ever-so-effective governmental shut-down!!)  Once again, she nails it.



Check out "The Story of Stuff" website for resources & information, to read her blog or take action, and of course to learn more about all her 8 past projects & movies

To see more on my thoughts on the rock star I think Annie is, be sure to look into the GTG Archives:

• Ode to Annie Leonard   (3/15/2010)
• When David de Rothschild Meets Annie Leonard   (3/22/2010)
• Story of Stuff   (7/7/2010)
• Scary Stuff & Powerful Percentages   (7/10/2010)
• The Story of ...My Garage!  (11/14/2010)
• Black Friday Burnout   (11/27/2010)
• Another Successful Story of Stuff: The Story of Broke   (11/17/2011)
• Meditating on the Materials Economy:  AKA, Studying "The Story of Stuff"  (1/4/2012)
• Annie Leonard's "Story of Change"   (7/20/2012)

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cpkRvc-sOKk

Story of Stuff

  After 3 days & countless hours, I can finally see the floor of my basement and walk anywhere I want (which wasn't the case a day ago).  All toys are sorted, all bins are tucked, and I'm just plain tuckered out!  2 massive garbage cans are filled with recyclables for next week's recycling pick up, and many, many bags & boxes ready to be carted in the big car to take to Goodwill.  

Through this whole "larger than life" decluttering process, it has all had me thinking A LOT about Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff."  It's also had me thinking of all the plastic pieces I"m getting rid of, the plastic trash floating in the ocean that the Plastiki sailed by in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the oil swirling aimlessly in the Gulf that was so important to drill in order to create these things I'm now getting rid of).  

Fitting too that on my bedside table, my book marker is in the middle of the chapter "Consumption" in Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff" book.  Just as she'll say, it's the OVERconsumption that does us all in.  And I'm feeling it!

In an effort to organize, I had my 2 cherubs pull all the toys in the house down to the playroom basement where the sort & conquer process could begin.  We're pretty modest with the purchase of our "stuff," but between birthday parties, generous grandparents & other relatives, "Happy Meal" trinkets, and the hand-me-downs of friends and family, we've got a ton of stuff!  You notice it when you have heaps of it collected and dumped in one whole place.  I'm talking "death trap" here!  In part, I did this to show the kids how crazy & out of control all of this "stuff" is--a mini landfill in our own home. 

As much as the kids were in awe of how much they had, I was one one with the "Ah Ha Moment."  I was struck with the "magic of advertising." It's eye-opening for our times when my four year old told me that of course he could offload certain toys to "kids who needed them" (aka: my Goodwill basket), because he "could always go buy another one."  Ei yie yie, I shake my head!  Yes, I immediately downshifted into "Soapbox #323: Money Doesn't Grow On Trees" & we don't just get rid of things to buy more...but he's four; he's seen commercials; and the advertising industry knows what they're doing!  I've got my work cut out for me!  

It's hard to find the magic bullet that moves children away from that feeling of having spending money burning a hole in their pocket.   I know that parents throughout the ages have faced this one...and it's one of the many things out there that makes parenting hard!  And it's not "one stop shopping"...it takes countless messages that shopping and stuff does not equal happiness.  Not to mention a heck of a lot of fortitude to keep heralding that message.  

So, armed with fortitude, organized bins, and "the rules of cleaning the basement" (as written and posted by my daughter), we're feeling a little less claustrophobic around...at least till this time next year.  I'm also keeping "Soapbox #323" dusted off and handy to be frequently used!!

For those of you wanting to take it a step further, especially if you want to see a faith-based extension, go to http://storyofstuff.org/curricula.php for a Christian-based program for teens on all this "stuff."

To learn more about the "Story of Stuff" or see some of Annie Leonard's other videos ("The Story of Bottled Water is a great one!"), click the title above or go to http://storyofstuff.org/

Image from http://milindoe.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/lettin-off-some-steam/

Meditating on the Materials Economy: AKA, Studying "The Story of Stuff"

This winter, I'm taking an online course through the Green Education Foundation Institute.  Through part of the studies, I found my way back to the 21 minute video by Annie Leonard--her original "Story of Stuff."  I have got to admit it: I'm a big fan of Annie Leonard.  I have seen her speak, and I have read her book.  Not quite a junkie, but close.  Well, okay... maybe, I am. 

She just truly has her finger on the pulse of materials economy:  extraction, production, distribution, consumption (including the dastardly planned and perceived obsolescence) and disposal.  If you haven't seen it, you need to take the time, and do it today!  It's that important, and she is soo right!!



Other GTG "Blasts from the Past" and my previous commentary on the "Story of Stuff":

Sweet Tweets & "Stuff"  3/13/2010

Ode to Annie Leonard,  3/15/2010

Scary Stuff and Powerful Percentages, 7/10/2010

Story of... My Garage!  11/14/2010

Another Successful Story of Stuff:  The Story of Broke, 11/17/2011

Story of Stuff  7/7/2011

Ghosts of Christmas Past in My Kids' Toy Room, 12/3/2011


Video from  http://www.storyofstuff.org/

Story of....My Garage!

Yesterday we had a family affair adventure in organizing, which was probably more like a horrendous nightmare for my children:  Cleaning out our garage!   We did it in true "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" style--the entire contents came out, in the front yard, the driveway, the porch....  Sort, sift, purge, organize ~ for nearly 8 hours yesterday, we cleaned the garage!  

(As an "after the fact" thought, I realized we should have done the "before, during, and after" pictures to immortalize the transformation.)


Aside from cheerleading my kids through the process, I found myself thinking a lot about Annie Leonard and The Story of Stuff.  It's amazing how much "stuff" four people can amass!  We had a lot of stuff!  Yes, some of it is holiday decorations, some outgrown clothes, some camping gear which only gets used occasionally, tools & workbench fillers...those are the things you expect in a garage.  


But there sure was a whole lot of other "stuff" too.  The container of cords that go to heaven-knows-what, like the one Annie Leonard mentioned in http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/.  Broken toys & goofy li'l Happy Meal Toys in need of being tossed (in the recycling, I'll have you know!).  The lamp that no longer goes with this decor (in the car for the GoodWill).  The car seat that has been too little for too many years (again, another for the donation pile).  All that "stuff" that we just had to have at one time our another...which was now in boxes and tossed aside in our garage. Stuff, stuff, stuff....that at one time we couldn't live without, and now we can't wait to get rid of it.


It also got me thinking of the TEDx Great Pacific Garbage Patch Webcast last weekend.  Particularly Van Jones and how he referred to "us" as a society that values disposability.  Our throw-away society has 5% of the population, yet we create 25% of the greenhouse gases & have 25% of the world's criminals in jails.  Factories that create (and others that destroy), plastic products do so in neighborhoods where the poorest of our people live, and the toxins from those products do the most harm to the people our society places the least value on.  Disposable.  

* Heavy sigh!*

Back to my garage.... I go in there and I feel peaceful now, looking at the organized shelves, not seeing the chaos of 48 hours ago.  I also feel good knowing that I've got my electronics ready to be sent off to the e-waste center, my outgrown clothes ready to be donated, and my recycling ready to be taken out.  It's my hope that the lessons from TEDx & Story of Stuff stay strong in my mind so that we don't find ourselves here--garage items on the lawn--once again.

The Story of Water: Who Controls The Way We Drink?

I've long been a fan of Annie Leonard and the Story of Stuff. Her "stuff" has been a frequent highlight here at GTG. Annie & the Story of Stuff Team have a new video out:  "The Story of Water: Who Controls The Way We Drink?" which takes a look at the privatization of water systems, and why that's actually NOT a good thing.

Water is that one thing we all need--and it's one thing that can be hard to come by, depending on what population you are a part of. The book "Thirst" by Scott Harrison instantly comes to mind. So too does the saying "water water everywhere and not a drop to drink." We've got this marble-esque blue planet (which definitely brings to mind #bluemind), yet the percentage of potable water on this planet is a problem given the majority of our water being housed in salty oceans.

Additionally, anytime a system is privatized, it has done so for a reason; namely--for a company to make a profit. This could get (and in the past many times, has gotten) in the way of doing things in an environmentally healthy way--for both us (as humans) and our planet. This also can become enmeshed in economic issues, leading things to fall on one side or the other of the dividing line of between the "haves" and the "have nots."

The Story of Water: Who Controls The Way We Drink goes into more of this. The video is narrated by Baltimore's Mayor, Bernard Young. As stated on the Story of Water's page, Baltimore is "the first major city in the United States to ban certain forms of water privatization, setting a new standard for public water protection that other cities can aspire to follow." Way to go, Baltimore, my nearby neighbor!!



Images from https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/17/story-water-new-video-story-stuff-team-delivers-short-beautiful-smackdown-water and https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/drink-up-our-tap-water-quality-in-fairfax-county/; Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04jTleV0gK0

Story of Stuff: 10 Years of #Eco-Education

Back in 2007, Annie Leonard was fed up with "STUFF" and decided enough is enough with "enough!" She released the original animated documentary called "The Story of Stuff," which has lead her now on a decade-long adventure of activism through "The Story of Stuff Project."

Annie & her "Say No to Stuff" mantra has been a frequent focus here at GTG.


Her latest environmental education mini-movie was released last month... 'round about the same time our new head of the EPA was denying climate change and our human-planetary impact.  Her latest is "The Story of Microfibers" and it will change the way you look at clothing, laundry, and how it affects marine life and our water supply.


In addition to her many movies, there's a plethora of environmental-awareness resources.  Check out her bounty with the links below. They are kid-friendly and perfect for Earth Day ahead as you inspire your young stewards to be community-minded, solutions-focused, and action-oriented--just like Annie's S-O-S Team!

• "The Good Stuff" Podcast
• Teaching Tools
• Blog
• Take Action by researching and pursuing some of their many campaigns & more

Image from http://storyofstuff.org/resources/; video from http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-microfibers/

Story of Stuff & Their Endless Pursuit on Sustainability

I've been a long time fan of The Story of Stuff Project and their many documentaries. Their very first one came out in 2007, and I've been writing about them for awhile.

They have a few new features out in their Movies page of their website. "Reuse Revolution" is fairly new, and their first movie details Okapi Coffee and it's circular economy solution to keep waste out of landfills by encouraging patrons to use reusable cups:

Go to Okapi's website to learn more about where to find participating cafes that are in their network.

I'm eager to see what else Story of Stuff comes up with for their Reuse Revolution series!

In the mean time, here are more of their educational movies you can check out.

• Their 13 video set of their "Story of ..." Movies.
• Their 6 video collection of their plastic pollution documentaries.
• Their 3 video series "Exposed" about Coca-Cola Company's attempts & advertising campaigns, all of which essentially shut down recycling their glass bottles. 
• "Burning Injustice" about incinerators in California and the toxic air pollution they create.
• Their 10 video set on plastic solutions in "Solving Plastics."
• Their set of 5 videos entitled "The World We Need" showcasing activists standing up to make a difference.
• Their 15 video collection "The Good Stuff" where they look at some pollution problems and some potential sustainable solutions that would benefit us all.
• Their 3 video set of "Water Documentaries" about clean water and bottle water sources.
• Their 11 episode series "The Shift" on the coronavirus epidemic of 2020.

With 67 video shorts (as of this writing) over the last 19 years, this is a powerhouse collection of environmental and sustability resources... all just a click away! What a bounty!

Video from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/reuse-revolution-coffee-without-the-waste/, image from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/the-reuse-revolution/

Scary Stuff and Powerful Percentages

Walking along the boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland, at the tail end of the night, I was disheartened.  I was very glad I wasn't the person who had to clean up the joint. It was a mess of debris:  napkins, fries containers, wrappers, multiple plastic work gloves (?!), and more.  Clearly a busy day had been had, and the remnants were there to show that people had done a good job of trashing the place. 

A short walk down, and you are beyond the carnival atmosphere, and past all the buildings, restaurants, game places, and rides.  It is here you can see the opening to the beach, across the sand.  As nice as the night was, a swift wind, and anything on that boardwalk would go flying!  With the end of night mix, you wonder how much of "this stuff" empties into the Atlantic Ocean's Garbage Patch in the Sargasso Sea?

Of course if I were in charge of waste management in the vacation hot spot of "Ocean City, Maryland," I'd make some changes.  It would be better set up, with recycle bins galore, and civilian-friendly places to recycle.  But I do realize that's easy to say:  "If I were in charge of   blah blah blah  then I'd make sure to blat blat blat."  It's sad, but true:  once you are in charge, you realize the hidden pitfalls that no one sees. 

But, to have no recycle bins (which is the case on Ocean City's boardwalk)...that is NOT the best approach.  Again, I shake my head at the fact there there are places--more and more than I ever imagined--that don't have recycling bins set up and a system in place.  We still have so far to go.

Along those lines, and what brought me to really pondering all of this, is the idea of "Gross National Trash," from Annie Leonard's book The Story of Stuff  and her chapter on "Disposal."  Joel Makower's graphic on page 186 of Annie's book is eye-opening--and down right depressing. It was what was used to make the pie graph above. Of US trash, only 2.5% of the total waste is municipal waste. That's us--that's what's curbside! The largest percentage, 76%, is industrial waste. The 18% of "special waste" (mining, fuel production, and metal processing) is truly just more, yet specialized industrial waste. Lastly, the 3.5% is construction/demolition waste. 

The reason I find this sooo bothersome is that the smallest percentage is already huge! Like I said, it's us!  It's the 4.5 pounds of trash that we each make daily.  It's the one part of this graph/waste problem we can do the most about...yet you hear that the percentage of people in the world who recycle is 35%.  35% is roughly 1 in 3 people.  One-third of 2.5% is 0.875. Less than 1 percent. That bears repeating--less than 1 percent of the Gross National Trash is what we are actively recycling.  "Upstream" is where we need to be looking to make real changes, with industrial and other waste.  However, what will it take to get everyone on board, when we can't even get rid of styrofoam clam-shell containers as doggie bags at restaurants?  When we can't even get municipalities to put recycle bins out there? 

Annie Leonard goes on to say there is hope, in that many industries are taking steps to reduce their waste.  I'm glad she finds hope out there.  I think it crystallizes for me that there's so much out there, and again...any little thing that anyone can do does help.  My only hope is that it's not too little too late for the future of our planet and all of our someday grandkids and great-grandkids.

Graphic created on the "Create a Graph" website (http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/  -- a GREAT place to do graphing with school-age kids) using the "Gross National Trash" data from page 186 of Annie Leonard's book "The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health--And a Vision For Change."

No Need to Jump Thru Hoops for "Loop Scoops!"

My latest Internet discovery:  A super duper troupe of groovy mini movies!  Backed by PBS & Annie Leonard of The Story of Stuff, you can't go wrong!

Entitled "Loop Scoops," these video snippets were created to stimulate the minds of youngsters, and get them critically thinking about the "stuff" that's in their lives.

From the Story of Stuff website:

Each SCOOP tells the story of something kids use or see everyday — a juice box, a magazine, an electronic gadget, a glass of juice, a pile of garbage. Our goal is to get kids thinking in new ways and asking new questions, like: What is this made of? Where did it come from? Who made it? What happens when I throw it away?

To see a sample Loop Scoops on "Garbage," click below or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c5cnM_TdHw.

Your true wealth though, will be if you go to http://pbskids.org/loopscoops/garbage.html where you'll also find "Garbage" (above) and also see their other "Loop Scoops" videos on the subjects of:

• electronic gadgets
• juice boxes
• magazines
• orange juice
• frogs
• happiness
• velcro

To learn even more about this new gem, go to the article "Introducing Loop Scoops" where it details Annie Leonard's involvement. (You may remember Annie Leonard from Internet sensation of educational animation: "The Story of Stuff.") To read all about it, go to http://www.wgbh.org/impactcommunity/kids_media_matters.cfm.

With all of this, I'm sure you're finding yourself asking, "What could be better than 'Loop Scoops'?"  

The answer:  Teacher Resources & Lessons Plans to go with "Loop Scoops!"

Each video montage has it's own associated lesson plans (also influenced by Annie Leonard) at http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/lpsc/.  Geared for classrooms teaching grades 1--4, these lesson plans give broader depth to many topics, often times combining videos for greater connections when used together. 

Lesson plan topics at the TeachersDomain website that integrate the Loop Scoop videos include:

• Biodegradation ~ for grades 3-4
• Electronics gadgets ~ for grades 1-4
• Frogs ~ for grades 1-4
• Happiness ~ for grades 1-4
• Garbage ~ for grades 1-4
• Juice Boxes ~ for grades 1-4
• Magazines ~ for grades 1-4
• Needs & Wants ~ for grades 1-2
• Orange Juice ~ for grades 1-4
• Product Life Cycle ~ for grades 3-4
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ~ for grades 1-2
• Velcro ~ for grades 1-4

Bottom Line:  If you are looking for a way to infuse more environmental education and critical thinking in your curriculum, http://pbskids.org/loopscoops/ and http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/lpsc/ are 2 great places to go!

Image from www.storyofstuff.com

Shop 'Til You Drop

I'm sitting here, a week-and-change after Black Friday and all the ads, incentives, free shipping, & more, looking at my Christmas list (making check marks as I shop -- as any good Santa would do), and I find it all fascinating.

Propaganda, errr, I mean advertising... to the N'th degree!  Sigh.

The day after Thanksgiving I ran across this on Pinterest:



There's something more than a tad disturbing with this philosophy!!
Or rather...this REALITY.

For me, one who isn't a fan of shopping on a "good day," Christmas and all that comes with it hits me oddly. I love the lights, the music, the sights, the sounds, the magic & mystique (especially from they eyes of the cherubs)... but the shopping (and yes, admittedly, the spending of money), hits me poorly.  The meaning that's projected is "If you love me, you will spend a boatload of money on me."

Anyone who has been following along the last 4 years knows that materialism doesn't exactly float my boat. I am a big fan of "The Story of Stuff."  I know the value of the dollar.  I have the salary of an independent school teacher, and while we do okay, we're not rolling in the dough.  We don't overtly overly-indulge our 2 children, and yet, they want for not.

We are a middle class family, and my kids have a crew who loves them.
Therefore, we have "stuff."

I feel we are a society over-consumed by consumerism. There's wayyy too much "stuff" out there.  In the world, in the stores, in my own house.  Christmas comes around (for both my kids and I), and I'm hit with the loud thought:  how much more "stuff" do we really need?  I think back to the BIG chit'lin "wants" from last year (from my own home), and I assess & query: "how much were they truly used the last 365 days?" I'm saddened by the probable answer.

Insert "Toys 'R' Us" ad here.  When I saw this advertisement, I knew it was "blog fodder."  As an environmentalist & anti-materialist, I'm more-than-slightly appalled!  Yes, Toys 'R' Us is a mecca (which has overwhelmed me since it first came about in my hometown during my teen years). Yet, this video screams consumerism over environmentalism to the N'th degree.  There are soooo many things wrong here.  Watch and see. (Then read the LiveWell's article "Misguided Toys 'R' Us Ad Makes Nature the Bad Guy.")



So my challenge to you (and yes, to me, as well):  Step away from this ad.  Step away from the Christmas consumerism.  Step toward the light of sanity, and do what you need to do this holiday season that will keep you on the straight and narrow this season!

Delight in the fun, festivities, the humor, the hugs, the lights, the sights, and the sounds, and all the people around.


Images from:
SomeEcard from http://www.whatevo.com/post/Black-Friday-BD868F37CD935E16
"Story of Stuff" pic from http://dariobusch.com/2011/01/the-story-of-stuff/
Shop Till you drop from http://www.myniceprofile.com/girls-45787.html
Meet the Forest pic from http://livewellcolorado.org/livewells-commitment/newsroom/livewell-blog/misguided-toys-r-us-ad-makes-nature-the-bad-guy

Video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SXybm6bss

It's a Plastiki-World Water-Bottled Water-Earth Hour Kind of Week

It's a pretty cool week this week, environmentally speaking.  A lot going on:

1.  The Plastiki set sail yesterday, on it's 100 day journey from San Fran to Sydney via the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Both the Plastiki website's blog (http://www.plastiki.com/) and David de Rothschild's twitter tweets (which are here http://twitter.com/DRexplore & on Plastiki's home page) are great places to follow their adventure a la plastic bottle boat to the watery sea swirl o'plastic.  Love this picture of them from their site:

 

From http://www.flickr.com/photos/plastiki/ with the caption:  "The Plastiki crew - David de Rothschild, Jo Royle, David Thomson, Olav Heyerdahl, Vern Moen and Max Jourdan - waving farewell to San Francisco as they leave for their 100 day trip to Sydney.  ~Courtesy of Luca Babini" 

2.  Tomorrow  (March 22nd) is World Water Day.  This United Nations globally-celebrated day sprouted out of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro's United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.  www.worldwaterday.org is a fabulous place to go to learn more about this "enviro-holiday."  Here are some pretty startling water facts from "The Everything Green Classroom Book" by Tessa Hill, president of Kids for Saving Earth (http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/  which is an equally great place to go for teaching/informational resources!):

• Although 70% of the Earth is water, only 3% of that water is fresh.  Take away that which is frozen at both poles, that leaves less than 1% of our planetary water supply fresh and available.  
   
• Given nearly 7 billion people are living on this sphere of ours, that's a lot of water to share.  In fact, approx1.1 billion people in the world don't have the ability to get safe, clean drinking water.  In eye-opening real numbers, that's 1 in 6 people, folks. 

Clearly, water is a precious commodity.  Now insert in that picture bottled water.  More numbers to make your head spin from "The Everything Green Classroom Book:"

• 29,000,000,000 (that's billion with a "B") plastic water bottles are made in the US per year.  That's our global population x 4.5.     

• What are those bottles made from?  Petroleum.  Crude Oil.  A non-renewable resources that could be going other, more necessary places.  17 million barrels of it in fact.

• Over 85% of those water bottles aren't recycled.  Gee, where do they wind up?  Yep, the landfill or, according to http://www.plastiki.com/, about 50% of those plastics out there find their way to the ocean.  Given that plastic takes over 1000 years to decompose, and even then not 100% (leaving little plastic bits called "nurdles" which sea life eats), we've got problems left and right with this system.

So...enter our return friend, Annie Leonard.  Debuting on World Water Day ~ tomorrow! ~ is her latest creation in the Story of Stuff movie format:  The Story of Bottled Water.    Here's the trailer:  http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater-teaser/.   Pretty good day to "make a splash!"

3).  Okay, so if the Plastiki embarking AND World Water Day AND a New Story of Stuff movie coming out aren't enough, rounding out the week on Saturday night (March 27th) is Earth Hour (http://www.earthhour.org/).  Another global event to make another move toward global awareness.  Last year, one of their themes was to "Vote Earth" by using your light switch as your ballot box.  By turning off your lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm during the Earth Hour eve, you show your support in favor of a more conscious, green way of living.  It's another way one individual's actions can make a difference to support the sustainability of our home planet...especially since it's the only one we have. 

So here's what your "To Do List" should look like:

• Keep track of Plastiki.
• Pay attention to your water usage.
• Watch "The Story of Bottled Water" and share it all around.
• Flick off your lights Saturday night from 8:30 to 9:30 pm to let your vote be heard. 

"Water for All" picture from:  http://www.portlandroasting.com/files/4786WFA-logonew.jpg 
"Light switch" photo from: http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/2/4/8/2/ar123601583728425.jpg

Sweet Tweets and "Stuff"

1.  Thank you to David de Rothschild for "Tweeting" this blog this morning...what a great find on your Plastiki website--you made my day:   

@DRexplore: message in a bottle Green Team Gazette:  Earth Day, Earth Hour, & 

the Plastiki http://bit.ly/9KxW6O yesterday 07:17 am  from http://www.theplastiki.com/

2.  I'm very much looking forward to hitting up Washington DC's "Politics and Prose" bookstore tomorrow to catch Annie Leonard and her book talk about "The Story Of Stuff."  David de Rothschild alluded to Annie Leonard's site/book in his CNN video on "Expedition Plastiki" at   http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2010//10/amanpour.plastiki.de.rothschild.cnn?iref=allsearch.   

"Stuff does not equal happiness" (though, on any given Sunday at the local mall, seeing the consumers out, shopping away, do most people believe that?!)    We want stuff...we buy stuff...we temporarily feel blissful about our stuff....we clean out the stuff in our garages (as I did today) and get rid of tons of stuff.  What is that?  Are we happier?  Does our pile of stuff/recyclables/stuff for Goodwill make us happier in the end?  Nope, nada, nien, non, zilch.  

Annie's got her finger on the pulse.  We bury ourselves under the things we felt we couldn't live without.  Some might call that "entrapment" as we are shackled to our stuff.  And yet... we get rid of that stuff--later.  Annie's point is that we, as Americans, humans, consumers, take in wayyyy too much...much of which is trashed in 6 months!  This illustrates David de Rothschild's Dumb Planet 1.0:  "We have this sort of voracious appetite for throwaway, single-use plastics, what I call Dumb Planet 1.0 plastics -- the plastic bag, the Styrofoam cup.."  Our poor planning creates piles of waste.  We need Smart Planet 2.0.

So, here we are, buried under our stuff, but with the message that we need to do what?  Reduce our waste.  Reuse!  Recycle!!  Rethink--what the heck are we doing and what can we do better?!!  Responsibility and Respect!  Reclaim a new way of thinking with a clarity that is missing.   We can do this.  We should do this.  Why are we not doing this?  

To see an interview with Annie Leonard, click "Sweet Tweets & Stuff" above, or go to http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/03/09/swimming.in.stuff.amanpour.cnn?iref=allsearch

"Together is the only way we can move forward and create the necessary solutions for our oceans and our planet."  ~David de Rothschild

  

picture from http://www.storyofstuff.org/

Another Successful Story of Stuff: The Story of Broke

I happen to think Annie Leonard from the "Story of Stuff" videos is sharp as can be.  I love the style of her videos in exposing things--whether it is over-production, over-consumption, pollution & plastic, health & cosmetics, and more.  In fact, it's been the topic of GTG conversation many times before.
Well, Annie Leonard is back at it, this time with "The Story of Broke."  In it, she looks at money, our country, our economy, and the fact that there does seem to be money for certain things, but not others.  Once again, she hits a nail on the head.  Check out her latest video below, or go to the Story of Stuff website.



Video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G49q6uPcwY8

When Less Is More

I've just finished reading"The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store" by Cait Flanders. In it, she details a life of minimalism and how she arrived there in one year with by imposing her own "shopping ban." In truth, it also details her several-year "journey of less" in all aspects of her life. Less shopping, less clutter, less debt, less food & snacking, less weight, less mindless TV watching, less social media, less drinking, less work, and much more.

Minimalism has always piqued my interest--as evident on my bookshelf (filled, ironically, way too many books) but in titles such as "Simplify Your Life" and "Inner Simplicity" (both by Elaine St. James), "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" (by Greg McKeown), and "Simple Abundance" (by Sarah Ban Breathnach). I've watched  "Minimalism: A Documentary About Important Things." But it sometimes is hard to be a true minimalist when you have teenagers and a husband and a dog, all of whom have differing opinions.

It wasn't intentional, but I ended up reading Cait Flanders book right after spending 30 man-hours this summer with all of the above participants (minus the dog) overhauling the basement. When you have teenagers,  you don't necessarily need the "Magic Treehouse" books, or Lincoln Logs, or Playmobile guys, or dress-up costumes, or stuffed animals anymore. It was a process that was probably at least 5 years overdue. I tend to be very organized, so I can organize a lot of stuff and not look like a hoarder. However, we had certainly surpassed that point in the basement. It was a big job. And it stunned me a little bit thinking of all the money over the years that had gone to all of this stuff we were getting rid of. But, as my husband reminded me, it served a purpose at the time, and that time had passed. This certainly was a strong tie in to Cait's own realizations and her journey as well.

I tackled the lion share of the job, but I couldn't even start the project on my own due to overwhelm. As a family, we created 4 blocks of time where all four of us worked for only one hour at a time, cranking through as much as we could in that hour. Those blocks of simultaneous 4-man-hours helped accomplish a lot in a concentrated time. They cut through my sentimental "maybe we should keep it" moments. They were far more cut-throat! Multiple truck-loads of stuff were donated--bags of books included. Old crafting items went to school to be up for grabs. Several bookshelves were grabbed from the curb by our neighbor. We still have a pile of stuff that we're considering selling (or it may come to donating) as I'm really just ready to offload those items.

The memorabilia was my hardest part, with boxes of never-scrapbooked items, but I organized those into one tub per child of keepsakes. Apparently I thought it'd be a good idea to save every kindergarten handwriting page my daughter ever wrote, so we had a lot of recycling as well.


The room is still a work in progress as we have some odds and ends to fix (one of which may involve a handy man), but it is a world of improvement. It's not overstuffed and cluttered. It's actually spacious and inviting. It goes with Cait's concept of "Whenever you let go of something negative in your life, you make room for something positive."

Likewise, as I was wrapping up Cait Flanders' book last night, I reflected on some of her broader thoughts. The basement overhaul has been tied also to my daily treks on the exercise bike (also in the basement) to improve my overall health and stamina--which in turn has started helping to shed a few pounds. This, in turn, has also led to more veggies on my plate. Cait's quote "Every small change you make pays compound interest. It helps you make another change, another mind-set shift, another decision to live in a new way" seemed to be whispering right to me. Ironically too, it's cropped up as I'm simultaneously reading James Clear's "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones."

Having never been much of a shop-a-holic, both Cait's book and my basement have led me even further away. I don't need more. We have enough. Along those lines, I'm trying to read more books on Kindle (including Cait's) as books are my shopping downfall! I'm grateful for what we do have, and I know that some of our stuff will be the same stuff we will later be getting rid of. The landfills truly don't need more, and I wonder how much I'm greenwashing myself with all my donations simply to avoid seeing someone else throw them away! In reading Cait's journey and taking my own, it makes you look at your priorities through a fine-toothed comb... and that was only my basement!

You can learn more about Cait Flanders on her website or by following #TheYearOfLess in social media. Maybe it, or my basement story, will inspire you to make the best out of "less" in your life.


Cait Flanders' book cover from https://www.amazon.com/Year-Less-Shopping-Belongings-Discovered/dp/9386832933 & all other photos from my phone & basement.