A Green Eyed View - green ideas and advice

THOUSANDS DEMAND SUSTAINABLE FOOD AHEAD OF NATIONAL FOOD DAY

Today's Guest Post is submitted by Sarah Parsons, Senior Organizer at Change.org.

Thousands of people across America call for healthy, affordable, sustainable food ahead of the first ever National Food Day.

WASHINGTON, DC – Thousands of people are demanding sustainable food in their local communities ahead of the first ever Food Day by starting and joining campaigns on Change.org, the world's fastest-growing platform for social change.

Tens of thousands of individuals and organizations have already begun supporting sustainable food through campaigns on Change.org. Healthy Child, Healthy World, a food-focused nonprofit, launched an online campaign urging Campbell's Soup to phase out the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from its packaging; a Texas animal rescuer created a campaign asking Governor Rick Perry to save struggling ranchers and starving horses by using state resources to bring hay to Texas; and a Maryland farmer started an online campaign to prevent his 31-year-old organic farm from being turned into private soccer fields.

"Food Day is powered by people, and not food companies or other corporations," said Jeff Cronin, Communications Director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the official organizational sponsor of Food Day. "We hope Food Day will inspire Americans to change their own diet for the better, but more important, we want it to result in a bigger, stronger, and more unified movement for improved food policies."

Change.org is a partner organization of the first-ever National Food Day. Thousands of concerned citizens regularly use the campaign platform to call for healthy, affordable foods produced in environmentally sustainable and humane manners.

"It's always inspiring to see people take action on the issues that matter to them," said Sarah Parsons, senior organizer at Change.org. "It has been so powerful to watch as concerned citizens all over the country speak out about food issues and build communities of support."

Food Day is sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and is supported by organizations promoting healthy eating, animal welfare, small-scale farming, and other food-related issues.

National Museum of the American Indian Awarded LEED Green Building Certification

October 11^th, 2011 - I’m pleased to pass on this press release I just received.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian announced that it has been awarded a LEED Silver rating established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

“This achievement not only signifies the Smithsonian Institution’s commitment to sustainability, it also advances our museum’s mission to share traditional indigenous values such as stewardship and conservation,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the museum.

The National Museum of the American Indian achieved LEED certification for energy savings, water efficiency, indoor environmental air quality and sustainable sites. Unique on the National Mall, the museum has nearly 150 species of plants representing four landscapes indigenous to the region: an upland hardwood forest, lowland freshwater wetlands, eastern meadowlands and traditional croplands. In addition, the museum’s contributions to, and support for, environmental research—as well as public programs like the annual Living Earth Festival, the Indigenous Farmer’s Program and the newly launched environmental website for educators, American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges—reflect traditional knowledge that has been developed over millennia by Native Americans with the living earth.

By using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money, reduce greenhouse emissions and contribute to a healthier environment for area residents. “The National Museum of the American Indian’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green-building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the museum serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish.”

LEED certification of the National Museum of the American Indian was based on the number of green design and construction features that positively impact the building and its immediate environs and the broader community. These features include:

• High standards achieved for exterior and interior building management
• Extensive use of native vegetation within the museum’s landscape
• Indoor environmental air quality
• Water-efficient and sustainable landscape
• Onsite and offsite use of renewable energy
• Recycling and waste management

The museum is the first Smithsonian museum building to achieve LEED certification.

 

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

 

Look What I FOUND for You

Looking back in time, somewhere shortly after the dinosaurs bit the dust, (that is, when I was in my twenties), I used to love scouring alleys for junk furniture and whatever else I could find which could be re-purposed into “stylish” home décor. It was a skill I learned in college (one of the few things I learned that actually became useful).

Imagine my delight at the discovery of a store/website called FOUND! As I mentioned in a post about Atomic Attic, up-cycling is the new cool way to recycle with a punch. Take someone’s junk, lovingly refinish, refurbish, re-purpose and voila, you’ve got a new, more valuable piece with better environmental worth. And Found up-cycles with pizazz.

Susan, Sloane and Paige (Mother and Daughters respectively) have launched a very savvy business in Miami, Florida called Found Design Miami, Vintage Finds for Modern Times where you can find that smart piece of vintage furniture that almost ended up in the land fill. Sloan and her Mom co-own the new business and Paige, the youngest daughter helps them be creative and original. Each piece is most assuredly a one-of-a-kind labor of love. If they ended up in an art gallery, I wouldn’t be surprised.

The beautiful pieces you see for sale at Found Design Miami, started out as a pile of questionable junk.

It took courage and creative foresight to see those cast-offs as the gorgeous vintage gems they turned out to be. But as Sloane says in her blog, “In the end, I learned that even the craziest dream is worth pursuing because if you believe in something with all your might, it might just turn out exactly the way you dreamt it would.” Thankfully Sloane and family chose to take the chance and we’re all better for it.  

I will definitely put Found Design Miami on my list of places to visit the next time I get to Miami. If you’re in the area, stop by and tell them Tom sent you.

Found Design Miami

2328 North Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
Tel: 305-438-9311
info@founddesignmiami.com

 

Depressed Economy Leads to Depressed Public National Depression Screening Day is Oct. 6th

WELLESLEY HILLS, MA – October 3, 2011 – Recent statistics reveal that the economic downturn is not only depressing the economy, but also the public. According to the World Health Organization, depression is twice as common among the poor as among the rich, and recent U.S. census figures indicate that more than 26 million Americans are now living in poverty.

National Depression Screening Day, held on October 6^th, serves as a supportive community initiative to connect the public with mental health screenings. Through this program, individuals have the opportunity to take a free, anonymous mental health screening online or locate an in-person screening site at www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org. Mental health screenings are an easy way for people to monitor their health and learn about local treatment options.  

“Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about half of American adults will develop a mental illness in their lifetime,” says Douglas G. Jacobs, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the founder of Screening for Mental Health, Inc. (SMH). “We know unemployment and financial problems can take a toll on an individual’s mental health, which is why we’re encouraging the public to take easy, anonymous screening to help those who may be struggling.”

Research supports the use of online mental health screenings as a means of helping individuals identify symptoms that may be consistent with a mental health disorder, and to seek treatment if needed. In an independent study commissioned by SMH, 55 percent of study participants who completed an online depression screening sought treatment within three months of completing the screening.

Thousands of organizations nationwide are hosting National Depression Screening Day including hospitals, colleges, community centers and military installations. After completing a screening, participants receive referral information to local agencies that offer further evaluation and treatment. To find a site near you or to take a screening online, visit www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org.

About Screening for Mental Health

For more than two decades, SMH has partnered with organizations to provide mental health education and screening programs, including National Depression Screening Day, National Alcohol Screening Day^®, and the National Eating Disorders Screening Program^®. These programs are designed to educate, reduce stigma and screen people for alcohol problems and mood and anxiety disorders. Individuals can locate a mental health screening site or take an online screening by visiting www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org. For more information about SMH, visit www.MentalHealthScreening.org.