Today is the 40th Earth Day. I can’t believe 1970 was 40 years ago but that’s probably best discussed in a different post.

I’m a little cynical about Earth Day – it seems to be filled with celebrations that generate a lot of trash and companies are throwing the term Earth Day around in order to sell products that really aren’t that green. I also think that Earth Day should be “celebrated” every day.

I don’t eat meat, I try to eat and shop locally, I don’t drive or own a car, I live in a small apartment, I am careful with my utility usage, and I spend a lot of time considering how my choices impact the world around me.

One thing that I wasn’t doing was composting. I don’t have an outdoor area to do so and I wasn’t too keen on the worm solution since I don’t even have a balcony. So, I wasn’t composting and I was feeling guilty about it. And, it was odd to not be composting, as I grew up in a rural area where we could basically throw the food scraps out the window ;-)

In February I found out about Bennett Compost here in Philadelphia. For only $10 a month, Tim Bennett gives me a compost bucket and picks it up once a week. He comes by late evening so I put it out on the porch and in the morning I go out and get and it’s been emptied. (I’ve been a little worried that the bucket would be stolen because I actually had someone steal my doorbell! Imagine the thief’s disappointment, however, when he discovers a stinky bucket full of vegetable scraps and coffee grounds.)

I met Tim when I signed up and he brought the bucket and we chatted a little. I asked how he was even making enough charging so little because of the cost of gas, etc. He said he has space at a local farm to do the composting and once business picks up he will be selling the compost on the other end. I haven’t seen him since we first met because he comes after 10pm. I suppose, however, that he does know what I’m eating ;-)

Bennett Compost has quite a few customers. As of this week, 150 households and 6 businesses are participating. In March. we kept over 4,000 pounds of organic material out of landfills that will end up being used as compost at a local farm – whoo!

People have asked me if it smells. Nope – the lid seals tightly and it’s only indoors for a week before being emptied. Since I don’t go through much regular trash, I have the same bag in the kitchen for at least a week so there really isn’t a difference.

It really is an awesome service and is providing options for urban dwellers like me who don’t have outdoor space so we can do the right thing.

photo credit: rcolin j.

photo credit: suavehouse113

Post from: (Anti) Social Development

Earth Day Every Day – Urban Composting

Today is World Water Day 2010!

And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t even know there was a World Water Day until I saw a little blurb about it in the March 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. It’s sad that I was so clueless because this has existed since 1993.

Every year World Water Day has a different theme related to freshwater. This year the theme is water quality and resource management.

From the website:

The World Water Day 2010 and its campaign is envisaged to:

Raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being through addressing the increasing water quality challenges in water management and

Raise the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in proactively addressing water quality e.g. in pollution prevention, clean up and restoration.

Water quality is declining worldwide. Disease and illness from dirty water kills more people than war. In areas of water scarcity women and children walk for hours to obtain water.

Worldwide water quality is declining mainly due to human activities. Increasing population growth, rapid urbanization, discharge of new pathogens and new chemicals from industries and invasive species are key factors that contribute to the deterioration of water quality.

There are a number of campaign materials available. I downloaded a couple of them so you could access them from here.

1. World Water Day 2010 Campaign Brochure
2. Frequently asked questions on water quality

The Water Footprint has two calculators to help you determine who much water you are using; the quick and extended versions. The extended version confused me a little because I’m not sure how much I eat per week in kg. I know how much broccoli or cabbage I eat but I’m not sure about the weight. So, for now, I’ve only used the quick version. I was surprised how high it was but I guess it was assuming that if I live in the US that I’m washing a car, watering a lawn and doing laundry, which I’m not. My guess is my usage is a lot lower and that I will need to figure out how much I am eating by weight to get a more accurate footprint. Anyway, it’s a good way to see what we use and what we can do to reduce our consumption.

And next year I will definitely be ready for this event, since I actually know about it now.

photo credit: Jim Linwood

Post from: (Anti) Social Development

World Water Day – March 22, 2010

Today is International Women’s Day (wow, Thomson Reuters seems a bit heavy handed with their sponsorship) and in the United States March is also Women’s History Month.

There are so many issues to be covered and discussed that I didn’t know where to start.

The situation for women in the Congo has not received very much attention outside of Africa so I decided to discuss that even though it is incredibly painful to research and think about.

The Second Congo War, which officially ended in 2003, may be the deadliest conflict since World War II and is estimated that over 5 million people have died as a result of the war and it’s aftermath.

Women’s bodies have been used in the Congo as a weapon of war and they have been routinely gang raped and mutilated. It is estimated that 40,000 women have been raped but these are only the cases that are known about. Sexual violence in the Congo is considered the worst in the world. And with the high incidence of rape the number of women infected with HIV has exploded.

It is so bad that there are two hospitals specifically to treat victims of sexual violence. One is the Panzi Hospital of Bukava, which on any given day has 300 female patients being treated from rape related injuries.

With the assistance of VDay, started by Eve Ensler, women are starting to find their own strength and power even though their country and the International Community has done little if nothing about this. The 2010 Campaign is Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource: Power to Women and Girls of Democratic Republic of Congo. On May 25, 2010, with the assistance of VDay and Unicef, the City of Joy will be opened.

V-Day and UNICEF, in partnership with Panzi Foundation, are currently building a special facility for the survivors of sexual violence in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The City of Joy will support women to heal and provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership through programming in: group therapy; storytelling; dance; theater; self-defense; comprehensive sexuality education (covering HIV/AIDS, family planning); ecology and horticulture; and economic empowerment.

Note: The following videos can be difficult to watch.

Turning Pain to Power from V-Day Until the Violence Stops on Vimeo.

Dr. Denis Mukwege, the physician at Panzi Hospital, is called the Angel of Bukavu and has treated thousands of women and performs up to 10 surgeries a day. VDay recently honored him with an award in his own name.

The Dr. Denis Mukwege Award from V-Day Until the Violence Stops on Vimeo.

And while there is more awareness being brought to this issue and the women are starting to take control there is so much we can do. We can help support the 2010 Campaign, donate to the City of Joy and educate others.

And we should keep in mind that the DRC is a country rich in minerals. Minerals that are used in many of our electronic devices. Demand for these minerals help fund this war and support the rebel and army units. While a ban on these minerals would be even more devastating for the economy of the DRC it is important to think of where our gadgets come from, what materials go into them, and where these materials come from. Pressure should be put on companies like Niotan Inc., of Mound House, Nev. to force them into humanitarian business practices.

The cynical part of me can’t help but wonder if what has been going on in Congo has been ignored internationally because our demand for the minerals exceeds our concern for other people. Or the profit of a company exceeds everything else.

Post from: (Anti) Social Development

International Women’s Day: The Women of Congo

This year the topic for Blog Action Day is Climate Change. If enough bloggers participate, perhaps more attention will be brought to this all important issue and to the international climate negotiations scheduled for December in Copenhagen.

I have decided to write about 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action scheduled for October 24th. Alex and I will be attending in Philadelphia and hopefully there will be one in your area.

Most climate experts and scientists believe 350 parts per million is the upper limit for the safe amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is where 350.org gets it’s name. We are currently at 390 parts per million so it imperative that the this amount is reduced. The event is scheduled for October 24th because that is 6 weeks before the scheduled climate talks in Copenhagen.

Go to 350.org, select Search for Actions near me, and then enter your location. Events are scheduled all over so unless you live in a very remote area, you should be able to fine one.

The event in Philadelphia sounds educational and fun. Katherine Gajewski, Director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, will be speaking and the keynote speaker will be Ray Anderson, radical industrialist and author of Confessions of a Radical Industrialist. After the speakers, participants will form the 350 graphic shown at the top of the page. After the even there will be a book signing with Ray Anderson.

I will readily admit that I am cynical about rallies. They generate a lot of garbage, give people a false sense of having done something worthwhile, and are almost always under-reported by the mainstream media. I am looking at this event, however, as an educational experience for my daughter and as an opportunity to spend time with like-minded people. To make some real personal changes, I recommend reading the pdf for No Impact Week inspired by No Impact Man. It isn’t necessary to do everything in the pdf but we can start with small changes such as not using plastic water bottles, having a meat free day and driving less. No Impact Week formally starts this Sunday October 18th but I see no reason why it can’t be integrated into our lives at any time.

Will any of you be participating in the International Day for Climate Action or No Impact Week. I would love to hear about your experiences.

photo credit: 350org

Post from: (Anti) Social Development

Blog Action Day: Climate Change – Internation Day for Climate Action October 24, 2009 – 350.org

I’ve been spending some time linking to articles by Train for Humanity and sending information about their endeavors through Twitter. There has been two reasons for this:

• -Mark Hayward is one of the nicest people I’ve met online.
• -Train for Humanity is using physical fitness and social media to bring raise money for Darfur Peace and Development

At first I didn’t know what to write about for Blog Action Day and then it hit me – duh! I said to myself, “Kim, you’ve been linking to Train for Humanity and sending tweets about them so why not take the time to write an entire post.”

Train for Humanity says what they are doing so well that I will use their words.

“Train for Humanity uses the web, social media, and blogging in tandem with everyday athletes in training to support organizations that help prevent suffering and alleviate the pain of children, orphans, and refugees who have been displaced due to genocide or internal strife and war within their country.”

Pretty awesome, huh? Mark Hayward, Leo Babauta, and Dan Clements and using their bodies to get in shape and participate in athletic events in order to raise money to donate to Darfur Peace and Development. They are using social media and blogging to bring awareness to their endeavors. You might know Mark Hayward from My Tropical Escape, Leo Babauta from Zen Habits (yes, that Zen Habits) and Dan Clements from Escape 101.

And Darfur needs our help! It isn’t a hot topic in mainstream media but it doesn’t mean the dire situation has lessened. To bring this point home, please read the article about the school that was bombed. It’s heartbreaking – young children died. This is just one instance of the horrifying things that are occuring in Darfur – things that are too uncomfortable to read about.

So how can you help? Well, Train for Humanity has a page listing what you can do. Here are some ideas.

• Donate if you can
• Write a blog post
• Stumble, bookmark and tweet their articles
• Put a badge on your site like the one in my sidebar
• Sponsor one of them

So, what have you written about for Blog Action Day – 08? Feel free to leave your links in the comments.

photo credit: SeniorArt

Post from: (Anti) Social Development

Support Train for Humanity – Blog Action Day 08 – Poverty