Cradle The Kids

“Our goal is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world, with clean air, water, soil and power – economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed.” ~ William McDonough Can we all agree that this is the world we want to leave to our kids? If so, how can we bring the principles of McDonough’s revolutionary book, Cradle To Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things to our children? Cradle To Cradle calls for the “transformation of human industry through ecologically intelligent design.” The book approaches a framework for sustainability that follows products through their lifecycle – from cradle to grave.

Since it is my prerogative to bring things that matter to Econesting, I’m going to apply the simple premise of Cradle To Cradle, in all its advocacy, to education...The education system needs to be remade.

Having worked in progressive education for many years, I believe leaving positive footprints (instead of just reducing the negative ones) is what we should be teaching our kids. This is not only for the fate of our ailing environment, but to nurture our children to make the choices needed to close the loop and create a sustainable future.

fern8

I know, you’re thinking I’ve gone off on a tangent and landed on a lofty soapbox.  Let me step out of that cloud for a moment and confess that this is not an earth shattering observation, or a newly minted connection made by just me. Think about it, your education and mine is tunneled so deep into our core. It runs through our veins and deposits its decisions in our words and actions. These decisions (and those of our predecessors) have screwed up our cradle – our planet.

Blame game done. Can we pick up our heavy footprints and figure out what tools to give our babes to make the important decisions that will lighten the load and close the loop? You bet. Here you go…

fern7

The Institute for Humane Education believes that quality humane education covers four elements which include:

1. providing accurate information about the challenges of our time 2. fostering the 3 C’s of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking 3. instilling the 3 R’s of reverence, respect and responsibility 4. offering positive choices and the tools for problem-solving

Call it Humane, call it Progressive, call it Humanistic – as long as it calls to action an educational system that helps our kids learn how to think with those 3 C’s, make decisions based on those 3 R’s and discover a fifth element:

5. Teach Cradle To Cradle to insure that our kids can rock it...and live in a “delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world.”

fern1

Fern photos: Brian Whitney for Garden Design Magazine.

Why ferns? Ferns embody the 3 E’s - they are endearing, enthralling and enduring. Their ancient beauty has been around for millions of years. Ferns have truly developed a sustainable lifestyle!

TEDWomen: Changing The World With Humor

Last year, I interviewed my friend, New Yorker cartoonist, Liza Donnelly for an article called, Drawing For Good. At the time, Liza had recently returned from attending a conference in France where she, along with several other women cartoonists from around the globe were being honored for their humorous contribution as a catalyst for change. I asked her if expressing her personal convictions about women, art, politics, or the environment, limits or expands her profession as a cartoonist, Liza explained: "I am a cartoonist first, and while I bring my perspective as a woman to many of the cartoons I draw (whether they be about women, feminism, politics, whatever), it is not the first thing I necessarily think about. I draw as a person, and feel compelled sometimes to draw about issues that affect women around the world. Acknowledging that part of me only expands what I do. And as for politics, I love to make light of things in the news, and the best cartoon is when I can make people laugh and make a serious (sometimes disguised) point."

Women cartoonists are few and far between in their representation in publications such as the New Yorker, and no one has championed women cartoonists like Liza has. In fact, she's written a book called Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons, and more recently she released, When Do They Serve The Wine.

In December, Liza announced to her friends that she was doing a TEDTalk. Having been an environmental writer for some time, I knew that being invited to talk at a TED conference was a big deal, and certainly mega-news in this neck of the woods. Plus, Liza wasn't just doing any 'ol TEDTalk, she was speaking at the first ever TEDWomen. Here is her recount of how she prepared for her TEDTalk.

What inspires me most about Liza is not just that she had the guts in all her shyness to speak at such a high profile event (and her knees look steady), but how she steps out from behind her drawing table to make this world a funnier place...and a better one too. I'm sure you will agree after viewing the video, that Liza infuses her creative talent and social commentary about women with just the right amount of humor.

DIY Gifts for The Environmentalist on Your Holiday List: Podcasts and Videos

Have you ever met an ex-environmentalist? I haven't. Once you are one, you stay one.

Since you found econesting, I'd venture to say that you probably are an environmentalist that knows a few treehuggers. Right? Savvy environmentalists would say that they want nothing this holiday season. But, gifts are sometimes about need, not want. What does everyone need more of? OK, just take a guess...

The correct answer is...Education! (Did I mention that I was a teacher?)

Green technology and ecological news are constantly changing. For the uber-environmentalist on your list, give the latest and greatest environmental podcasts and videos.

Environmental Podcasts

The iTunes Store (Did I also mention I was an Apple fanatic?) has zillions of free podcasts that highlight every angle of environmental issues and inspiring green living ideas. Here are the Sierra Club's podcast picks.

Environmental Videos

The TED talks are chockfull of environmentally-themed topics. The videos are "Riveting talks by remarkable people." Outside magazine named the five best environmental movies of all time here.

Building A Sustainable Future: The Greenest Living Building and Biomimicry

As an environmental writer, I have the unique opportunity to explore a multitude of eco-related subjects. With environmental news rightfully focused on catastrophic events such as the Gulf Oil Spill, and stories about greenwashing running rampant, it may seem like there’s a fog descending upon the green world. But, I source exciting fresh information daily, I'm impressed with the level of new eco-friendly products and sustainable materials available.

As a blogger I feel that it is my duty and honor to dish out environmental news and commentary about things that have the capacity to enrich the environment and hopefully, create a more sustainable future for our kids.

I was invited last month to the Omega Institute of Holistic Studies to tour one of the most sustainable buildings in the world and listen to architects, designers and eco-visionaries discuss the inspirational process of creating the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL). The OCLS is a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility and environmental education center that brings together wastewater recycling, clean energy, green architecture and other sustainability elements that can be replicated locally and globally.

Omega spent the last four years working to achieve one of the most prestigious honors in the green world – The Living Building Challenge. To make this happen, Omega had to reach the most advanced level of sustainability in a built environment. Here we (writers and photographers) are hearing Omega's, Skip Backus talk about building the OCSL:

Three awe-inspiring things I learned at the OCSL:

1. As a high-performance designed building, the OCSL is powered by passive solar heating, a geothermal system, a photovoltaic power and includes a greenhouse and green roof, constructed wetlands and a green classroom that integrate seamlessly with the natural environment. 2. The OCSL is a teaching facility that teaches Omega participants as well as local schoolchildren how to adopt sustainable living practices in their own lives and homes. 3. From waste come life – At the core of the center is a greenhouse with a living water filtration system that uses plants, bacteria, algae, snails and fungi to recycle Omega’s wastewater (approximately 5 million gallons per year) into clean water used to restore the aquifer. To watch a video about the OCSL and learn more CLICK HERE.

While I was visiting Omega, a conference called, Design By Nature: Creative Solutions With Biomimicry, Permaculture & Sustainable Design was in full swing. This event brought together some of the nation’s foremost leaders in the fields of biomimicry, permaculture, and sustainable architecture. The main objective was to explore the creative potential of these promising green technologies for the sustainability of the planet.

Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a fascinating emerging science that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.

Biomimicry can answer questions such as:

How would nature get water to the desert? How would nature heat and cool a home? How would nature create color without harmful chemicals or dyes? How would nature create non-toxic waterproof adhesive?

To find the answers to these questions and read more about how biomimicry can change our lives CLICK HERE.

As we hope to forge towards a more sustainable future, we can learn so much from "living buildings" like the OCSL at Omega, and scientific ideas such as biomimicry. They truly fill me with the promise of a bright green future.

Photo Credits: Omega Institute and Care2

I Feel The Chalk

As the summer winds down, price cheap I feel, taste and smell the chalk. See, I was a teacher for many years and chalk was a constant companion. I stumbled on this whimsical video over on Poppytalk and it made me smile. Maybe some of you who are heading back to school or putting kids on the bus? Are you feeling the chalk too?

https://youtu.be/6gvOVWKKxmo

Image: Keith Haring Chalkboard