Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday.  For those who survived Black Friday, it is another chance at unbridled consumerism. For some, it is an alternative to the crushing crowds and ungodly early store hours.  Depending on your perspective, it can be either a blessing or a curse.

Support environmentally-conscious businesses as much as possible.  When available, choose to offset your carbon footprint.  Of course, be sure to use local businesses whenever possible, and carpool with friends or family to cut down on gas consumption.

Until next time...become the change you imagine.

A balanced approach to cleaning and hair care...

I recently had the opportunity to try some new products, and I am so glad I did! One is a cleaner, the other is a line of hair-care products. As many of you know I have issues with chemicals. Mostly fragrances, but many chemicals in cleaning products really cause me problems. So I am always happy to hear of cleaning solutions that are safe for me, and the environment.

Erik Burnett, from NatureMagiX, asked me to try it and provide a review. I am genuinely excited about this product! NatureMagiX is a plant-based, pH-neutral, concentrated all-purpose cleaner. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, safe for people, pets, plants, and the environment. Best of all -- it works. I use it all over the house. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry, floors, even carpets. No horrific chemical fumes, or odors. The only thing I smell after using it is clean, as in the absence of "dirty" smells. As an added bonus, it is incredibly cost effective. A quart of commercial, chemical-laden cleaning solution costs anywhere from $2.50-$5.00 depending on the brand. A quart of NatureMagiX costs about 59 cents.

Phyto was founded by Mr. Patrick Ales - a renowned French salon owner with a passion for hair styling and the healing power of plants. His company uses a creative, scientific approach to developing plant-based products that are synergistic, safe, and effective. The plants, and their parts, are selected for their active substances, and great care is taken in the extraction of these substances. These products are NOT tested on animals. The resulting products are high-quality and very effective. I can tell you from personal experience that these products work. My hair has never looked, or felt, better.

Phyto products are only available in salons, and are a bit expensive, but I feel my health is worth the extra expense. A little product goes a long way, so if you aren't wasteful, they can be cost-effective. Especially if you have short hair. Mine is very long, and I am pleased with how little it takes to do the job on my hair. Most salons will have samples available, so don't be afraid to ask. It's very gratifying to see that healthy products are becoming more prevalent in the marketplace. I encourage everyone to give them a try and experience for yourself the healthy alternatives that are available. We can balance our needs with the needs of our planet.

Until next time...become the change you imagine.

Reconnecting with our natural heritage.

June 5th is World Environment Day, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The theme for 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. This reflects the immediate need for nations to agree on a new course of action at the climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in December, and the links with overcoming poverty and the improved management of forests.

Mexico is the host country, this year, which reflects its growing role in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets. A leading partner in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign, Mexico, with the support of its President and people, has spearheaded the pledging and planting of some 25% of the trees in that campaign. Mexico accounts for roughly 1.5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the country is demonstrating its commitment to climate change on several fronts.

While I applaud the numerous global and national "days" dedicated to environmental concerns and awareness, we need to involve ourselves in these issues on a daily basis. We need to have a global "Shift Your Attitude" Day to impress on people the need to change the way we think about our environment and our place in it.

The first step is to stop thinking of ourselves as separate from nature. We ARE nature, we ARE our environment. The only separation is in our own minds. Earth is life and the source of our sustenance. Sustenance can be defined as: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained :a supplying or being supplied with the necessities of life. Which brings us back to the ongoing issue of sustainability.

For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. Humans, until recently, lived in harmony with their environment, and primitive peoples still respect this basic premise of life. As a materialistic society with unchecked population growth, we have exhausted the earth's ability to replenish itself.

The delicate balance necessary for any natural system to survive has been severely compromised. With this in mind there is an imperative need for humans to understand their connectedness to their world and everything on it. As my friend, Andrew, so eloquently put it:

"There have been moments of grace though. The quiet time first thing in the morning when I’m able to connect with the beauty of nature that surrounds me. The silence punctuated by bird song and the wind through the trees."

"That is the way of nature. There is perfection as we look not only closely at the plants but also at the panoramas of the bigger picture."

In keeping with the "bigger picture" there is a calendar of global environmental events available here. My challenge to you, the reader, is to start making a positive impact NOW, by shifting your attitude and awareness about your place in the environment. Reconnect with your natural human heritage.

Until next time...become the change you imagine.

The answer to our survival is BALANCE

Our Common Future is a report from the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) and was published in 1987. An excerpt from page 4 reads:

"Until recently, the planet was a large world in which human activities and their effects were neatly compartmentalized. ... These compartments have begun to dissolve. ... the various global crises that have seized public concern ... are not separate crises ... They are all one."

Written over twenty years ago, it is as true today as it was in 1987. If we were to analyze the root causes of most of the world's conflicts we would find a recurring theme of imbalance. Poor vs. rich, famine vs. abundance, cities vs. nature, war vs. peace...ad nauseum. When humans live in harmony with nature their essential needs are met. Everything needed to survive is available. Materials for housing, clothing, and tools. Food, clean air, and clean water all provide for a healthy population. Healthy people tend to be happy people.

In her 1992 article Utgard , Diana Paxon wrote:

"The human brain is an example of an organism which has developed by adding new structures and functions to older ones. Most people today have access only to the newer levels of consciousness, and are disturbed by the "irrational" emotions that shake them when the older parts of the brain are aroused. In the same way, our civilization thinks of itself as "modern," and has trouble understanding the social movements that arise when deeper needs revive older ways.

A major paradigm shift in our relationship to Nature is taking place in this century - a change that must occur if humanity is to survive. Ours is the first generation to be aware of the fragility of the environment. "Primitive" people retain an instinctive awareness that the only way to survive in an environment that is more powerful than they are is by learning to live in harmony with its forces. But as civilization and the development of technology have given humans more control over their surroundings, Nature has become an adversary. In the natural world, birth and death, creation and destruction, are parts of a continuing cycle in which both are equally crucial to long-term survival. Modern man can accept this in theory so long as he remains insulated from its realities by his technology."

Are we addicted to technology? Will it be the cause of our demise? Not necessarily.

Humans can create technology that is sustainable in its manufacturing, with energy that is clean and from renewable sources. We can use our formidable technology to address and conquer our waste problems, clean and reclaim natural habitats. We must find a balance again. We must take action.

By creating processes that eliminate further pollution and reclaim damaged environments, we can stop our inevitable destruction. The earth will survive. If we don't change our ways, and soon, it is the human race that will become extinct.

Until next time, become the change you imagine.