Are you Hard Core?

What do you think of as hard core?  Bruce Willis?  The Borne Ultimatum?  007?  Not in my books!  If you want to be hard core you have the chance to do so today! No need for motorcycles, guns, or spy devices! Just an apple, a camera, and a simple Facebook post.

This simple action can make a huge difference in a starving child's life and spreads awareness throughout your community about the reality of food waste.  In the new Hard Core Challenge that I have created one must eat an entire apple - including the core, on camera and then nominate 3 friends to do the same.  If they are able to eat the whole core they become part of the Hard Core Club and can nominate 3 more friends - if not they must donate to the Hard Core Club's Action Against Hunger Page which uses the money to send food to starving children.  If you are constantly wasting food like this its the least you could do.

About 1/3 of the apple goes wasted when you toss out the core - that's the same amount of food that is edible that gets thrown out before anyone has a chance to eat it.  Most of this food is just deemed "ugly" or "unusual" so it never even makes it to the supermarket shelves - which is a shame.  Its the same with the simple apple core; there is no reason not to eat it - so why do we throw it out? It looks weird?

If we can spread this awareness to our communities and help those who are starving from lack of food - we will be making a huge change.  So, I want to challenge you to be HARD CORE!  I want to see what you can do to make a difference in your community.  Film yourself, nominate some friends, and see how far your reach can expand.  If you decide to take me up on the challenge please post this note on the bottom of your video so people will know where to donate:

"You have been nominated for the Hard Core Club Challenge! To fight food waste and hunger you have 24 hours to film yourself eating an apple core.  If you fail you must donate to Action Against Hunger here: https://my.actionagainsthunger.org/fundraise?fcid=582920  Thank you very much for your participation!  --The Hard Core Club (Les Roches Green Club)"

I look forward to seeing all of your videos - and take a look at mine! Lets see how Hard Core this Earth can be!

When Responsibility is EXPECTED!

Many companies are making efforts to be environmental stewards and generally responsible through their business decisions.  However, can they afford to do anything less?  I've spoken to a few large companies CSR representatives and recently they have explained that helping the community isn't something they do as an extra to boost their reputation.  These days if anything not helping would deteriorate their reputations.  Communities now EXPECT these big companies to help schools, volunteer, donate and the list goes on.  Although I believe that businesses should do as much as they can to help the community (so long as it doesn't take away from their product) - I am interested in why communities are looking to big business to solve their problems.

We belong to a society that demands constant growth and can't tolerate slow down or decline - thus when problems do arise the first solution is to fix the problem immediately without really finding out what the problem was to begin with.  There are no gradual solutions anymore, people don't put back the puzzle piece by piece - many look to buy a whole new puzzle.  In my opinion this is why people look to businesses to help the community.  It is because companies are the only ones with such big numbers, so much money, so much capacity that they can solve these problems in one go - with no reflection on the problem.  They can alleviate the issues without doing much but writing out a large check. However, is that really what we need as a community?

Developing a stronger more resilient community to fight your own problems.

Instead of demanding that one large player gives up a lot to solve a problem "or else" why not bond together as a community and build ourselves again from the ground up?  This type of structure is much stronger because all the links together makes it harder for something to take the community down again.  A quickly and cheaply built building would come tumbling down after an earthquake.  The new community which is more tied together and closer through problem solving would act as the steel bracing within the building keeping it sturdy in the face of disaster.

Again, I am not saying these companies shouldn't help out - I just think communities need to find a way to balance out their demands.  Most small problems can be worked out internally if you really work hard.  However, you would want these companies to help out when you need incomprehensible amount of support such as a natural disaster.  If we stop demanding something for nothing and threatening to stop being customers due to simple problems - bigger businesses would be more willing to help when something truly important comes up.

Nothing should be EXPECTED if you don't expect it from yourself.  If you don't expect yourself to help when every little thing comes up why do you expect it of a business?  Responsibility is something that we should all WANT to do because its the right thing.

Knitting with Plastic Bags - the Final Product

As you might have read in my previous posts about plastic bags, I took on a mission to knit a mat for the homeless out of plastic bags.  Clearly I didn't think of how many hours it would take me to create a 3 foot by 6 foot piece of knitted plastic fabric, but it definitely took me longer than I thought.  I must have knitted for a good 12 or 13 hours and only got one foot done.  Not to mention how difficult it was to knit something so long - the stitches were truly forced onto my needles not leaving an inch to spare.

In hind sight I really should have woven this material or crocheted (if I knew how) because of how time consuming it is.  None the less the product is finished... well not so much finished as re-purposed. In the end I managed to get three feet across and two and a half feet down - before I had to leave to go off to school.  Unfortunately I couldn't continue knitting at school since there really isn't much of a problem with homelessness there as there is here in California.

So, instead of chucking all of my hard work in the bin, I decided to turn it into a bag.  When I see homeless people around here it seems they are always looking for bags to carry their supplies and belongings around - so to make it easier for them this works to keep their stuff dry and is also extremely durable and flexible.

I decided to take the rectangle and fold it up and weave in some of the plastic yarn I made to tie it shut at the bottom and on the side.  Then I needed something to carry it with so I created a long strap about 6 stitches wide so it is durable.

To test it out I went to the grocery store with it so that I didn't have to take even more plastic bags home.  Everyone who saw it couldn't take their eyes off of it - they even asked if they could buy one off of me.  I was a bit shocked to see how many people liked it since it's just made out of plastic bags.  The store clerks really appreciated that they could even pick out which bags were from their store.

I still fully intend to give this to a homeless person to use as they have a lot to deal with this winter season here in California.  Especially while they suffer through El Nino.  However, I am thinking that when  I return if people are still not using reusable grocery bags I might as well start making these bags for people. That way they get something cute, fun, and ethical for their shopping trips.

If you are interested in the details of the knitting process watch my tutorial video here: https://youtu.be/FfHSk75-AsE

Getting Back to Basics - 3 R's

Recycling seems to be the buzz word these days within households, businesses, and communities - which is great!  I am so proud of the efforts people are making to try and improve the Earth by trying to recycle products they would normally just toss in the trash.  This is the way we are going to start to make the difference the world needs to continue surviving.  The other day I went to Kean coffee shop and saw what an amazing job they were doing being environmental stewards, not because they had recycling bins but because they took it one step further.  They took an average coffee sleeve and put an even larger impact on it than just making it out of recycled materials or asking people to recycle them when their coffee was finished.  No - they asked them to REUSE this simple product.

If you look back at the 3 R's its:

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle

Recycling has always come last because it's the slower of the 3 to make a difference.  Just by taking this 1 step up the ladder made such a difference in energy use and true impact they are making on the environment.  Although it might be a bit complicated for a company to implement a "reduction" program as they want their products to be bought - inspiring people to reuse parts of their product is a great deal more efficient.

These coffee sleeves aren't destroyed like a paper coffee cup after 1 use, there is no mold there is no bacteria really and it never touches the coffee so why not reuse it?  By reusing it you are either saving it from going to the landfill where it just adds to our growing trash problem as it struggles to decompose; or it goes to be recycled where it takes time and energy to turn the paper into something else.  I've never seen another company try and work their way up the ladder of the 3R's but Kean coffee shop is doing it right!

It really makes me think what else could be reused instead of simply recycled, are there more things that I am overlooking as I sort out my waste?  Its great food for thought, what do you think could be better reused than recycled?  Let me know in the comment section below!

New Year... Same Earth

New year, new me... the phrase we all say as we are trying to come up with an even better resolution than the last year.  One year its to loose weight, the next is about being organized, the list goes on and on.  Most of them you are only able to finish about one week until you run out of motivation.  That's fine - I've been there too.  This year however, I have made a different type of resolution.  I can't afford to give up on this one - because our future is at stake.  My resolution is to save our planet.

Earth in a Pristine State

Of course this isn't a new idea - one of the reasons I created my blog was to do just that.  However, I think that this new year shouldn't be about myself.  The world doesn't revolve around me, or you, or any human for that matter.  So, instead of losing that 10 pounds that no one will really notice anyways, why not focus my efforts on making the world a better place for others?  Finish the year with the reward of knowing you have done the right thing for yourself and for others.

I am not saying that new year's resolutions are worthless, I just feel that this year is yet another year we can't get back.  If we are to make a difference in how the world is being polluted, in how people are being treated, and how we care about the future of all animal species - THIS IS THE YEAR!  After 2016 its going to be even later and later, and soon enough it will be too late to turn back.

There are so Many Paths You Can Choose

There are so many paths you can take to improve yourself in the following years, but first you need a place to live if you want to make changes at all.  So lets pledge 2016 to the Earth, to give back, to renew something that we have forgotten about for so long.  There is a million different ways that we can change as humans, lets not make it the planet we live on.

If you are interested in specific ways to improve the Earth and to make a responsibility pledge, please read my article:  10 Topics You Must Cover on Your Responsibility Pledge I wish you all a happy new year! And don't worry if you have already given up on your new years resolution - its never to late to copy mine.  

Let's make 2016 - a year the Earth will remember.

Help the Homeless, Feed the Homeless

During the holiday season it is always nice to give back, and why not give back to those who need it the most - the homeless.  I have done other projects to help the homeless, but I feel this was one event that really opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.  When I decided to feed the homeless I didn't know what to expect, but it was something I knew was the right thing to do.  Instead of just donating money, or giving canned goods to a shelter I encourage all of you to get out and help the homeless directly so that you can better understand their situation and grow from the experience.

First off, I would have never imagined how difficult it was to set up before going to give food.  I thought you would just need to get food and go, but it is a much more complicated process.  We needed to cook the soups and chili, ask for donations of money and of food products from our neighbors and local bakeries.  Not just that, but we needed tables, pots and pans, socks, a pick up truck and much much more preparation.  Besides the preparation, we needed to find a location that there are a lot of homeless grouped together so that we would be able to set up in one spot to serve people instead of searching for them.  We decided to go to downtown Santa Ana, California where there were numerous groups of homeless in the surrounding parks trying to set up camps/shelter.

Once we finally got there and set everything up, people started coming in hoards.  The line stretched down the street to get some chili, socks, and other holiday treats.  Unfortunately for us it was one of the only days in Southern California that it rained, but it rained hard the entire time.  Thus, the people that came really needed not just the food but the warmth the soup provided.  One thing that shocked me was how polite people were.  They were very respectful in the way  we organized the booth all standing in line patiently, letting others go before them, collecting some materials for their friends, and always saying thank you to us.  For someone who has been so down on their luck because of society it is amazing how high their spirits are - very polite and even joking around.  This really opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.

Of course there are always those who have mental problems, and those with drug and alcohol problems but from what I saw most of those we served were just down on their luck.  All the circumstances differed but why should we discriminate when we are trying to help? No one deserves to be starving and struggling to survive in the rain.

Unfortunately the reaction of those we asked to support our cause was not as understanding.  There were many people who belittled us for what we were doing and others that flat out said they didn't care.  Although it is a personal choice to help others and decide who is worthy of help - wouldn't you like to be helped if you had no one to rely on and you were facing some tough times?  I know I would, that is why I am hoping to go back after the holidays.

There are many people helping the homeless during the holidays which is wonderful, but they matter and struggle just as much when its not the holidays and people have stopped going to help them.  I'm going to try and ensure that they are not forgotten especially during these rough weather conditions.  This time I helped out by feeding them, but they need so much more - socks, clothes, suitcases and bags, tarps to keep them dry, and most of all people to understand their situation.  This is why I want more people to go and help directly because your eyes will be opened to what really goes on in your community - money and donations can't solve everything.

I wish you all happy holidays, and happy helping.

Help the world - go to happy hour!

Put the papers down, and pick the wine glass up - for a cause that is.  The other night I decided to take a trip up to Los Angeles after seeing a post online about a meet up group for happy hour.  This wasn't just any happy hour though, this happy hour we were all hoping to save the world.  Net Impact, a responsibility group was holding a networking meeting and it was eye-opening to say the least.

This is an interesting group which meets to put together events, conferences, and networking parties to help change the world.  This is not the only group that has this focus - but if you are interested in going green or being responsible joining one could help make your contribution to the world really matter and powerful because you are joining a group of many working towards the same cause.

Networking is an interesting way to meet people who might be working towards the same goal yet through different means.  A lot of times both parties need each other but just haven't found a way to connect, and these types of events are great to bring together people, ideas, and organizations.  I spent a lot of time listening to interesting ideas, and getting cards from people who can help me with my projects - and I want you to be able to benefit from the same sort of events.  I have prepared a list of what you can do to network and help the world during happy hour:

• Remember your business card - This is important, even if you don't have a business card from your company or work make a personal one.  You never know when your project and someone else's idea lines up - it's better to be safe than sorry.

• Collect their business card -  You have been having an amazing conversation with someone, you say goodbye and its over.  If you don't collect their card and contact information you will never know if this great idea could be made into a reality through your collaboration.  Again, its better to have too many cards of people that you won't contact, than missing the vital card of your potential game changing connection.

• Ask more questions -  Not everyone is comfortable telling their great ideas right off the bat, most try to stay humble.  However, you are missing a lot if you spend the time just talking about yourself.  The more questions you can ask the more you will learn and possibly get new ideas to change or  create new projects.

These three key points will help you to make the best out of your networking trips.  I look forward to going to more happy hours and meetings to connect with people who have the same interests.  I can't wait to see where these connections will take me.  Happy networking!