Yearly Archives: 2009

Andrew Revkin Breaks It Down: Climate Change + Slow Drip Theory

andrew_revkin

Andrew Revkin (photo credit: UN.org)

Tuesday, I scored big. Another manifestation success story for this little girl. Last minute, I got access to tickets for  New York Times writer + Dot Earth blogger, Andrew Revkin’s talk at Portland State University. It was a two hour long eco-geekout for me—complete with tweet coverage for the GoGreen Conference (through whom I got the tickets due to the great generosity of Eleek). You can read those tweets on Twitter by searching for #revkinPSU.

The meat of my eco-geeking was looking at climate change from a “big picture” perspective that was very serious and incredibly thoughtful, but not hyper-dramatic. Instead, Revkin held a compelling dicussion on what’s happening with climate change, the controversies in the science behind it, ways governments are handling (or running from) the situation and how news outlets have covered what he calls a “slow drip” phenomenon over the last century.

He spoke on this slow drip phenomenon quite a bit. It was a new analogy for me, one that really resonated in it’s perfect description of our dilemma. A slow drip process is one that occurs so gradually,  you don’t notice the issue at first. Usually it doesn’t seem that bad, so you just put up with it. Except for at some point, you know it’s going to be unbearable. Human nature lets us keep hoping that we can push it a little bit more before we absolutely must do something about it. A practical person would take care of the issue before it becomes a full on crisis, but we’re human beings—we’re inherently irrational—so we wait until everything goes gillgahans and have to work a helluva lot harder to get back on course. Sound familiar?

Revkin also brought up another challenge with a slow drip issue: Just as it took us hundreds of years to cause the devastation, getting things back to how they were (or better) will take a good long time too. At some level, he asserts, we must accept this will be our reality for a while and figure out how to work within our new paradigm. We have to get used to living in a planet, “in the state of extreme flux.” The Katrina level storms, the melting of glaciers and the polar ice caps and extreme medical side-effects of chemical pollutants aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

A bit of a grim situation, but that’s where we’re at.

It leaves Margaret Mead’s concerned citizens wondering what they can do to enact real change.

So glad you asked, because I’ve got you covered (you know I always go big!). Revkin was kind enough to answer that very question for us on camera!

Enjoy. I sure did.

How To Make A Statement 101

dsmithhschoolheadshotThis is what I’m talking about people!

Brain tumor hits and your insurance won’t cover the treatments you need in order to live? Speak up or die trying! Fight like hell. Force their hand if you have to.

Dawn Smith is doing just that. Through the power of her voice, she was able to exert enough pressure on CIGNA, her health insurance provider, to get some of the tests + treatments she needed to to live with her brain tumor. Dawn’s a smart cookie though. She knows change doesn’t come easily, so she’s headed to Pittsburgh to have a candid conversation + make a lasting impression on CIGNA.

Tomorrow, Dawn arrives at CIGNA headquarters, where she’ll attempt to meet with CEO Edward Hanway to discuss the intense pain and suffering that is fostered by their broken system—pain and suffering she has experienced first hand, despite being a model customer of CIGNA. She’s also bringing with her hundreds of messages of support from her fellow Americans in prescription pill bottles. Talk about a making an impression.

It’s a bold, gutsy move. And it’s exactly the kind of action we need in America. But I’ve yakked on long enough. You need to hear Dawn’s voice, not mine.

Things That Get Me Going…

i+want+a+jobThings that get me going—this is one of them. Intelligent, educated, deserving citizens struggling under the oppressive weight of poverty. The weakening of the American Middle Class is a disturbing and growing trend. Since moving to Portland and seeing the vast array of people struggling with homelessness and poverty (among others–drug use, abuse, etc.) I’ve been meaning to revisit the issue. It seems especially relevant now in light of a recent report by Charles K. Rowley and Nathanael Smith on the United States’ potential journey into Third World status. It breaks my heart that we’ve let it get to this point. We’ve figured out how to fly, how to put a woman in space, replace a heart, grow a stem cell, talk loud and clear to somebody thousands of miles away–but we can’t figure out a way to make sure everyone who wants the basics covered gets them? What’s up with that?

My bus commute is a daily reality check. What I can tell you is that we’ve really got some work to do if we want to live up to the ideals expressed in our founding documents and the American Dream. How can we rewrite the rules to fit today? Where will small actions lead to major impacts? I’d really love to hear your ideas.

One of mine—cutting out the “I gotta get mine” mentality. It’s disgusting, selfish and guess what? It doesn’t work. This little recession we’ve got going on is proof of that. We’re in it together. I’m not suggesting communism or socialism, just transparent, fair + ethical capitalism, which is far from what we’ve had. Every American deserves the opportunity at a job that will allow them to put quality food on the table and a roof over their head, let them get medical assistance when they’re sick and provide an education for their children. Whether they take that opportunity is up to them, but it should be there. It shouldn’t be elusive—it’s the mother-effing American Dream!!! We can’t survive without that dream alive and well. It is who we are. It’s in our blood. We have to fight like hell for it.

But with eight million jobs cut in the U.S. in since December 2007, that dream has dimmed like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. Nothing can save Tink but a conscious, sincere and faith-in-ourselves-filled clapping of the hands.

Well, here we are, our light is dimmed, but it isn’t dead. We have a choice to make: fight or flight. I think it’s an easy choice to make. The way out? Bold moves, a heady dose of innovation and an all or nothing attitude. Full force. Total community participation. Unwavering commitment to the common goal. Clap those hands until you can’t clap no more.

Oh yeah, the sheer possibility of what we can accomplish is another thing that really gets me going. It makes me want to move. Makes we want to act. Makes we want to work for it.

We can all do something. One thing. One thing multiplied by 300 million can produce some depressing results—or impressive ones. It’s up to us to choose.

One thing? Is that really to much to ask? Or are we just going to settle?

Time to start hustlin’.

A 12-Year-Old Girl Will Save The World? Duh!

Enough said.

“Testing, Testing, 1,2,3…Can You Hear Me Now?”

Dave Chapelle makes a surprise visit at Pioneer Square in Portland (Via @riotgrrrl6161)

Dave Chapelle makes a surprise visit at Pioneer Square in Portland (Via @riotgrrrl6161)

I’m pretty damn sure Dave Chappelle wasn’t planning on hanging out with 5-10,000+ of Portland’s finest tonight. Rather, I’d put a reasonably large bet on him being stashed away in some swanky hotel room at The Heathman, drinking Blue Label and crackin’ jokes when his manager came in and told him we were all waiting, expecting him to show up. WE, the PEOPLE brought him out that hotel room. What was he supposed to do? Be a big fat jerk and not come? That’s crazy talk.

I won’t lie, it was more exciting in the hour we waited for him than once he actually showed up. The mini-amp and plug in mike were…let’s go with underwhelming. My computer speakers are louder than that crappy excuse for a sound system. But then again, as a kind Po-Po informed me, no permit, no sound. Looks like the party was doomed from the start.

But it’s all good. It definitely gave us all something to do on a Tuesday night other than watch TV and drink beer, albeit very very good beer. It was just such a waste of a crowd. Think about the possibilities of that scene. We were primed and ready for something great. It was unrehearsed, organic, community. There were people drinking whiskey and getting naked (and arrested for getting naked) on the roof of Starbucks for God Sake!!! No, this was real. No marketing or advertising gimmicks to ruin the moment. Just grassroots, networking and word of mouth proving weight in gold–or maybe iPhones. Everything is so intentional and scripted these days–even so-called reality TV. When we get a glimpse of the unexpected, the spontaneous, the surprise with no ulterior motive to be found–we have no choice but to form a Twitter flash-mob and surround it. It’s such a rare and precious gift. I suppose, that, in and of itself, is what really made tonight special. It wasn’t Dave Chappelle (sorry Dave). It was people gathering around a mustard seed of a possibility. If you were there and saw how many people showed, I’m sure you can attest that we grew those grassroots into a tree. And that’s pretty fucking cool if you ask me.

Let’s just hope the rumor starters pick a venue where we don’t need a permit next time!

A Memo: On How NOT to Inspire A Revolution

57641589

A Memorandum: On How NOT To Inspire A Revolution

To: The Supreme Leader & Co.

From: A little girl with a big voice

Judging from your actions leading up to and following the recent elections in the great Islamic Republic of Iran, I can’t help but believe that you must have somehow missed the memo on how to effectively avoid a revolution these days. Since nobody wants to see total chaos + anarchy—and with both quickly ensuing—I felt compelled to make sure you got this very important one ASAP.

You simply must have missed that memo. Why else would you done so many self-sabotaging things in such a short span of time? Just FYI: Avoiding revolution + a coup d’état doesn’t usually involve apparently sloppily skewing election results (Really, did you have to make Ahmadinejad win by THAT large a margin?).

“Avoiding Revolution For Dummies” also doesn’t involve additional clamping down on freedom of speech two weeks before voting day. Why, for goodness’ sake, did you have to choose censorship of Facebook, which excepting Twitter, is THE most popular media topic on the planet? You have to be aware the Facebook is akin to online crack for young people, which make up 60% of your population? Oh well, maybe you missed that memo too. Shutting down Facebook? Bet you wish you could get a re-do on that one. Not shutting down Twitter as well? Well, enough said. We all have our off days.

While we’re on the topic of poor strategic decisions, here are some additional things you might want to avoid: Shutting out and/or arresting respected foreign journalists covering protests (It reeks of corruption, desperation + something to hide), arresting the daughters of respected clergy/government leaders who brought you to power and/or allowing your military + paramilitary forces to injure or kill women* (people will rally around the safety of women, which is hard to believe I know, seeing as we are “inferior”), tear gas, dropping chemicals on your own people from helicopters (Is it really wise to sink to the level of Saddam Hussein?), not allowing people to peacefully assemble (because denying their right to express their dissent is the PERFECT way to weaken their resolve to fight the status quo), and last—though certainly not least—placing all your eggs in one increasingly unpopular + alienating basket (i.e. backing Ahmadinejad come hell or high water is probably NOT your best bet considering the rising dissatisfaction with his record within the Iranian populous and leadership–not to mention he isn’t your most beloved politician after this whole botched election thing).

Still, I fear this memo may be coming a bit late for you. And since you keep shutting down cell service, valid ISPs, and are hacking around Twitter like a 14-year-old techie genius with something to prove, you might miss this one as well. Frankly, considering the major blunders of the past few weeks (or 30 years, depending on how you look at it)—not to mention your atrocious record on women’s rights, freedom of speech, political transparency and international hate-mongering—I’m not sure you are up to the task of ruling a nation of such historical importance, cultural imminence and future potential. Perhaps it is time for a change in Iran. Perhaps, it just might (maybe!) be time to listen to the voices of the people rather than your own fears. I firmly believe in granting each of us equal opportunity. Unfortunately you may have just missed yours.

* This is especially important considering the high numbers of cameras in the streets capable of capturing such atrocities, spreading the video across the world and hardly earning any sympathy for your cause. It’s just a thought.

Tutu-isms: Yes I Will Gladly Stand Up Next To You…

15tue_hhdl-adt_12x8Evidently the Dalai Lama is a mischievous little holy man. So says Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. And if anyone knows, it’s probably him. If you really want to know, the man struck me as pretty mischievous himself.

But celebrity tidbits about The 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan aren’t really what Monday night’s event at the University of Portland was all about. Even the supposed theme of “reconciliation” was not the root of the thing.  Nope, Monday night Rev. Tutu was talking about something that goes beyond reconciliation, though it certainly needs it in order to thrive. That something, my friends, is community.

Like I said, community can’t thrive without reconciliation, so it’s not like they lied about the night’s topic, but I felt that Tutu was really only interested in reconciliation, because it facilitates community relationships—whether the community is just you and your spouse or you and 6 Billion other human beings.

And by the way—Tutu has some pretty hilarious things to say about marriage. If he wasn’t ridiculously talented at being a clergyman, I’d say he should go on tour as a comedian. He’d bring down the house. I snorted—no lie—multiple times.

Back to community though. Tutu had some extremely poignant and relevant things to say about community building. He spoke about the amazing turn of events in South Africa and Northern Ireland. He mentioned the ongoing healing processes in Rwanda, and Kosovo. He talked about his hopes for Israel and Palestine. But in truth, it was a comment about Canada that has been stuck in my mind all week.  When asked about the effect of Obama’s election on world politics and peace efforts, Tutu answered, “Well, you aren’t Canadians anymore, are you?”

No we aren’t. And (no offense to our wonderful neighbors up North) we no longer want to be. Instead of avoiding conversation on our point of origin like the H1N1 Virus (i.e. Swine Flu), we now put it out there like a Cowboys fan on Super Bowl Sunday. We’re rustling our pom-pom and pointing it out to everyone, like, “LOOK WHAT WE DID!!!” We’re proud of ourselves damn it.

It’s been awhile since the majority of Americans have been proud about anything—well at least the same thing, all together, at once.  In the 9/11 aftermath, we drove around with signs and bumper stickers on our cars. We wrote songs about our supposed pride and the “American Way” of dealing with people who didn’t like us (though I personally don’t think sticking a boot up anyone’s ass does much at all, thank you very much Toby). It was all rather forced. More than a little contrived.  It wasn’t real, because it wasn’t based in confidence—it was based in fear. Kind of like the adage, “if you have to say it, it probably isn’t true.”

I certainly wasn’t proud to be an American at that time (that doesn’t mean I wasn’t proud of the values our nation was built upon–THEY kick ass!). I was unabashedly ashamed that we had bullied our way into getting bombed. Not that it makes the 9/11 bombings right or any less horrible. It actually makes it worse, because innocent people had to pay for the anger our government fostered in the world for the past 40 years.

That was almost 10 years ago. Today we’re actually ARE proud to stand up next to our fellow Americans and proclaim our citizenship—though we’ve still got work to do. There’s a lot of mess to be cleaned up and it won’t get done in anything close to resembling a flash. Taking the first steps together is important and momentous, but supporting each other with understanding and loyalty to the community good is the only way that we are going to have the strength to finish the job. To do that, we’ve got to reconcile our past and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Sorry to pull out the religious language on you—but it’s pretty damn relevant if you ask this little girl. Maybe that Jesus dude had a point about that. Desmond Tutu certainly did.

What Happens When People Stop Being “Experienced” And Start Being Real?

Can you believe there are online newspapers out there still not linking to things in their articles? Come ON people! And you wonder why your paper is headed to join the dinosaurs.

The same goes for so many other industries out there. Banks. HMOs. Universities. You name it. The world has made their system irrelevant, yet they still cling to the established way of doing things. A way that doesn’t seem to work anymore, yet we still need the service they offer. We NEED good news. We NEED a good (and ethical) financial system. We NEED good hospitals and a strong education system.

So it seriously gets to me that these people–the ones who DON’T get it–are the ones still in charge, making decisions and running their businesses into the ground so that their companies are not only unable to fulfill the needs of the consumer, but so that they can’t afford to hire the talent that could save their ass either. It just blows my mind that they still don’t get it–it isn’t that hard.

Or maybe it is. Maybe the generational gap between the baby boomers and Generation Why The Hell Are You Leaving Me To Deal With This Mess You’ve Made has finally solidified.

Since moving up to Portland I’ve been out and about, networking and trying to learn everything I can about new media, the next wave of communication and how to ride it.

The surprising part is that I already know most of this shit.

Crazy.

Of course that doesn’t mean that I’m not learning hella. I’ve been sucking up knowledge like an industrial strength Dyson. Hoping that it lands me a job from some Baby Boomer w/a salary to give away to someone who can navigate the social media circuit for them.

I’ve been doing the right thing, but for the wrong reasons.

And then, about 15 minutes ago, sitting at Stumptown on Division, with my good friend Miss Lamb, I realized that I needed to take the advice I was in mid-sentence of giving her: Screw the establishment. Stop trying to play by someone else’s rules and write your own using the talents you were given, the skills you have honed and the innate audacity that won’t let you be satisfied with ending up average, mediocre and bored. It’s time to step up and be the Era Extraordinary rather than just talk about it abstractly on your website.

I’ve come to this conclusion before. It’s been simmering for awhile now. And it’s funny, because “Damn the Man” is a lesson my parents learned for the world and then sold their souls to corporate America for a quick buck, lower inflation and cheaper gas prices.

Well I’ll take the buck, but I’ll be keeping my soul thanks. As good ol’ Franky used to croon, “I’m doing it my way.”

And now all I have to do is figure out is what the hell “my way” is. Oh yeah, and how that manifests itself outside of this post in that thing we like to call the “Real World.” Shouldn’t be THAT hard right?

I think I’m going to need another latte.

The New Green Fashion Scene

Have I mentioned I love Portland? I mean, what’s not to love about a city who centers its fashion week around green and sustainable digs? Now, I know it might seem kind of silly to some that Portland would even attempt to hold a fashion week. To you I say: Get your noses out of the air. Portland isn’t Milan or Paris. It never has been. Never tried to be. Doesn’t want to be.

What Portland does want is to be known for being a sophisticated, sexy, banging Green metropolis (ranked number one again, what?!?!!?). And we’ve got our own brand of style that goes right along with that. An eco-focused fashion week is well within the branding model. Add to that: proceeds go to the Children’s Cancer Association, emphasizing another Portland creedo–giving back to the community. Totally legit mega bang for your buck.

The only downside that I can see right now is that the seventh annual Portland Fashion Week is still six months away. I don’t want to wait that long, damn it!!! However, since the world most decidedly does not revolve around me, I suppose I’ll have to delight myself with getting to know the organizers–Tito Chowdhury and Chris Cone–in hopes of landing an interview come runway time. I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Tito (who told me all about the event and got me super revved up about it–GOOD PR SKILLS!!!) and I just want to end this post by plugging a cause he’s championing.

You see Tito understands that first lady Michelle Obama has got it going on and that she’s smart cookie as well. She gets the importance of organic nutrition and gave supporters of that movement the nod by planting an organic victory garden on the White House front lawn (which I took obvious pleasure in, seeing as I posted twice about it). Tito wants her to take her commitment (and presumably the Obama Administration’s commitment) to the next level. FASHION. Check his Facebook cause page and join the campaign (he’s trying to get 200 members! Don’t you want to be the magic No.200???)

The First Lady has long been a symbol of style for American women. Michelle Obama has the potential to be a new-age Jackie O. with the kind of coverage she gets for her designer choices. Tito just wants her to make conscious choices and throw in designers who are creating sustainable and responsible clothing that is also hot to trot. Can you pick out which of the clothing items below are “green?”

night5

Unless you picked all of them, you won’t be winning any door prizes tonight. But that’s OK. I just wanted to make a point. Green fashion isn’t synonomous with yoga wear and nuetral colors anymore (not that any of that is bad! I love me some Lucy yoga apparel! I’m just saying that we’ve broadened the artistic landscape with positive results). Now we can have bright colors, edgy design and you would never know that the inner workings–the fabrics, the dyes and the labor are all eco-friendly and responsible. Damn. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we!

So check out Portland Fashion Week. And if you live in the area, make sure you come and support our local scene, designers and the Children’s Cancer Association. You know I’ll be there, in all my Green Glory!

Updates!!!

Michelle Obama Breaks Ground At the White House Garden (Photo Credit: AP)

Michelle Obama Breaks Ground At the White House Garden (Photo Credit: AP) Two quick updates for you and then I've got to run

Two quick updates for you and then I’ve got to run!

1) Good news people! Michelle Obama broke ground on an Organic White House Victory Garden earlier this week. Hollaaaaaaaaa!!!!! I’m super stoked about the fact that our First family really gets the importance of organic produce and the meaningful bounty that comes from working the soil with one’s own hands. MAJOR kudos!!!

2) World Water Day Portland is today. Come out and join us at 5:00PM for a showing of the Academy Award Winning documentary, FLOW!!! We’ll be at the World Trade Center downtown and looking forward to seeing you there! Visit www.worldwaterdaypdx.com for specifics.