ecodeaf

Eco-Movie: Earthlings

2009-07-07T08:15:00.001-04:00

Synopsis:

"EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. Initially ignored by distributors, today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”

The film Earthlings contains
images of graphic violence to animals.
Viewer discretion is advised.

Source:
www. Earthlings.com

Thank you Katherine, an Ecodeaf member, for recommending the film.

Creating Art and being Eco-Friendly

2009-07-02T18:08:00.007-04:00

As I have integrated eco-living into my life, I have faced an interesting dilemma in how to be earth-friendly as I create art.

I recently created New Year's cards, something that I have never done before, and I felt inclined to do so because I was trying out a new art technique. Of course, I wanted to share these cards with friends and I opted to do it the old-fashioned way to revive the lost art of letter writing. I sent them out via snail mail.

To compensate for creating carbon footprints by having them copied and sent out, I had them copied on 100% recycled paper. I did not feel satisfied with how I was trying to offset my footprint, but they went out in the mail nevertheless. I hope when recipients were ready to discard their card (I'd be flattered if they wanted to keep them tacked to the fridge), it went into their recycle bin or is shredded and put in the compost bin.

I've questioned myself about how an artist can be "green" without sacrificing quality, or paying lots of money. I deal with that question as I work with oil paint, turpentine, and other art materials laced with ingredients impossible to spell.

Do I switch to art materials created with natural ingredients? What may be the best way to dispose of them or to switch over to natural ingredients without losing quality? Over the next couple of months, I will try to find out more about this and how I can feel content both with what I create, and how I dispose of waste products, and I will post what I find.

If any of you have insight on this - feel free to share!

Volunteer Registration is Open for the 2009 DC Green Festival!

2009-07-02T10:01:00.011-04:00

Washington, DC Green Festival
October 10-11, 2009
WDC Convention Center

REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER:

www.greenfestivalvolunteers.org/dc

*Please note: if you volunteered last year you will have to re-register for an account on our website. You may use the same account information from the previous year, but you must re-register because all accounts are cleared from the system each year. Thank you!

The sixth year of the DC Green Festival is shaping up to be amazing! We invite you to volunteer with us this year and help make the Green Festival another success!

Green Festival relies on the support of over 1,000 volunteers! Volunteers not only receive great benefits, like free admission, an exclusive organic cotton staff t-shirt, and free memberships-volunteers become a part of a huge community of people that utilize civic involvement to make an impact on social and environmental justice. Join the Green Festivals volunteer team and you’ll really make a difference!

Volunteers must complete one 4.5-5 hour shift, but are encouraged to volunteer for two or three shifts. Volunteers receive free admission to the event for both days, an exclusive staff organic cotton t-shirt, optional free one-year membership to Global Exchange and Green America, and 10% off at the Global Exchange and Green Festivals Stores!

If you have a group that would like to volunteer, please contact Alesha Reardon, volunteer@greenfestivals.org, to arrange for a group time slot. Group slots tend to fill up quickly, so please consider contacting us early!

Please note that our age restrictions have changed this year. We are only allowing volunteers 14 or older to volunteer. Volunteers between the ages 14-16 must volunteer with an adult. If you have any questions or concerns, please email
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Join us on Facebook! We now have a DC Green Festival volunteer page on Facebook-join us year round as we collaborate, communicate and organize: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59392583472

If you have any questions about volunteering, or are interested in joining our pre-event volunteer Street Team to help get the word out about the festival and volunteering please contact Alesha Reardon at volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Looking forward to my fourth DC Green Festival and working with all of you!

Green regards,

Alesha Reardon
National Volunteer Director
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Still not sure about volunteering?
Read about Anthony's positive Green Festival 2008 volunteer experience here

EcoShowering

2009-06-29T07:19:00.003-04:00

From Sixwise.com:

When you step into your hot shower, you are inadvertently exposing your body to a slew of toxins that can damage your health, inside and out.

These toxins stem from a chemical that is added to the water supply on purpose, ironically to kill bacteria. The chemical is chlorine, and it's added to all public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria in the transport pipes and the water itself.

By taking a hot shower you end up absorbing over 600 percent more chlorine and other chemicals than you would from drinking the same un-filtered water all day!

Click here to go directly to the Sixwise.com Source

------------------------------

From Raychelle:

The good news is that chlorine and other chemicals can be easily removed from your family's shower with many, many different types of filters currently on the market. Just google showerhead filters and/or tub filters and you'll find plenty, quite possibly at your local home store.

Click here to check my showerhead filter and my tub filter.

Old EcoDeaf posts:

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

More Tidbits on Water

Do You Really Know What's in Your Water?

Eco-Product Review: Water Crock

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

2009-06-28T09:18:00.002-04:00

Click the below link to view a PowerPoint about Water Bottles and how very dangerous they are for us as humans and for earth.

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Humane Meats, Milk & Eggs

2009-06-16T09:23:00.003-04:00

If "humane meats, milk & eggs" is new to you, basically humane foods means the animals were raised with freedom of movement, sunlight, grass and so on. The basic right of every human.

Most animals nowadays are put in cages where their feet grow fused with the metal cages on bottom of their cages, they never walk or run, see the sun and they're given many chemical shots to make them grow faster and fatter. They get their food through a hose that sprays on their face. Then when they need to be taken out to be killed for food, their legs are cut off from the cage (remember their feet grew into the cage platform). There are a lot more disgusting things about this scenario, such as how all the cages are piled on top of each other, so when one defecates or urinates, it goes all the way down on top of other animals. This is a horrible way to live and die.

How do we as powerful consumers put a stop to that? Buy meats, milk and eggs that say:

GOOD Start

“Cage free”

“Free range”

“Grass fed”

Even BETTER

“Free range”

“Pasture raised”

“USDA organic”

The BEST Options

“American Humane Certified”

“Animal Welfare Approved”

“Certified Humane”

To read more about humane foods or animal-friendly foods, click here.

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Real People Use Reel Lawn Mower

2009-06-15T08:55:00.003-04:00

Yup, this is the reel deal! Forget gasoline! No more stinky hands from pouring gas into the gas tank of the lawn mower. Forget cranking up the engine. Forget the nasty smell as you burn gas. Forget disturbing the peace with excessive noises coming from the lawn mower.

See how the dude in the video push the reel lawn mower in bare feet? Reel lawn mowers are relatively safer than gas-powered lawn mower. When you stop pushing the reel lawn mower, the blades stop spinning abruptly. It does not continue spinning for another three minutes or so like with the gas-powered lawn mower.

I love using reel lawn mower! I save gas money every time I use it! I do not have to take a trip to the gas station to fill up the gas tank, so I curb emissions from not driving my car! I like pushing the reel lawn mower in bare feet so that I can feel Earth as I do the job. I reckon it sure is the reel deal!!

Go Green! Get a Reel Lawn Mower!

DISCLAIMER:
To be safe, wear sneakers while cutting the grass with a lawn mower at all times.

Thank you sarafranchesca for sharing this video with the world.
Much Eco-preciated!

Namaste!

Book Review: Planetwalker

2009-06-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

Feel like reading an inspirational book over the summer?

Read Planetwalker.

Planetwalker is a life story about John Francis, PhD who gave up his car to walk around for the next 22 years. After John witnessed the oil spill in the ocean not too far from his hometown, he became disgusted with the increasing negative impacts on the environment from modern human endeavors which caused him to drop out of the petroleum society. He saw how birds and fishes were soaked in oil and how local people were rescuing them from death. Without a car, he walked across the town to see his doctor. He walked to the bar to see his friends. Before long, he trekked across North America and South America by feet.

Eventually, people in his town realized John was walking everywhere with a banjo and they thought he was crazy. Some people offered him car rides and he refused. John became tired of arguing with people about why he would not ride the car again when he knew their arguments would not go anywhere at all, so he became silent for 17 years. He looked up to ancient thinkers and philosophers on the reasons to stay silent and followed their ways. To communicate without voicing, he pantomimed with people. Then, he became familiar with Indian Sign Language, Signed Exact English, and American Sign Language. (Right on, John!)

When John Francis walked across the country from the west coast to the east coast, he stopped at universities to pick up his degrees. He met many interesting people including deaf folks and sign language interpreters along the way. For instance, King Jordan from Gallaudet University was mentioned in the book. Besides meeting inspirational people, he experienced eye-opening and life threatening moments while footing across America.

How did he survive while walking across the desert or through a blizzard? How did he communicate when giving a speech to a classroom of people? Did he have sign language interpreters with him during presentations? Did he start talking again? Did he ride the ambulance after he was hit by a car? What did he actually do to convince the federal government and petroleum companies to look at the consequences and costs of oil spills then do something about it? And what is he doing right now?

Find out and read the book my friends!

Thank you, John Francis, for sharing your life journey through your book.

Much Eco-preciated!
NAMASTE!

book review written by an EcoDeaf Contributer, Anthony Brucato

Fear the cul-de-sac

2009-05-27T14:33:00.006-04:00

"Forget pollution, deforestation and species extinction.
What we really need to worry about are ... cul-de-sacs"

Why oppose cul-de-sacs?
View the Built to Last video and find out.

I like this Built to Last video because I support the growth of new urbanism and sustainable living. I did not realize how important it was until after I moved to the west side of Buffalo for graduate school. For many years, I lived in the suburbs or within the cities but too far away from stores and popular avenues to walk or bike there. In the west side of Buffalo, I enjoy getting anywhere without a car easily. If I choose not to catch the NFTA-Metro bus, I can walk or bike to the food stores, post office, cafes, pubs, parks, libraries, and visit friends. When I stayed at my parents' house to dog sit for one week, I realized that everything was much further away. It was very hard to get around on my feet and bike that I had to drive to the super market to get my food. After dog sitting, I went back to the west side of Buffalo with more appreciation of the neighborhood.

Support the growth of sustainable neighborhoods to reduce urban sprawls.

Forget cul-de-sacs!

Thank you Mother Nature Network for sharing the Built to Last video.
Much Eco-preciated!

Willia May Wille on Bananas

2009-05-26T00:09:00.000-04:00

Willia May Wille refers to Tonya Zavasta's book "BEAUTIFUL ON RAW, unCOOKED CREATIONS" and discusses the benefits of bananas. She also shares a smoothie recipe at the end.

FRUIT FOR THIS MONTH: BANANAS

Tonya Zavasta wrote in her book: BEAUTIFUL ON RAW, unCOOKED CREATIONS about bananas.

Bananas probably originated in Malaysia some 4,000 years ago. The army of Alexander the Great found them in India as early as 327 B.C. Arabian traders took them to Africa, where the Portuguese discovered them in the 15th century. Bananas appeared in seacoast towns of the United States in the 19th century. Until refrigeration was available, they could not be transported inland.

Dr. Douglas N. Graham, author of Nutrition and Athletic Performance and a consultant to professional athletes, considers bananas to be one of the world's finest foods for providing energy. The carbohydrates in bananas are of both simple and complex forms. The complex carbohydrate yields its fuel slowly, thus providing a lasting energy source. He believes that "there is no fruit which will encourage the muscles to refuel themselves more rapidly than bananas." For athletes, his recommendation is ten to fifteen bananas per day. Dr. Graham is so enthusiastic about bananas that each time I re-read his book I start including more bananas in my diet; however, I never was able to eat more than two per day.

Bananas are rich in potassium, which aids in cardiovascular health and helps to promote bone health. Potassium may counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the usually high salt content in the American diet. Slowing calcium loss can slow the rate that bones thin and weaken.

Bananas can replenish the body's stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance after a bout of diarrhea.

Bananas contains vitamin C, one of the strongest defenses against many forms of cancer, including lung, pancreatic, cervical, breast, bladder and stomach. They provide about two grams of cholesterol-reducing fiber. Bananas are nearly perfect. Try to buy organic in the health food stores and eat them only when there are covered with dark spots, an indication that they are fully ripe.

RECIPE with BANANAS:

SMOOTHIE: SCARY CHERRY from the book: HOW WE ALL WENT RAW by THE TOP RAW MEN, CHARLES NUNGESSER and STEPHEN MALACHI

In a blender, add:
2 bananas
1 cup apple juice
1 cup cherries, pitted
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 vanilla bean
Blend until smooth

Chicago Green Festival -- This Weekend! Two Free Tickets!

2009-05-14T22:57:00.005-04:00

Green Festival is coming to Chicago, the weekend of May 16 and 17

Come learn about sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint, recycling, organics, avoiding sweatshops, socially responsible investing, and more. You'll find hundreds of green businesses offering everything from recycled elephant-dung paper to organic hemp clothing to solar roofing tiles.

Main stage speakers will all be ASL-interpreted, with a few additional interpreters on-site for smaller tasks, as availability permits.

On the main stage:

Amy Goodman

Jim Hightower

Greg Palast

John Perkins

Alice Waters

Paul Stamets

Ron Reagan, Jr.

Dr. Stuart Pimm

Mike Farrell
Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn

Medea Benjamin

Special for Chicago Green Festival, we have ten free Green Festival tickets to the Deaf community. The first ten EcoDeaf readers to write to me (andrew@greenamericatoday.org) can claim these free tickets (limit two per person).

To learn more about Green Festival, visit the Web site (www.greenfestivals.org), or see what one visitor to the DC Green Festival had to say about his experience last fall by reading this EcoDeaf post: EcoDeaf: The Green Festival Experience

See you there!
Andrew

Contributing to the Creation of a “Greener” RID

2009-05-14T13:30:00.002-04:00

Submitted by RID Region Representatives; Rebekah Barkowitz, Lisa Schaefermeyer, Kelly Flores, Amie Seiberlich and Jonathan Webb

The concept of “going green” is one that is gaining more global momentum. While the term is used most frequently when discussing energy, renewable resources and recycling, in its broadest sense, it can also mean efficient use of existing resources. And in order for existing resources to be used in the most efficient fashion – whether they are people, money, collective intelligence and/or policies and procedures, those that consume these resources must know exactly what is at their disposal.

RID has grown to more than 14,000 members in its brief 45 year history. What was once an organization governed by a handful of members is now an organization that seeks to actively incorporate the voices of as many of these members as possible in the decision making process. What was once an organization working to make do with one paid position and an office housed by the Deaf community, first at NAD and later at Gallaudet University, is now an organization housed in its own building and run by both national office staff and the national board of directors. It is critical to ensuring that RID remains “green” – and makes the most efficient use of the resources at its disposal.

Those in the national office and on the board of directors continually work to improve the efficiency of this relationship. The board realizes, however, that this relationship could be even more “green” if members had more information about how the national office and board work in tandem to provide support to members. This relationship is often talked about in associations as the difference between “governance” and “operations.”

Generally speaking, the board of directors is responsible for the governance of the organization and the national office is responsible for the operations. It may be helpful to think about governance as the “big picture” – governance includes ensuring that RID remains faithful to its guiding documents (philosophy, mission, goal and diversity statements) and compliant with relevant federal and state laws and regulations. Governance also includes setting the organization’s priorities and course and helping to shape its strategies, plans and decisions. Through interaction with members, the board keeps one foot in the here and now, yet looks forward to meeting the future needs of the association. Members of the board are certified members of the association who volunteer their time toward the governance of the organization.

The operations side of RID is the purview of those in the national office, under the direction of the executive director, Clay Nettles. Operations can be thought of as the daily functions that keep the organization on its feet. The nuts and bolts of testing, certification, finance, membership, publications, communications and education all fall under the operations of RID. The staff working in the national office are experts in the field of association management and function in a paid capacity.

Looking at the relationship between the national office and the board of directors, one can see that the leaders elected to the board guide those in the national office to carry out the will of membership in creating it’s ideal vision for RID. The work done at the national office – or the operations of RID is accomplished only through constant communication between the board and the national office staff.

One of the ways in which the will of the membership is carried out, that serves as a framework for continual communication, is through the establishment of our Strategic Plan. Much has been shared over the past year about RID’s Strategic Plan. What is important in terms of running a “green” or efficient organization is that there is a broad understanding that this is one of the resources at our disposal. The strategic plan is a statement of the big picture, or governance, as laid out by the board of directors with input from the national office. And, it also serves as a template for operations so that the staff in the national office can put the big picture into everyday practice.

For example, one of the Strategic Challenges outlined in the March 2008 President’s column of the VIEWS is to “Clearly define membership, voting and credential categories while addressing the underlying membership and certification connected issues.” This strategic challenge was crafted in response to member concerns at the 2007 RID National Conference Business meeting. The board of directors established a task force – the Strategic Challenges Bylaws Review Task Force (SCBRTF) – as a means to begin accomplishing this big picture challenge. The SCBRTF is currently in the process of gathering member feedback on their initial work, and with 14,000+ members this is no small feat! Once the member input process is complete, the task force will finalize their recommendations; these recommendations will go back to the board and the membership for final review. Recommendations that are adopted will then go to the national office – or the operations side of the organization. The national office staff will then take these adopted recommendations and work on the logistics of putting them into place.

In order to keep RID running efficiently, or in a “green” manner, the board of directors and the national office work closely in this manner to ensure that each corner of the garden is cared for in a meticulous manner. Members of RID, through the board, plant the seeds, programs and ideas that will take root and grow; members of the national office tend to these programs to ensure that they continue to grow in a healthy, upright manner.

So What Can Members Do to Contribute to a “Greener” RID?

• Keep informed – read the region reports on the RID Web site, the monthly
RID e-NEWS, and the quarterly copies of the VIEWS,

• Participate - in local and state events and meetings,

• Communicate – with members of the interpreting and Deaf communities
about the vision for the organization and then with leaders about making
that vision a reality,

• Spread the word – about how the organization functions, and

• Encourage – others to contribute to an efficient and “green” RID!

With member support, RID can continue to function at peak efficiency and ensure support of its 14,000 plus members.

Source:
The Views,
Spring 2009,
Vol. 26, #2, p. 40-41

www.rid.org

Thank you, the Views, for the permission to post this article on EcoDeaf.

Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - in ASL by Rev. Jill Lestina!

2009-05-12T08:34:00.003-04:00

Rev. Jill Lestina talks about the Four Agreements written by Don Miguel Ruiz. Her vlogs/blogs are full of wisdom, love, and sharing happiness. Visit her blog here.

----------------------------

Jill attempts to explain in ASL about an ancient Toltec wisdom, "The Four Agreements", that offer powerful tools which can transform your lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness and love.

A hat tip and bow to Grant Laird Jr. who informed us of Rev. Lestina's vlogs!

The Views is Going Green!

2009-05-11T10:44:00.003-04:00

“Going green.” It seems to be the trendy thing to say and to do these days to be more responsible in conservation efforts. Even the President, Barack Obama, is encouraging individuals and businesses to think energy efficiency in every manner possible from power and fuel to recycling and planting.

Well, we at RID have decided to get VIEWS in line with the “going green” effort that is taking momentum in our country. As a result, we are happy to report that we have altered our printing process to ensure that we are now, starting with this current issue, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

So, what does VIEWS being FSC certified mean, other than the logo that appears at the bottom of this page? Plain and simple, FSC sets high standards that ensures forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way. In 1994, FSC’s members approved an international set of Principles and Criteria that define FSC’s threshold for responsible forestry practices worldwide. These standards support biodiversity, reduce chemical use, protect streamsides, conserve old growth, ensure protection of high conservation value forests, give stakeholders a voice, and ensure long-term timber supplies.

According to the recent FSC Prospectus, “the investment made to develop and apply FSC standards over the past decade is paying off in conservation benefits, such as protection of wildlife habitats, improved water quality, sustained availability of timber resources, and increased recognition that forestry can be practiced sustainably. FSC standards have been applied on more than 170 million acres of actively managed forests in more than 60 countries as of Spring 2006, and growing steadily.”

By ensuring our print production is FSC certified, we are contributing to FSC’s mission, which is to promote and enhance well-managed forests through credible certification that is environmentally responsible, socially acceptable and economically viable.

This spring issue is dedicated to Earth Day, April 22, 2009, and is a commitment that all future issues will strive to be published in a “green” and earth-friendly manner.

You can learn more about the FSC by visiting http://www.fscus.org/. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Clay Nettles M.A., M.S.
RID Executive Director
Clay Nettles,
Editor

THE VIEWS ECO-STAT

8,338 lbs. of paper made with 25% post consumer recycled fiber saves…

7,212 lbs. wood; A total of 25 trees that supply enough oxygen for 13 people annually.

9,120 gal. water; Enough water to take 530 eight-minute showers.

17mln. BTUs energy; Enough energy to power an average American household for 70 days.

2,197 lbs. emissions; Carbon sequestered by 26 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

1,171 lbs. solid waste; A total of 40 thirty-two gallon garbage cans of waste.

Source:
The Views
Spring 2009, Vol. 26, #2, p. 7.
www.rid.org

Thank you RID Views for the permission to post this article on EcoDeaf.

50+ Benefits (Advantages) of Bicycling!

2009-05-05T09:25:00.009-04:00

There Are More Than Fifty Good Reasons For Bicycle Commuting, Recreational Bicycling and Creating a Strong Bike Culture In General.

Some Benefits of Bicycling are:

#4) Bikes increase mobility for those who don't want to drive motor vehicles.

#6) Bicycling is the most energy efficient form of transportation ever invented.

#10) Biking is therapeutic for the mind and spirit -- is fun and can make you happy.

#16) Allows the rider to appreciate the more of the nuances of the natural and built environment around them.

#37) Reduces air pollution -- bicyclist emit few poisonous gases. A four mile bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.

#44) Reduces road kill and saves animals.

#51) Bike Commuting is a license to dress weird and still feel smug.

See the Full List of Bike Commuting Benefits here

The International Bicycle Fund is an independent, non-profit organization. Its primary purpose is to promote bicycle transportation. Most IBF projects and activities fall into one of four categories: planning and engineering, safety education, economic development assistance and promoting international understanding. IBF's objective is to create a sustainable, people-friendly environment by creating opportunities of the highest practicable quality for bicycle transportation. IBF is funded by private donation. Contributions are always welcome and are U.S. tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Source: www.ibike.org

"Ride a bike, my friends!!"

Namaste!

Thank you International Bicycle Funds for sharing the benefits of bike commuting!

Make Breads from Scratch

2009-04-29T12:22:00.009-04:00

written by an EcoDeaf contributor, Anthony Brucato

(Four Potato Breads - two hearth loaves and two regular loaves)

The two books that I highly recommend for making breads from scratch are:

The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking
with a New Chapter on Bread Machines by Laurel Robertson.

and

The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown.

Those two books will get you started in making your own loaves. Both books have recipes for yeasted breads, unyeasted breads, pancakes, muffins and quick breads. I found those two books very clear and quite interchangeable that I will not need to buy another book on how to make breads again. I guarantee you will succeed in making a loaf of bread for the first time if you never made one from scratch before.

The benefits of making your own breads from scratch :

Save money

Reduce buying breads in packaged bags

Homemade breads = zero transportation emissions

Know the ingredients are natural and additive free

such as no High Fructose Corn Syrup or artificial flavors

The smell of baking breads is aromatherapeutic

It's a-hecka-lotta fun to make yummy and scrumptilicious breads!!

HAVE FUN MAKING BREADS!
Namaste!

Earth Day Video - Proof CFL Bulbs Rock!

2009-04-27T21:17:00.003-04:00

On recent Earth Day (April 22), Jennifer Nasukiewicz, Summer Crider and myself went to the Mall (not an indoor shopping mall, but a outdoor area between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln statue). There was an Earth Day celebration, and this awesome hands-on bike shows why CFL's trumps regular light bulbs hands down.

Go to your nearest hardware store to replace your bulbs at home! And don't forget to recycle your bulbs- not sure how or where? Type your zipcode here: www.earth911.org

Book Review: The Four Agreements

2009-04-24T07:03:00.001-04:00

A book recommendation by Diana, a regular EcoDeaf contributor.

I came across this website Miguelruiz.com page and thought of sharing this. While you might have read this book, "The Four Agreements," I find this a great reminder that we're THE Director of our own life. Aren't we? See below.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Everything we do is based on agreements we have made - agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but we have many agreements that come from fear, deplete our energy, and diminish our self-worth."
"In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible."

In this powerful book that has remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for over eight years, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. When we are ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, yet powerful agreements that we can adopt as guiding principles. The Four Agreements® offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

Go to the nearest library or a used book store to pick up a copy of Four Agreement written by don Miquel.

EcoNews: The Carbon Footprint Of Spam

2009-04-17T12:58:00.001-04:00

"It appears that even e-mail spammers have a carbon footprint.

According to a new study, spammers are not only pests to e-mail inboxes, they are also massive energy hogs.

Spammers produced 62 trillion junk e-mails in 2008, which translated into enough energy to power 2.4 million US homes for a year or the same GHG emissions as 3.1 million passenger cars using 2 billion gallons of gasoline, according to researchers from computer security firm McAfee Inc and climate-change researchers ICF..." Read the full article here

Thank you, Red Orbit.com, for sharing the article.
Much Eco-preciated!

Denver Green Festival: Ticket offers for Colorado EcoDeaf Readers!

2009-04-14T06:11:00.003-04:00

Green Festival is coming to Denver, the weekend of May 2 and 3

Come learn about sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint, recycling, organics, avoiding sweatshops, socially responsible investing, and more. You'll find kids' activities, an organic and vegetarian food court, a Green Home Pavilion, Green Teen Pavilion, bike fashion show, and Fair Trade producer tour -- plus hundreds of green businesses offering everything from recycled elephant-dung paper to organic hemp clothing to solar roofing tiles.

Main stage speakers like Gov. Ritter, Mayor Hickenlooper, environmental hero Hunter Lovins, author Alan Weisman, actor/activist Mike Farrell, and ten others will all be ASL-interpreted, with additional interpreters on-site for smaller workshops or one-on-one, as availability permits.

Special for our first-ever Denver Green Festival, a local interpreter has donated ten free Green Festival tickets to the Deaf community. The first ten EcoDeaf readers to write to me (andrew@greenamericatoday.org) can claim these free tickets (limit two per person).

To learn more about Green Festival, visit the Web site (www.greenfestivals.org), or see what one visitor to the DC Green Festival had to say about his experience last fall by reading this EcoDeaf post.

See you there!
Andrew

connecting with global activists

2009-04-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

written by EcoDeaf contributor, Shay Bertling

probably the most useful, convenient and powerful activism website I came across in my exploration of greener pastures is the action network (www.actionnetwork.org)

their mission statement:

“With over 800,000 members, Action Network is a gateway to online activism centers for over 170 leading environment, health and population advocacy organizations. Action Network ensures that the power to change our world is only as far away as your computer.

With just a click of the mouse, activists can make their voices heard. Action Network partners mobilize activists by e-mail, inviting you to weigh in when it counts by sending a personalized messages to key policymakers–locally, nationally or around the world. Simply reply to that email or click on the web site, personalizing a sample letter that is included. Action Network does the rest, sending handcrafted fax or e-mail messages to elected officials, corporate leaders and other important decision makers.”

So, if you want to reach out and actually do something, rather than only adjust your lifestyle to be friendlier, then this is the site that will either lead you to where you want to go or help you blaze your own green path towards a better future. It connects you with people in powerful positions and enables any individual to be heard, no matter their background, history, or even appearance. Explore the site, and you might be able to figure out whether you’re more of a grassroots activist, or an advocacy activist.

Honoring Mother Earth, Cherishing Our Future

2009-04-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Thus was the theme of the Deaf Women of New England (DWNE) 2008 Conference held in Burlington, VT from November 14 to November 16th.

Women from New England convened that weekend for what Keri Ogrizovich, the organizer, had designed to be an eco-friendly conference. Amidst recycled paper, beverage glasses that were reused, and vegetarian meals, the women in attendance reunited with old friends, met new people, and had lively conversations throughout the event.

After the interactive Keynote presentation about old growth forests and the analogy between old growth forests and women, the rest of the weekend was filled with a range of interesting presentations. The presentations topics ranged from spirituality to going green, and from vegetarianism to alcoholism, with an hands-on aromatherapy workshop to wrap it all up.

Check out the DWNE 2008 conference website to learn about the green efforts and the presenters who were there. The presentations also have powerpoints for you to look through!

Keri's vlog below describes the conference and how it was a "green" conference in the Green State of Vermont.

http://dwne2008.wordpress.com

Stop Monsanto from Outlawing Organic Farming!

2009-04-06T20:11:00.010-04:00

A bill to outlaw organic farming next week?

US House and Senate are about (in a week and a half) to vote on bill that will OUTLAW ORGANIC FARMING [ Bill - HR 875 ]. There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next 2 weeks before people realize what is happening.

Main backer and lobbyist is (guess who) Monsanto (aspartame maker) - chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation. This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales.

If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.

The name on this outrageous food plan is:

“Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009” – [ Bill HR 875 ]

Take Action with the Grassroots Netroots to defeat Bill HR 875!
Start by typing in your zip code on the top right corner of the web page:
Click Here

Picture source

EcoDeaf Bio: Sina McCarthy

2009-04-05T18:36:00.018-04:00

Sina McCarthy was born and raised in New York City. Sina was always in the kitchens most of her life, whether it was at home, hotel, restaurants or summer camps. Sina spent most of her summers away from the city with her mother who is now a retired Chef. The earliest summer memory that Sina has was from when she was 3 and stayed in a hotel for the whole summer where her mother prepared meals for the guests and Sina’s aunt was hired to watch her. Sina spent three summers in beautiful camps in Vermont and six summers in Connecticut. During the rest of the school year, her mother worked in Manhattan. Sina grew eating meat, dairy, fried food and sweet pastry. She also ate a lot of vegetables.

When Sina turned 18, she experienced an ordeal pain in her abdominal area which prompted her to visit the emergency room. The doctor said it was a stomach bug and handed her a prescription pad. When she told him that she didn’t think it was a stomach bug, he became furious and stormed out of the room. One week later, she went back to a different emergency room and was hospitalized for one week. She had series of test but they couldn’t find the core of the pain. Her primary doctor recorded on her chart that it was from her head. She was sent home with the painkillers and was out of school for one month during her senior year in high school.

The next five years through out colleges, Sina was living and depending on the painkillers (unlimited refills); more visits to different ERs; changed doctors; misdiagnosed; and bedridden frequently to the point that Sina did not want to go on living. The last trip to the ER, the doctor declared that it was a bladder infection. She insisted that it was not a bladder infection and requested for more tests. The doctor agreed to schedule an ultrasound the next day (her first ultrasound). Sina was finally diagnosed with the total of 7 cysts on the ovaries. She was admitted to a hospital in the following week and had her cysts surgically removed. The size of the cysts on the right ovary was 7cm (a large orange), 2 cysts on her left ovary were also removed and the cysts were benign. The doctor confirmed that the cysts were very old and Sina had it for a long time. She had her first major surgery at age of 24 and it was not her last. Based on her experiences, Sina realized that the doctors do make mistakes and she decided to take control of her health. Throughout the years, Sina developed few more cysts in different areas and had them removed. She learned to get in touch with her organs by listening to it. She eventually became expert on certain foods that wreaked havoc in her body, i.e., foods that cause headaches, indigestions, allergies, fatigues and even depression.

After doing several years of researches and experiments, raw food diet made much more sense than any other diets. After going on raw food diet she noticed that her health improved. She was able to breath through the nose with ease. Her IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) resolved naturally, her mind became much more clear, her moods improved and she got rid of her negative thoughts. Her severe PMS went away. Her 4X-a-week-headaches -which-gradually-became-migraines also went away. Consequently, she felt harmony every day and even her polyp in the cervix and the cyst in her thyroid disappeared naturally. She changed her diet from eating meats, dairy and fried foods to vegetarian; from vegetarian to raw food; from raw food back to cooked food; cooked food to vegan/raw. She also realized that everybody is different and there is no one diet that fits all.

Her diet does not include dairy, meats, man-made sugar goodies, flour-based gluten and gluten-free items, fried food and beans. Her daily raw food intake is about 70%. She drinks large amount of fresh fruits smoothie at around 10 to 11 AM every single day and her dinner varies from sauteed vegetables (using vegetable broth instead of oil), raw vegetables in rice paper, homemade vegetable soup, lightly boiled vegetables with small amount of rice, and vegetable sushi rolls. Although she is not perfect but she will always continue to try to her best. Sometime breads are hard to stay away from. She learned that the less you eat, the longer you will live. Plagued with severe fatigue most of her life, she has noticed that the less she eats the more energy she has for herself.

(Part 1 of 3 Series: EcoDeaf Bios of Sina McCarthy and Judi Fruge, and a story about their establishment of Deaf Natural Living Newsletter)

DEAF AYAHUASCA RETREAT: Summer 2009

2009-04-02T21:00:00.001-04:00

Meghan Shannon shares an exciting opportunity to engage in ayahuasca shamanism in Peru this summer. Visit Infinite Light and read the description of the trip below to get more information!

DEAF AYAHUASCA RETREAT!

Spiritual Healing and Wisdom in a Village in the Sacred Amazon Jungles of Peru! June 28 - July 7, 2009

Welcome to the wild world of ayahuasca shamanism! This ancient plant medicine opens us up to be able to rapidly clear out dark, lower energies that normally hold us down, allowing us to transcend to higher levels of spiritual work. It re-balances the body, energetically and physically, realigning us with health and understanding. In time, psychic abilities increase, addictions are released, and we tap into a new level of joy and spiritual understanding we never thought possible!

The program is run by Meghan Shannon (professional interpreter from the DC area, Gallaudet Hearing Undergraduate Class of '03) and her partner, Eloy, a native peruvian shaman with over 25 years experience with this life-changing medicine.

Together, they bridge the Peruvian shamanic culture and Deaf Western world, allowing access to Light and Love at levels untouched by most on the physical plane.

Cost of Program: $1000

Includes: Five ceremonies, housing, food, transportation to and from the village, airport pickup, interpretation from ASL to English and Spanish, and optional Spiritual Life Coaching, Jungle Survival and Plant Identification training, Spanish tutoring, and Weight Release support.

Does not Include: Airfare to and from Iquitos, and hotel, food, etc before and after the program while in Iquitos

The retreat is open to all fluent signers (hearing too) but will most likely be mostly Deaf. There may be a couple of long-term hearing (non-signing) apprentices there, and we will have interpreters ready for full communication with them.

Visit www.infinitelightperu.com for more info! You can apply online there. Email me with any more questions at infinitelightperu@gmail.com, or to be added to the mailing list. You can also search for my facebook page with that address! Feel free to forward this to anyone who may be searching for it:)

Our YouTube video (CC, you may have to turn them on in the lower right-hand corner):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZi8fbWuKoI