â┚¬Å”What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.â┚¬Â Ã¢â”šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Albert Pike
My walk into work isn't always cheerful.* My mind usually plays out the day ahead as I make my way through the crowd: it will be long and I'll struggle to have patience with the human race (usually losing the battle and kicking myself for it). Every now and again, though, a little something happens and it causes me to bless the day with a different forecast; like one day I noticed a bird making a nest in the letter of a sign, giving me a modicum of hope that nature will find ways to work around the silliness of humans.
One day last week, the first thing I saw coming in was a young girl in a wheelchair on a lift with her sibling being lowered from a bus. While I couldn't discern why she was in the chair, her Give Kids the World t-shirt told some of the tale. This young girl has already shown more bravery than many people will exhibit their entire lives. It is also possible that the prognosis is bleak.
That thought was being set aside, at least for today. Today she and her family would be enjoying the theme parks at no charge, and hopefully building memories that will last a full lifetime. Anyone doubting that they were grateful for this chance, would have their minds quickly changed by witnessing this scene with the bus lift. Her family waited below snapping pictures of the two kids coming down the lift beaming from ear to ear; everyone â┚¬â€œ including the bus driver operating the lift â┚¬â€œ was thrilled. It made me smile and I imagined the day ahead in the park was going to blow their minds, if they were this excited just getting out of the bus!
Here we are Monday, the start of a new week, and it's time to Ripple. Below are four links that I hope inspire you in the week to comeâ┚¬Â¦actually, more than that, I hope they make you smile like that little girl.
Angling for Junk
EU Trial Project to Compensate Fishermen for Catching Plastic Waste
Here's a fantastic idea, if you ask me. Our trash ending up in our oceans is a huge problem, to the point that there is an island of plastic floating out there that is the size of Texas. Debris from the Japan disaster is floating around out there too; I've read some accounts that predict it will meet up with aforementioned â┚¬Å”gyreâ┚¬Â and some that say it will hit the coast of Hawaii in the future. European Union fisheries commissioner, Maria Damanaki, has come up with the idea of paying fishermen to collect plastic, which she hopes will help her with other initiatives.
Giving a Dam
Save the Beavers?
My other half, Brendan, is from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, so he monitors SooToday.com for the latest on his hometown. At least a couple of times a week he'll apprise of me of some bit of news and we'll discuss itâ┚¬Â¦or I'll pretend like I couldn't hear him. I liked this letter to the editor regarding the local government's efforts to trap beavers for reasons that seem to make sense to very few. The writers capture life in â┚¬Å”The Sooâ┚¬Â succinctly and make excellent points on the natural benefits of beavers.
I often question the affectiveness of writing letters or making phone calls to our elected officials. I made a phone call to Governor Scott's office when he made the huge mistake of killing high speed rail and listened to the clickity-clack as the person who answered the phone documented my disappointment, presumably so Rick would read it. It was an impotent feeling, honestly. Then there was an e-mail I received from Senator Bill Nelson telling me an issue I wrote him about wasn't federal, so he had nothing to do with it â┚¬â€œ kind of like the bitchy server who barks that you're not in their section. You're representing Florida, Bill, it does have to do with you.
For some reason I keep plugging, and I hope you do too. Our apathy will only fuel bad decisions. Long live the beaver!
WiFi, You're Killing Me
Every night + Whenever not in Use, Turn off your Wireless Internet. For our Environment and your Health's sake.
We already know that it's smart to unplug electronics that you aren't using. Known as â┚¬Å”vampiresâ┚¬Â they continue to suck energy making an impact on your electric bill and the environment. It turns out getting in the simple habit of doin' the unplug also helps your health.
Reusable Doggie Bags
Eco-Takeouts
Brendan ran across this site that helps you avoid waste when you get something to go. With our busy lives and less than desirable schedules, we're always getting takeout in our house, so we're now taking a look at these containers.
*I'll borrow a term from Orlando artist Vaughn Belak to describe my current work situation: paycheck factory. Happily for him, he is successful enough to paint full-time now and he said good-bye to the factory yesterday. Best of luck, Vaughn!
