Urban Gardening: You Can Garden Wherever You Are

(image via: Flickr user iamterris)

Gardening is regaining popularity as a pastime for all types of people across the world, with gardens popping up in the most unexpected places. While the traditional image of a garden may not exactly fit into the reality of most urban environments, the fact is you can grow your own food whether you live on a rural farm or in a tiny Manhattan apartment. Urban gardening is all about using space wisely to regain a closer connection with your food and beautify your home or neighborhood.

Read The Whole Article At EarthFirst.com

Take Action – Sign This Petition – Save The Amazon

Scenes from a historic indigenous gathering held in the Kayapó village in the Amazonian state of Mato Grosso. This assembly was called to discuss the impending human rights and environmental disaster that is the Belo Monte Dam on the Lower Xingu — in particular the menace it represents to Brazil’s indigenous peoples — and ways for its opponents to forge a single and unified force to resist its construction.

GO TO http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-the-belo-monte-monster-dam TAKE ACTION NOW, IT’S FREE & EASY. SIGN THE VIRTUAL PETITION.

The Suitcase Clinic

The Suitcase Clinic is a Berkeley, CA based humanitarian organization. Their goal is to supply health and medical resources to those who can’t afford it. As humanitarians and activists they believe that health is vital to the human experience, and equal access to health will go along way to heal the poverty scourge.

I met up with a couple volunteers at this years CDA Dental Conference in Anaheim, CA. This conference is attended by Dental professionals from all over Southern California. The Suitcase Clinic currently only offers it’s services in Berkeley, but they would love to spread to LA if given the chance. The need is clear.

It would have been nice to see them get more attention at the conference. Colgate, Crest, and Aquafresh had huge booths, with HD televisions, surround sound speakers, that drew lines that many people waited in for a good 20-40 minutes to get some free toothpaste and to hear about how this new line of toothpaste will improve dental hygiene.

The Suitcase Clinic booth was manned by two young college students and a poster depicting the fruits of the organizations labor. When you compare the two it’s clear to see that The Suitcase Clinic deserves more attention. The group was there looking for professionals who would like to donate their time to treat those who cannot afford it, and to spread awareness.

This is the way to fight poverty. Fight the symptoms. Make sure that the most basic services aren’t out of reach of anyone. If you want to help them visit their website. www.suitcaseclinic.org

Also it can’t hurt to think what you can do on your own. You can volunteer at similair places around your house. If you want to be more creative you can even put together very basic health packages (toothpaste, toothbrush, bandages, antibacterial ointment, etc) and give them out to homeless people, or send them to third world countries, and countries suffering from disasters.

If you want to share your ideas with us visit our facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/ShineArc/252682060224

What Can We Do To Help

OneSpiritMedia@gmail.com

@ShineArc on Twitter.com

Kiva.Org | Shine Arm Lending Team

ShineArc was created in order to find ways for individuals to find ways to connect themselves to their neighbors all around the world. It’s important for us to not only realize that we are all neighbors, but that we all have a common responsibility. We have a duty to help each other, and to work together to improve our society and our environment.

Kiva.org is one of the many new innovations that is blurring the lines we’ve come to believe are between each other. Kiva has connected users through the internet to micro-lending institutions in third world countries. Allowing users to lend in $25 increments to those who need it other countries. The key word is “lend”. While Kiva also accepts donations to keep the wheels turning, the money you give to is only a loan, which means it will be paid back.

After the loan you’ve lent is paid back you can lend it again to someone else in need. This way it is possible to use one loan of $25 to help a number of different people.

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. Learn more about how it works. -Kiva.org

ShineArm is the part of ShineArc that is focoused on humanitarian efforts. You can visit our Kiva Loan Team here to see how we’re doing it. We encourage you to join Kiva and lend! You can also join our lending team.

Love Your Neighbor!

Homeless Teens

Homelessness is one of the most devastating aspects of American culture. People who live on the streets are cut off from the system of growth and safety that most of us enjoy. It’s particularly sad when we see young people who are stuck on the streets. Their potential is being unappreciated and not enough people are reaching out to help them.

“Being a teenager is hard enough. I can’t imagine dealing with crushes, bullies, homework and homelessness. These teens should be thinking about the prom, not where they’ll sleep each night.” from Change.org.

“   • 1.3 million •
The number of homeless youth and youth runaways living on the streets of America.

• 1 out of every 7 •
The number of youth (15%) who will run away before their 18th birthday.

• 46 percent •
The number of runaways who had been physically abused before running away from home.   ” see more statistics at YouthNoise.com

What Can We Do To Help

OneSpiritMedia@gmail.com

@ShineArc on Twitter.com

BP Oil Spill Creates Ecologic and Economic Disaster

From healthygulf.org

It would be hard for anyone keeping track of the Gulf Oil Spill disaster to miss the dramatic impact this is going in America.
British Petroleum (BP) has promised to pay for everything and they should. The U.S. government has shown it’s dedicated to repairing the damage, and making sure BP is held accountable.

Nobody knows how bad the damage will be. BP isn’t even sure when they’re going to be able to completely stop the flow, and the oil is already washing up on the coast.

Animals are suffering, the environment is sufferin, fisherman, and small businesses are suffering too. Volunteers and specialists are already heading to the gulf, looking for places to lend a hand. The four states directly affected each have sites to collect volunteers to help clean up.

Volunteer

• Louisiana – http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/
• Mississippi – http://www.mcvs.org
• Florida – http://www.volunteerflorida.org/
• Alabama – http://211connectsalabama.org

Donate

LAGulfResponse.Com www.lagulfresponse.com

Gulf Restoration Network www.healthygulf.org

BYOG Bring Your Own Growler, Reusable Beer Jug

Green Living

PaystoLiveGreen.com

Photo by mrjoro.

Growlers are making a comeback. These reusable half-gallon bottles used to transport beer from pub or brewery to home date back at least to the late-19th Century and are reentering the modern vernacular as beer consumers become more cost-, quality-, and environmentally-conscious.

According to The New York Times, beer-to-go is both legal and growing in popularity. National chains such as Whole Foods are getting in on the action, and beer aficionados everywhere are rejoicing. At a cost of roughly $4 to $12 per half gallon (and a even a bit more for true specialty beers), a full growler beats the price of a six-pack any day.

If you live in a city – like Boston, Portland (Oregon), New York, San Francisco, or St. Louis – known for its craft beers, then you may very well live in a mecca for growlers without even knowing it! Run a Google search or ask your favorite craft beer bar owner where you can obtain and use a growler … and then drink up! (And, of course, drink responsibly.)

From: http://www.paystolivegreen.com/2010/06/b-y-o-g-bring-your-own-growler/