Have you ever felt like we’re living through a nightmare of consumption? That you wish you could un-hook yourself and reconnect with a life that is somehow more real and vivid? Then perhaps you’re ready to heed Earth’s Wake Up Call.

Today we live in a time when there is little to no understanding of how the goods we consume and take for granted came into being. Without this we lack the knowledge to understand the true costs of our consumption, and the power to take action. As a result we have become disconnected from Earth – the origin of our health, wealth and all of the ‘things’ we depend on.

Wake Up Call takes us on a fast-paced, animated glimpse of the true costs behind some of our most prized possessions – our electronic gadgets. Joining the dots between the stages of extraction, production, consumption and disposal, it reveals that, although our gadgets appear sleek and shiny, their appearance is misleading.

From the mining that causes huge ecological and social destruction, to the mountains of e-waste shipped around the planet and dumped, the lifecycles of our technology are strewn with unacceptable devastation and toxicity.

It is time to Wake Up to this nightmarish destruction, broadly driven by our obsessive pursuit of economic growth at all costs. Things do not have to be this way, but it will take a critical mass of people willing to stand up and say ‘NO! We will not participate in these systems of violence against Earth and our fellow humans’ to make a change.

Wake Up Call invites us to do just that. To forge new paths into the future and join those who are already taking this stand. We must reconnect with Earth, reduce our consumption, revalue what really makes us happy, and become part of the movement for an ecologically sane, and socially just economy that delivers fair technologies.

Wake Up Call expands on the story examined in “Short Circuit”, released by The Gaia Foundation in April 2013. It is a call to consciousness. Please watch, share, reflect and take action.

More information here

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The original Santa is still the best

A new campaign has been launched to resurrect the original green Father Christmas. ‘Green Father Christmas’ calls for the festive icon to once again embrace his green coat, abandoning his allegiance with big global consumer brands. Launched by crowdfunding platform Abundance Generation, the campaign stands for a Christmas less focused on consumption.

Green Santa was last spotted in the 1920’s, before a well known drinks company expanded his waistline and donned him in red to promote its brand. Far removed from his modern image, Father Christmas once dressed in green, cut a slim figure, assisting children and those in need.

Abundance Generation, as well as helping Father Christmas find a healthier image, is suggesting its ‘Green Energy Investment’ as a meaningful gift this Christmas.

Bruce Davis, cofounder of Abundance Generation said: “Yes, we’re stealing Father Christmas from the drinks industry. We’re reuniting him with his green coat because, once again, Christmas is about far more than acquiring ‘things’. There’s a fast growing shift away from giving material goods, to buying gifts with meaning. We’re pretty sure Father Christmas would approve of our Green Energy Investments. A gift that’s helping to create a clean energy future, as well as a secure return for people.”

Modern Green Santa

In a rare interview, Father Christmas said: “The holidays are coming and I agree it’s time for a change. Representing a drinks brand was fun for a while, but the thrill of the ride has grown thin – unlike my waistline. Last year, the elves and I delivered fewer throwaway presents than ever before, this year we want to give better gifts and embrace the move towards a greener Christmas. I haven’t worn my green coat for decades but it feels great. It is, admittedly, a little tighter than it used to be.”

He continued: “Some of the elves at Abundance Generation have come up with a gift of a ‘green energy investment’, perfect for those boys and girls who already seem to have everything! Over the last few years I’ve received an increasing number of letters requesting less disposable ‘stuff’. I’m relieved really, I get great joy from making people happy but was really beginning to worry about the environment. All these things are being shipped around the world before arriving in Lapland, and millions of presents end up as clutter or in a hole in the ground.”

The gift of a Green Energy Investment includes Abundance Generation membership and a handful of their green energy debentures. You can gift an investment of £5, £10, £50, £100 or £1,000 in solar or wind power projects across the UK, helping friends and family be part of the shift to clean energy. This offers a fixed return of 6.65% IRR over a 19 year duration. Ideal as a gift for children, the investment can put into a bare trust until a child reaches 18 years of age. Gifting a Green Energy Investment is very simple and can be set up via the Abundance Generation online Christmas store.

It is important to note that, as with any investment product, there are risks. Part or all of the original invested capital may be at risk and any return on investment depends on the success of the project invested in. All products from Abundance are long term investments and may not be readily realisable (and their value can rise or fall). Estimated rates of return are variable and estimates are no guarantee of actual return.

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Watch the long video:

Energy-related economic, security, and environmental threats are intensifying the national conversation about how to regain energy leadership and competitiveness, restore jobs and prosperity, and build a secure and climate-safe energy system.

Yet America lacks a comprehensive vision of how a market economy can achieve these transformational goals.

RMI has that vision, and is now building its detailed roadmap, which we call Reinventing Fire™. This strategy will bring together RMIs 28 years of innovation and engage the world in our most ambitious and important work yet—using whole-system thinking and integrative design to move the U.S. off fossil fuels by 2050, led by business for profit.

Buy the book

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It seems that online shopping is becoming more popular each and every year, and some of the main reasons for the trend are easy to see. Most significantly, online shopping seems to simply be more convenient than retail shopping, as it allows consumers the ability to browse, choose, and order products from the comfort of their own homes. Additionally, online shopping can often end up being more affordable, as the discounts, coupons, and even base prices of many products online are often favourable. But there is a third reason that online shopping has become the preference of many people all over the world: it often has less of an environmental impact than retail shopping.

To most shoppers, environmental impact doesn’t really seem like a topic of concern with specific regard to shopping. However, there are several ways in which online shopping – whether at a large scale online store like Amazon, or a niche store like http://mysmartbuy.com – is the more environmentally responsible option. Here are a few details.

Less Driving
The clearest environmental benefit of online shopping is that it reduces driving needs. For many people, shopping is an activity that can take them all over town, stopping at a number of different malls and stores – which, of course, involves a good deal of driving and fuel consumption. Reducing fuel emissions and driving dependency is one of the most significant environmental efforts in the world, and doing a majority of your shopping online is a good way to contribute.

Less Packaging
Another key worldwide environmental effort is the reduction of material consumption. When you shop retail in person, the chances are good that you will end up with a number of different bags and/or boxes, which will simply be discarded once you get home. Shopping online is more efficient with regard to packaging – typically, everything you order will come in the smallest possible box, which means that ultimately fewer materials are used and ultimately disposed of.

Responsible Returns
Also with regard to the waste of materials, many people who shop online are more likely to return unwanted products. Sometimes it can be hard to find time to make returns around town at different stores, which means people who shop retail are often more likely to waste purchased goods. Returns can be done more conveniently and efficiently through online shopping, meaning you will be less likely to waste products that end up unwanted.

Purchase Of Green Products
Finally, it is also worth noting that it can be easier to find green products online, simply due to the massive selection of online stores. Environmentally responsible products are certainly available in many retail stores, but finding them can be more difficult in person. Shopping online affords you the opportunity to seek out and rely on these products. ‘

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Can shopping save the world? The Story of Change urges viewers to put down their credit cards and start exercising their citizen muscles to build a more sustainable, just and fulfilling world.

storyofchange.org

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