“True Greatness is starting where you are, using what you have, and doing what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
I heard on NPR today that Paris has cut their traffic by 25% with a bike rental program and improved bike lanes. Can you imagine? Twenty-five percent. Following up on the success of that program, they are going to start a program for electric car rentals. Accepting the fact that, at times, Parisians simply can’t get around driving a car, they have found a way to reduce traffic even further. People will be able to rent a car through a computerized station, and return it a various places throughout the city.
I had to laugh when a Parisian was interviewed, saying she didn’t think her fellow Parisians are civilized enough for the car rental program. Seems like everyone must feel that way about the place they live. I’d love to share a glass of wine with that lady and swap stories about the citizens of our respective homes, seeing which burg really lacks the civility.
More than likely it would be a draw.
So it’s Monday, my little do-gooders, thus time for your Monday Ripples. Hopefully something below will inspire you to head into your week with your heart open to doing some good where you can.
Forest for the Trees
Ghost Forest
For me, art really comes alive when it communicates something to you. I suppose every artist feels they are communicating something, but our reaction to it is often just a sincere “ah, pretty” and we move on. Angela Palmer has injected her art with activism in the installation Ghost Forest which is in Oxford for a year. Her piece consists of stumps taken from a commercial logged forest in Western Africa and points up the devastation to our planet’s precious tropical forests and the climate change results from irresponsible forestation.
Something in the Water
Kor Water
Chalk one up for my editor, Jamie, for finding this site. You’ve probably been hearing a lot of concern about BPA (Bisphenol A), the harmful health effects it causes, and the fact that it’s in lots of things we encounter every day. Kor Water’s bottles are made with BPA-free materials, for starters. They are also quite cool in the design and the company participates in 1% for the Planet; some products have an addition charitable contribution attached. So stop buying those disposable plastic bottles that will last for untold years and start carrying around one of these chic reusable babies.
Bike & Give
CLIF Bar 2 Mile Challenge
An interesting fact: 40% of urban travel in the U.S. is two miles or less and 90% of that is done with cars. CLIF Bar came up with this unique contest which challenges you to bike more and earn points for non-profits. The company is already donating $25,000 to each of the organization, but the one getting the most points from riders will get an additional $25,000. You can join the gold team and help the Alliance for Biking & Walking, the red team to help Trips for Kids, or the blue team to help Alliance for Climate Education.
Justin Bares Against Fur
PETA
For one reason or another, my friends and I have been doing a lot of chatting about fanaticism lately. You know when someone takes something to a fanatical point and it winds up driving you away, even though you might agree with their cause? Lots of religions have had an issue with this, of course, but I’ve even found it among gay activists. When I hear PETA my first thought is militant people throwing paint on people wearing fur; I get your point, but you’ve turned me off your message by being an asshole. Do you really think that changes the mind and heart of the person wearing the fur? Because of the ad you see below, I was recently poking around the PETA website and I was surprised to find several issues resonating with me. Perhaps the organization has reshaped its message? Take a look and let me know what you think.
Funny how a marketing campaign can work, isn’t it? You’ve heard me talk about the delicious Justin Gaston before. In the ad below he’s on the right. Thankfully Justin is on the road opening for Kris Allen, so I no longer have to watch the Hulu series If I Can Dream to see what he’s up to. (Outside of Justin, the other housemates were giving me migraines from all the eye-rolling I was doing as I saw them blow opportunities that were handed to them on silver platters.) Prior to leaving the house, Justin participated in this PETA campaign and, well, you can see why it got me nosing around the website of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals…and rethinking what they’re about. That’s Justin on the right.
You Like Me, You Really Like Me!
SSTW Facebook Fanpage
At the insistence of my editor Jamie – soon to be known to hordes of roller derby fans as Tiger Beatdown – I have created a Facebook fanpage for my blog. In less than a week, I’ve managed to acquire more than 100 fans. Now you know you want to be part of this because all the cool kids are doing it.
