Causecast

Tammy’s tip of the week: Take on the T&T challenge!!!

As an avid adventurer, activist, and snowboarding enthusiast, you may assume that I would also be the typical tree-hugging, enviro-addict that you often see braving the streets of Venice Beach. Well, truth is… I am writing to you from the local Coffee Bean with my non-reusable coffee cup in hand. Sad, but true. The point is, I am not perfect, in fact, I am far from it. We are all living in a world where sustainability should not only be a trendy topic but a way of life, yet it has not made that leap, not even close.

Let’s get serious, we only have one planet. All causes are connected. The way we live our lives each day impacts all other aspects of life… from the laborers forced to harvest the beans that made your morning brew, to the carbon foot-print it created to make it into your hand, to the styrofoam cup that you toss to the ground once you’ve enjoyed that last sip (FYI, you will soon realize that I have a slight obsession with caffeine, and tend to reference it often). Every moment we are faced with a decision, save the planet, or continue down the road to destruction. Yeah, that does kind of make us all sound like super-heroes, but who’s to say we can’t each be a super-hero in our own right? What would you rather have; a world of villains or one of super-heroes?

If my ranting hasn’t drastically shifted your perspective (sarcasm people, get used to it), than hopefully a few ‘fun’ facts will persuade you.

Steak lovers, this one is for you. Did you realize that Brazil is the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gases? No, well then you would also fail to realize that the reason for this might be found on your dinner plate. Check out my latest article on Causecast.org and perhaps you’ll rethink your dinner tonight.

Surfers, swimmers, and sushi lovers unite for this quick bite of information. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? If not, well, take a lengthy sip from that water bottle and contemplate this one. Far out in the Pacific Ocean there is a swirling vortex of waste, and not just any waste, plastics. In fact, the plastic to plankton ratio is 6:1. Plastics don’t biodegrade so they simply break down into smaller and smaller particles, filling the stomachs of marine life. Furthermore, plastics not only contain toxins, but attract them as well, poisoning our food chain all the way from plankton to our plates. So, how big is this thing… a few dozen miles perhaps? Nice try, this trash vortex is about the size of Texas, some say it may even be twice that. Take a bite of that.

Ready for one more? Oh, come on, show some enthusiasm… it is our planet after all! How about a water break? I mean, all this ocean talk can make a girl pretty thirsty. If you have the opportunity to raid your kitchen right now and enjoy a clear, crisp glass of water, consider yourself lucky. One out of six human beings don’t have that option. 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe, reliable drinking water. Wasn’t that refreshing?

If you haven’t heard those facts before than it may seem all too overwhelming but hopefully you’re learning something. With knowledge comes responsibility. So, what can we do about this mess (literally) that we got ourselves into?

Well, that is where The Green Project comes in. May I remind you that in spite of my environmental ingenuity (sarcasm… again), I drive an SUV (thanks Dad!) and my poor bike was quarantined to a dark corner in the Causecast office over a month ago. We all contribute to the problem, but the thing is, I want to change. I consider myself an activist, once a Rescue Rider for Invisible Children, and a volunteer for educational programs in South Africa, I have realized that you can not be an effective activist if you disregard all other causes. They are connected; there is no avoiding it. The extra long shower I took this morning impacts the children I so desperately wanted to help in South Africa. So I am willing to take the challenge, what will it take to get me back on my bike, or finally give up my sushi addiction?

Since I have been working at Causecast, I have noticed quite a few things, positive and negative. We are so enamored with the idea of saving the world, and being on the forefront of all causes, yet we sometimes miss the daily gestures that make such a huge impact overall. With that in mind, a fellow intern, Amy Tanaka, and I, Tammy Rosecrans, have adopted the overwhelming yet exciting project of ‘greening’ the Causecast office. This, of course, should be highly entertaining… seeing as how we know so little about the issue. But this is why we invite you to join us on our journey. All too often we are bombarded with the horrific facts, people telling us what we are doing wrong, well this time we want you to know that we’re people too and we’re far from perfect. I’m not going to point fingers and scold you like a misbehaving child, I want you to work with us as we change the world for the better, one day at a time. Follow us through our successes… and epic failures; learn along side us and become apart of the solution. We will focus on topics ranging from sustainable, eco-friendly fashion, carbon-footprints, eco-decor, green art, the basics of recycling, and soooo much more!

To kick it off we will be following the Huffington Post’s No Impact Week. Download the guide and remember… don’t print it! If you haven’t heard about this guy, you should definitely check him out. Colin Beavan, writer of No Impact Man, led his family on a yearlong, sustainable living journey where they decided to reduce their environmental impact to… get this, zero! Take the challenge and see what you can do to keep Mother Earth around for a few more years. Colin recounts, “In many ways, we lived just as happily and sometimes even more happily maintaining a lifestyle that weighed way less heavily on the planet. ”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/colin-beavan/no-impact-week-taking-the_b_322061.html">Good lives, it turns out, need not cost the earth". So what’s stopping you??

If I brought you to tears with those startling facts earlier, I promise I can make up for it… check this out for a good laugh.

Also, check out the trailer for No Impact Man!

Get in touch with us at TheGreenProject@Causecast.org!!!

Photo by CAUSECAST, flickr.