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great minds think alike: blogs of note

unplug

unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Time for Change: Ideas from Change.org

Change.gov recently announced their winning Ideas for Change on behalf of the Obama transition team. Let's hope they act on these very important issues...

From EcoLocalizer... the Winning Ideas for Change are:

Pass the DREAM Act. DREAM, Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, would provide the children of illegal aliens a path to citizenship. The act would allow them to legally work, further their education, and attend school.
Make the Grid Green in Ten Years. Let’s hatch a plan to rid the U.S. of its carbon dependency by building a renewable energy infrastructure!
Appoint a Scretary of Peace. This idea also calls for establishing a Department of Peace and Non-Violence, which would be, “dedicated to training peace-keepers, educating our children, and suggesting non-violent alternatives to hostility, and war.”
End Marijuana Prohibition. The war on drugs is costly, and it’s filling our prisons with nonviolent offenders. Marijuana is also proven to help relieve the suffering associated with many chronic illnesses.
Free Single Payer Health Care. Free basic health care for all!
Restore our civil liberties. Give U.S. citizens their First and Fourth Amendment rights back by repealing the Patriot Act and ending the domestic spying under FISA.
Develop and Implement a National Strategy for Sustainability. Help the U.S. transition to a sustainable lifestyle. The typical American would require 5.2 planets to support that lifestyle. We need to take steps to make life in the U.S. more sustainable, and we need to do that quickly.
Save Small Businesses from the CPSIA. This act was intended to address safety concerns in childrens’ toys but is going to put many independent artists and crafters and small companies who make handmade toys out of business unless the language changes to account for them.
Health Freedom - Our First Freedom! We need to know what we’re putting into our bodies and the freedom to choose how we take care of ourselves.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

One Day for Human Rights

December 10 is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In celebration of this, and in solidarity with the people throughout the world whose basic human rights are being abused, a campaign called One Day for Human Rights is petitioning to have our rights printed in passports so that they'll be accessible to the masses.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in support of the Year of Human Rights as called for by the U.N., "One Day for Human Rights" is a project aimed to promote and support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by getting the Governments to print this document in our passports.

In honor of this day, I ask you to do one simple thing, read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and think about it. As a nation and a planet, are we doing all we can to ensure that these basic rights are protected for every world citizen? Unfortunately, it appears we still have a long way to come before everyone on this planet has access to clean water, much less freedom, equality, and protection from abuse and torture. In the days of Guantanamo Bay, Proposition H8, and genocide and atrocity in every corner of the globe, we need these human rights more than ever.

Visit One Day for Human Rights for more information, and don't forget to ssign the petition!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fight the H8! Nationwide Protests 11/15

The election was a bittersweet one for many progressive Californians like myself, since we elected the first African-American president and banned gay marriage all in one fell swoop. We're still trying to figure out how that happened. Gay marriage bans were also passed in Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona. The passage of these bans was a serious blow to equality and justice in this country. I am still in shock that Proposition 8 passed in California. I thought one of the most progressive states in the nation would know better. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church was behind the Yes on Prop 8 crowd, and funded a huge advertising blitz in the last weeks of the election.

Even though these measures passed, the fight for equal marriage rights continues. You can get involved by participating in the November 15th protest against hate. Here's a rallying cry from Join the Impact:

Let's move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let's show the United States of America that we too are UNITED CITIZENS EQAUL IN MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW!

On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents' lifetimes, and for many generations before us.

Find a protest in your area today, and fight the H8! You can sign a petition seeking to repeal Proposition 8 here.

Labels: activism, human rights, news/current events, politics

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Change Has a Chance!

What a historic, amazing election. I have never been prouder to be an American. We finally elected an African-American president, Bush and company will soon be history, and change will finally be possible. It's about time this election madness was over, and I'm glad there was a good outcome.

The election also brought a great victory for animals here in California - Proposition 2 passed! This historic ballot measure will make the cruel gestation crates, battery cages, and veal crates used by California's factory farms a thing of the past. The lives of 20 million farm animals will be improved in this great step in the right direction. Another victory for animals happened in Massachusetts, where greyhound racing was banned. Animals everywhere thank voters supporting these measures, and it looks like Obama will be a great advocate for animals as president.

California may have improved things for animals, but it's still uncertain whether things will improve for same-sex couples. Proposition 8, which makes a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, narrowly passed. Opponents of the proposition are still hoping that when all votes are counted, things will turn around. I sure hope they're right. What a blow to equality and human rights. I guess the fight continues!

Hopefully Obama will make good on his promises to bring much-needed change to this country. I am definitely counting down the days until January 20th when we can finally have a changing of the guard. It has been wonderful to be a part of this historic process, now, viva la revolution!

Labels: animal rights, news/current events, politics

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Election Season is Making Me Sick

Seriously, can we be done with those melodrama? Trying to keep up with the tumultuous election season is worse than watching Jerry Springer. I do find it amusing that the McCain campaign has such a hard time coming up with anything substantial to say about Obama that they pull silly allegations and stories out of their butts. I guess it should be no surprise, just look at some of their supporters! The back and forth mudslinging is only clouding our vision and taking attention away from what we should be focusing on: the issues. And there are a lot of them.

I don't even know where to start when writing about this election. For starters, I am not a fan of the two party system. Especially when the two parties are so similar and they're both bought out by corporate interests. And, as much as I'd like a third party to win, with the way things are set up, it really can't happen. So if I really want to vote my conscience and choose the candidate I think would do the best job, I'll be taking that vote away from the major party candidate who most closely reflects my philosophy. Heh, now I guess you know who I'm torn between voting for. Although I'm also strongly considering sticking to the party I'm registered in and voting Green - just to add more confusion to the mix. (Oh, and speaking of Nader, the documentary about him, An Unreasonable Man, is really good).

Then there's the electoral college, which we all attempted to understand in 2000 but never quite got how it was still around. And don't even get me started on voting machines, disenfranchised voters, and all kinds of sketchy behavior that we've seen in the last two elections. This whole thing is just a giant anxiety attack waiting to happen. All I can say is, make sure you're registered to vote by Oct. 20th, and double check it even if you think you're already registered. And then, of course, get your ass out and VOTE on November 4th. (Luckily for me, in this itty bitty town all the ballots arrive by mail).

The debates have been interesting to watch, though not all that exciting. The polls go up and down and don't really tell us much. The media is all over every little development in the election while ignoring the multiple wars we've started, and I'm just about ready to be done with it.

So please vote, and let's be done with this thing. Oh, and if you haven't already, you really ought to watch the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric. Just wow.

Labels: news/current events, politics

Monday, September 22, 2008

Take Action Now: Change Begins Within

I'm not going to hide it, I want to change the world. Of course, I can't bring about the drastic changes I wish to see all on my own, but that doesn't mean I should give up hope and avoid taking action. One person can make a difference, but until you believe that, nothing is going to change. So, in the words of Gandhi, we must BE the change we wish to see in the world.

How can one person begin changing the world? It starts with changing yourself. In order to change yourself, you first have to know yourself. Examine who you are, what you believe, and what you stand for, and that should tell you how to live. Advertisers, the media, corporations, your family, friends and neighbors should not tell you how to live. That is something you have to decide for yourself, based on your ideals. Live like you give a damn, and your actions will be a testament to who you are.

If you're like me, you give a damn about protecting the beautiful planet we call home, and living this ideal would mean living as sustainably as possible. Being more eco-conscious and making greener decisions in every day life is a way to start the ball rolling towards a sustainable tomorrow. Every choice you make is an opportunity to be the change. You can start creating change by changing what you buy, what you eat, what (or if, or how) you drive or ride to get around, how you make a living, who you vote for, and especially, how you think.

Changing your life and the world definitely starts with changing how you think and how you view the world. Learn as much as you can about what's going on in the world, and especially about the issues important to you. Find out what you can do to help. It's important to keep your goals and ideals in mind every day, and truly believe you can achieve your goals and create change in the world. This starts with a positive outlook and an optimistic attitude. Combining your ideals, your skills, and your knowledge, take action and get involved!

One thing is for sure, the world needs change. Each of us holds the seed to change within us, and the time has never been better to let that seed grow.

Labels: activism, environment/sustainability, lifestyle

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Green Living Goes Mainstream

It's definitely been a while since I've posted, sorry about that! Summer has been busy with trips, moving into a new house, and plenty of projects. Sorry for the long absence, and hopefully they'll be less frequent.

Even without watching TV or living in a major city, I have noticed a lot more companies advertising that they're "going green," a lot more blogs and movements dedicated to covering green issues, and in general a lot of chatter about sustainability. Maybe it's just the high gas prices or the latest trend, but green living has definitely gone mainstream. I'm just trying to decide whether this is a good thing.

Increased visibility for any good cause is definitely a positive thing. I'm glad to see so much discussion on green topics. But with celebrities and corporations jumping on the bandwagon, I have a hard time believing they're all sincere. I also have my doubts whether some of them know what they're talking about. In a time when greenwashing is prevalent, it helps to be a conscious and aware consumer.

How do you make truly green choices when there are so many phonies out there? Do your homework, know which issues are most important to you, get information from organizations focusing on those issues, and vote with your dollars whenever you have to make purchases. Better yet, if you truly want to live green you'll not only examine the companies you're buying from, but whether you really need to buy something at all. Consumerism has us believe that we need to buy something brand new when a used, homemade, or borrowed item could work just as well. Always be on the look out for the simplest solution, because simple living equals green living, and accumulating more stuff only leads to more pollution and waste.

I hope that going green and living sustainably is more than just a fad. We've only just begun to scratch the surface of what sustainability is all about, so it's something we're going to have to study and work towards for a long time to come. What we truly need is a paradigm shift and a new way of looking at the world and living in it. It seems that Hollywood's version of "going green," with all the glamour and none of the tough questions and realizations, isn't going to get us very far. I'm still glad it exists, but now it's time to push it farther. Green consciousness is rising in our culture, which is a beautiful thing, but we've got to awaken faster if we're going to act in time.

The true green revolution will require more than just individuals living green, it will require green ways of doing business, governing, producing energy, and feeding and sustaining an overpopulated planet. None of this is possible without a new perspective and a mindshift, which can only happen one mind at a time. Albert Einstein was right: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." If we're really going to change the world, the revolution starts within each of us.

Labels: activism, corpo-consumerism, environment/sustainability, lifestyle