The Zero-Waste Town

In Kamikatsu, Japan you will not find a garbage can in any of the town's homes, and there is no dump anywhere around. This is because the resourceful residents must compost all waste from their food, and sort other trash into 34 separate categories, with sections for plastic bottles, razor blades, Styrofoam, and various other items.

Interestingly enough, the locals seem to like this extreme recycling process. One resident, claims that the town's no-waste policy makes her more mindful of what she's using, and helps her to take advantage of every last scrap. When she cannot use the whole vegetable, or all of the meat, she cooks it again, often making soup.

Most of us may not be as ecologically-advanced as the residents of Kamikatsu, but the idea that people on the opposite side of the world are separating their trash into 34 categories may inspire people to recycle their cans and bottles, at least. Check out Lime's Guide to Recycling to learn how to get rid of trash without heading to the dump.

Embrace the concept of zero-waste. Use less, and use wisely.

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.

International Year of the Reef 2008

The International Coral Reef Initiative has launched their International Year of the Reef 2008 campaign. The aim of the campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability, and to motivate people to take action to protect them. All individuals, corporations, schools, governments, and organizations are welcome and actively encouraged to participate in IYOR 2008.


One organization that is taking action is Coral Watch.


CoralWatch is an organization built on a research project at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. They have developed a cheap, simple, non-invasive way to monitor coral bleaching, and assess coral health. Their Coral Health Chart is a series of sample colors, with variation in brightness representing different stages of bleaching or recovery, based on controlled experiments.

In the field, users simply compare colors of corals with colors on the chart and record matching codes. The charts can be used by anyone - scientists, school children, tourists and politicians.
Their aim is to provide a scientific tool and increase awareness about global warming by demonstrating one of its devastating effects. Coral Watch is asking us to please help by using their kit to monitor local reefs, or any that we visit.

CoralWatch has also joined forces with Project AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organisation working with divers to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Project AWARE has registered over 500 CoralWatch monitoring locations worldwide making it easy for divers and snorkelers to get involved. You can view a list of participating dive centers or find out more by visiting Project AWARE.

You can request a free DIY Coral Health Monitoring Kit by contacting them at info@coralwatch.org. The chart is currently available in English, Chinese, simplified Chinese, Japanese and French with more languages becoming available this year.


As you travel this summer, be aware of the the watery world around you. Find ways to experience the beauty of the earth's oceans with minimum impact to the environment. Educate yourself about them and find ways to become involved in their recovery.


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

So you want to live organic...but what does that mean?!

The American Heritage Science Dictionary defines organic as:

1. Involving organisms or the products of their life processes.
2. Relating to chemical compounds containing carbon, especially hydrocarbons.
3. Using or produced with fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin.
4. Relating to or affecting organs or an organ of the body. An organic disease is one in which there is a demonstrable abnormality on physical examination, laboratory testing, or other diagnostic studies.

That seems pretty straightforward, but as with much of the new "green-speak", it loses alot in the translation. Once every ten years, the Merriam-Webster dictionary is updated. Their 11th edition for 2003 included some 10,000 new words along with 100,000 new meanings to words already existing and some 225,00 revised definitions. According to M-W, the adjective organic dates back to the 14th century and its original meaning was instrumental.

So now where does that leave us, in the search for organic meaning? I tend toward American Heritage's definition #1 above. We are living, carbon-based, organisms designed to live in a natural environment. Yes, we are adaptable, but our modern technology has forced all organisms on this planet to adapt at a rate that is unnatural. Extinctions are not from the process of natural selection, but from man-made forces.

With the exception of those peoples who have not been corrupted by "civilization" we are the only species on this planet that does not live within the limitations of our natural environment. As living organisms, humans are at the same risk of extinction as other species. The real difference is we will be responsible for the demise of our own kind. Contrary to being a "higher life form", we are as dumb as a box of rocks (sorry, rocks) when it comes to living in harmony with our environment.

Organic.org has the top 10 reasons to support organic in the 21st century. They all make sense to people who want a future that doesn't involve gas masks, and a contaminated food chain. What real solutions can be offered to the growing list of environmental and societal woes?

1. Find a balance. Consumption should not exceed sustainable availability.

2. Put our formidable technology to work for the good. If we can think it, we can do it...in an environmentally responsible way.

3. Clean up our mess. We know where it is and what it is. It's time to stop the finger-pointing and clean it up. See #2 above.

4. Learn from the past. We need to stop repeating our mistakes. Anyone who is curious about living within our "environmental means" can talk to a Native American, an Australian aborigine, a Maori elder, or the Jaguar people of the Amazon. Civilized man has managed to wipe out a great many of these people, but there are still some remaining that know the old traditions.

Bottom line...there is no EASY button for this issue. We are 6 billion (and counting) in number, and every individual effort is significant. Educate yourself, and take action. Our future depends on it.

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

Children and Nature

I think everyone will agree that in the last two decades television, computers, and video games have replaced outdoor play as the primary recreation for a majority of children in the developed nations. If children are not reconnected to nature and encouraged to establish a bond with their environment, then the future of our planet is indeed in jeopardy.

Their are a number of organizations that are dedicated to educating children about environmental issues. But education alone is not enough. Children must feel empowered to make positive changes in their environment. By allowing them to devise solutions to the problems, and engaging them in the planning and execution of those solutions, we empower them to become more involved in the preservation of the planet.

Parents, teachers, adult family members can all contribute to this process. There are a number of things they can do:


1. Walk in nature with children. Find hiking trails, walk in a park or other greenspace.
2. Plant a children's garden. Take a small plot of ground and help them plant flowers, or vegetables. Show them how to care for the plants and then watch what happens.
3. Watch nature documentaries together. Let the time in front of the television be meaningful.
4. Create outdoor learning games. Teach them how to observe their environment.



It is unfortunate that the burden of solving these issues - created by past generations - falls to our children and their descendants. Ultimately, our success in educating and empowering children will affect the future of our world.

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