Did you know that nearly 2.4 million lbs of plastic enter our oceans every minute?
In honor of Earth Day, I’m posting some videos from two of my favorite websites to help you take a moment and reflect on the state of the planet.
Inspired by oceanographer Charles Moore’s discovery of the Pacific Garbage Patch, artist Chris Jordan’s talk at Poptech! 2009 brings the horrific reality of this statistic to light in his characteristically poignant and devastatingly brilliant photographs.
MAKE AN INSPIRED CHANGE!
Wish you had some practical information that went beyond mundane generalities on saving the earth?
Watch as scientist extraordinaire Catherine Mohr does some astounding calculations on our behalf, to highlight what really matters when building a house that is green.
Slowly – and hopefully surely – the industrialized world is waking up to the aftermath of what Pollan describes as the “collapse of cooking”.
To wit:
Supermarkets lined with low-cost “edible food-like substances” i.e. artificial products designed to simulate real food that are high on dubious “nutrient” claims, but lacking in substance. e.g. 99% fat free yogurt that has more sugar per ounce than Coca Cola.
Agricultural policies that heavily subsidize corn and soy, the source of most junk food
A food system that runs counter to human health needs promoting heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer
A complete disconnect between humans and the food they eat
And now for the good news: the reformation of food has begun!
More and more, consumers are embracing Pollan’s easy-to-remember credo of “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not toomuch.” From farmers markets to the Slow Food Movement and 100 mile diets, we are finally beginning to take back control of our food and health.
MAKE AN INSPIRED CHANGE!
While food policy change at a “systems” level is crucial, there is plenty we can do as individuals and communities:
1. Educate yourself! Check out:
Food, Inc.- the documentary that helps you find out what’s on your plate
2. Stop outsourcing your food! Cook your own meals.
While this might seem like an enormous drain on your already overwhelmed lifestyle, Pollan makes a great point that we always manage to find time and energy for the things we value (e.g. despite your hectic schedule, you always find time to surf the internet).
3. Whet your appetite for cooking.
Nobody does this better than Jamie Oliver! I’ve been a huge fan of his for years, cause he can even make using a pestle and mortar fun! Watch one of his numerous tv shows and get your juices flowing!
4. Then cook! Savor the dish. And Pass It On!
Jamie Oliver annouced his TED Prize wish today: to teach every child about food.
Join his Food Revolution by taking a simple pledge: To learn how to make one recipe from this book, enjoy it, and then teach it to 2 other friends, who will continue to pass it on!
Get the 101 on these and many other ideas in fun comic strip style!
For instance:
INSPIRED LIFE STRATEGY!
To help get your creative juices flowing, engage all senses in this delightful TED talk by Scott McCloud, who has explored the value of comics as an important literary tool, as well championed the movement of cartoons from paper to the web.
The word “retire” is foreign to the Okinawan vocabulary.
Instead, the residents of this Japanese community hold their Ikigai- reason for getting up each morning - sacred. Whether its growing food or taking care of their children, this notion of a purposeful life seamlessly energizes their often centenarian lives.
Ikigai is one of the many common lifestyle factors identified by National Geographic writer and researcher Dan Buettner, in Blue Zones: areas of the world where folks reach the age of 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the U.S. while living healthier lives, with a fraction of the rates of heart disease and cancer.
Central to his work is the Danish Twin Studies finding that less than 25% of human longevity is dictated by our genes. At a TEDxTC talk, he advocates four simple longevity principles based on his travels to Blue Zones around the world:
1. Move naturally
2. Eat wisely
3. Right outlook
4. Connect/Right tribe
INSPIRED LIFE STRATEGY!
In 2010, experiment with your Ikigai – write out a personal mission statement.
Why DO you get up each morning?
Remember, the premise of this question is not so much about the next big idea that will change the world (although it could be), but more about the everyday activities that bring you closer to the peace & joy that comes with being fully present.
2009 has been the year for compassion to share some airtime, thanks to a world in turmoil.
Confronted with economic and social challenges that took us by surprise, we turned organically to introspection and the search for answers in our own brand of spirituality. Lo and behold, no matter what religious or non-religious ideology we subscribed to, compassion reared its beautiful head.
The Buddha went so far as to say that the mind’s natural state is compassionate. A theory that has recently been confirmed by several psychologists and evolutionary scientists: our bodies and brains are wired to be good.
Studies have shown that compassionate people have stronger immune systems, higher energy levels and live longer, happier lives.
Despite the trance of “survival of the fittest” in our collective memory, it was Darwin himself among others who wrote extensively about the presence of compassion in primates, and how it contributed towards the survival of their communities and tribes.
If this is true i.e. if we are indeed wired to be good, then why is the world in the state that it is? And why are some of us able to show more compassion than others?
The answer is simply this: we are all born with the seeds of compassion, but it is up to us to nurture and cultivate that seed throughout our lives.
If we don’t, it is easy to succumb to societal conditioning and the notion of “separation”, “competition” and what the Buddhists consider the “delusion of isolation”. Caught up in this quicksand, the spark of compassion is quickly put out by the immediate pain & suffering we may be going through.
And yet, it is this very personal pain that can be a catalyst to help remind us of our interconnectedness.
Pain is a universal human condition, and when we recognize that in those we consider “other” or “separate” from ourselves, there is room for compassion to grow. By helping relieve another’s pain, we are in fact, helping ourselves, since we are all so intricately interdependent.
Author Robert Wright speaks about the evolution of compassion, non-zero sum dynamics and why it may save the world:
2. Perform random acts of kindness towards strangers, with no expectation of recognition or reward.
3. Meditate on compassion. A quick primer on the Tibetan Buddhist Tonglen practice:
In a quiet, relaxed posture, bring to mind whatever is causing the biggest pain or suffering in your life (a health condition, a relationship, a circumstance etc.). Feel and acknowledge the presence of that pain.
Now bring to mind all the other people in the world who might be experiencing a similar situation and pain.
Take a deep breath, and INHALE all that suffering – yours, and that of others.
Hold that suffering in your heart. No matter how overwhelming it might feel, remember that you have the courage and strength to hold it tenderly, and respond to it compassionately, since you are tapping into the collective awareness and heart.
Now offer that suffering a loving acceptance, and gently EXHALE compassion – sending it to yourself and everyone else in your predicament.
Idea sharing from leading edge thinkers & doers in Toronto? Check.
Peak neuronal activity & surge in inspiration? Check.
ODing on the best chocolate in town & amazing after-party? Check.
Bonding with like-minded TED addicts & forging amazing connections? Invaluable!
As one of the select 100 attendees, I’m still riding the high from the first ever TEDxToronto event, held on Sep 10, 2009 at the Theatre Passe Muraille. It was a privilege and delight!
The TEDxTO stage at Theatre Passe Muraille
The masterminds behind the show, Paul Crowe and Tyler Turnbull (with the help of an awesome organizing committee) pulled off what we’re all hoping is an annual celebration of ideas and ode to the TED Conference.
For those who might be new to it, TED talks provide a platform for the greatest visionaries and thinkers across disciplines to come together and share brilliant insights that are literally shaping our collective futures. Driving this amazing gathering is the belief that “there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea”.
The theme for TEDxToronto “What’s Next?” elicited a whole spectrum of responses as diverse as the speaker list.
Some highlights:
The most emotionally visceral answer to the theme came from dub poet D’bi Young as she made a haunting, soul stirring and lyrically brilliant case for: Love. Every mind and heart in the audience moved to her beat, drinking in the passionate call for a little less fear, a little more courage, compassion and love, love, love.
Did you know North America’s greenest hotel is right here in Toronto? Retrofitted with geothermal pipes & soaking in solar mojo that allows for a 80% cut in carbon emissions, Planet Traveler is a brilliant testament to the win-win case made by its co-developer and intrepid Cleantech venture capitalist Tom Rand.
Architect Michael McClelland took the case further exposing the “invisible” parts of the city of Toronto, based on its towers of concrete – the distinct city skyline peppered with high rise apartments. Retrofitting these faceless dinosaur edifices – and fast – has the potential to add both green and community to their presently stark and energy guzzling avatars.
Filmmaker and Eclipse Chaser David Makepeace drummed up an other-worldly video and talk mash-up.
Director Min Sook Lee gave a heartfelt rendition of the concept behind her new documentary My Toxic Baby, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival. I had the chance to speak to her at dinner and exchange notes on what she describes as the “baby industrial complex” challenging new parents, and the Cradle to Cradle philosophy of product design & elimination of toxins.
Gavin Sheppard’s raw energy and sincerity were clearly evident as he spoke about his brainchild The Remix Project: a creative education model that steers clear of traditional schooling ideas and leverages the power of urban entertainment and culture for empowering youth.
Business, technology and social media gurus Don Tapscott, Mathew Ingram and Steven Woods balanced the mix with their insights while success analyst Richard St. John reminded us to focus on “what’s next” rather than getting stuck in the past.
For more details on each talk, check out The Torontoist coverage.
I’m lucky to be part of a wonderful TED community that feeds my curiosity for new ideas and inspiration.
The author with fellow TEDxTO attendees.
@ After-party with organizers Tyler Turnbull, Ryan Merkley and fellow attendee Maysa Hawwash.
@ The Brassaii after-party
@ After-party with TEDxTO organizer Paul Crowe
How do you nurture your creativity? What communities do your participate in? If you don’t fit into any that presently exist, have you considered creating one?
Take a page from Paul Crowe and Tyler Turnbull’s book – you may be surprised at the result!
Or did you flunk out of life even before you got out of bed?
And what grade did you dole out to the people in your life – at work, at home, on the street?
Einstein famously said that it was nonsense to found a theory on observable facts alone, since in reality the very opposite happens: “It is theory which decides what we can observe.”
May be its his English accent. May be its the fact that in 2004 he trekked solo on foot to the North Pole, becoming the youngest explorer in history to accomplish this feat. May be its his impressive physical fitness – a keen long distance skier, ultramarathoner, mountain biker, and of course, polar explorer.
Mostly I feel connected with the intention behindBen Saunder’sexploration – to test the limits and push the boundaries of human potential.
He is also a great witness to the earth’s changing climate, blogging and reporting the evolving landscape during all of his spectacular expeditions.
Dreaming and dreaming big is an indispensible codon in the Changemaker DNA. Dreams offer a canvas of infinite possibilities where imagination, creativity, insight, wisdom, compassion and passion come out to play.
Take a look at this quickie in Richard Linklater’s Waking Life (a must-see movie if you haven’t already):
