What a sad day it was when our female USA Olympic cyclists, adorned with air masks, arrived in Beijing only to be quickly silenced about their opposition to the atrocious air quality issue that haunted the games.  Ok, the visual might have been a little daunting, but when you think about it, the situation was begging for someone to step up and take a stand. You know the elephant in the room syndrome!

The whole incident was brushed under the table as an "oops, we didn't mean anything by it, folks!"  Is what they voiced through their actions so strong that it penetrated the frail political embrace that the Olympic committee has in China?  What a shame to disallow the cyclists from protesting what they believe is an Olympian’s basic right to have the cleanest air possible in order to perform at the optimal levels for which they have trained their entire lives!

You would think that's their right, right?  Not only were their actions brushed off as idiosyncratic, but the cyclists were asked to water down the motive for their actions and apologize.  Something just doesn’t seem right here. What’s wrong with what they did? Athletes need clean air to breathe so why didn’t the Olympic committee advocate for the rights of the Olympians?  Why is there a disconnect?

I am dying to hear the cyclist's real story, aren't you? I am constantly reminded of how proud I am to be an American.  Thank God we have athletes who take advantage of their right to be heard.  Sometimes actions speak louder than words, so let’s all listen.
Go USA!

I am most encouraged by the recent news stories about colleges and universities around the country that will be taking a green step for mankind with the start of the new academic year.

There are several new ideas that will be implemented on various campuses including online check in instead of paper forms, reusable laminated maps and campus information posted around campus instead of paper handouts, recycled paper in the administrative and departmental offices, organic fiber and recycled plastic bags at the bookstore, and prominently designated recycling areas throughout campus.

Kudos to all of the participating campuses for not only encouraging a new way of thinking, but developing the future of innovation with our thinkers of tomorrow. And the effort doesn’t end there because the school supply shopping list also looks greener than ever: notebooks made of recycled paper, Energy Star rated computers and accessories, compact fluorescent bulbs, environmentally friendly cleaning products, organic bedding and towels, and mom's old dishes, cutlery, and mugs.

It is definitely a different back-to-school theme this year, and we should all be proud of it.
Many colleges committed to taking responsibility for their carbon footprint are posting reminders to turn off lights when leaving a room, turn off water when brushing teeth, installing solar panels, composting, and growing vegetable gardens for use by dining services.  Active communities of like minded environmentally conscious students are growing exponentially on college campuses across the country.

Bravo to the higher educational institutions that are taking important steps to welcome every freshman into a new community of responsible world citizens. And bravo to the new students who are accepting the challenge to better the environment one person at a time.  Welcome small change in anyway you can, get involved and have fun in the process! What you do today will have an incredible impact on us all tomorrow!

This summer I vowed to get creative in order to minimize my daily energy waste and when it came to my air conditioning needs, I got down and dirty!  Ah, to do without the constant flow of cool air when the temperature gets above 85 degrees (with high humidity)…especially when visualizing all the a/c units in neighboring homes.  Yes, I wanted to take the leap and make a difference even if it hit me outside my comfort zone. 
Over the winter I began to use less and less heat and now I’ve severely reduced my a/c consumption. And you know what?  It isn't as hard as you might think especially since I’m the proud owner of an original 1950's attic fan that’s humming away this moment as I type!  I have lived in my home since 1997 and before now rarely used this enormous fan which was installed out of necessity by the original owner.  Funny while today we are making great strides in technology, it’s refreshing to remember where we once were and take a step back toward simplicity. I did turn the a/c unit on for a party I had and on five of the most awful dog days of summer, but generally, the attic fan has cooled us quite sufficiently on the hot days. The benefits not only have a positive effect on the environment, but my checkbook is happy and my health this summer was free and clear of summer colds and sinus infections because my lungs were not being dried out from the cool air flowing over me while I sleep.
So I have succumbed to mindfully cooling myself off in the summer.  Until I move to a location where there are balmy breezes and low humidity all day long, I will utilize modern technology but with a mindful heart.  Little steps lead to enormous change!

If you’re inspired to make some changes in order to cool your home more efficiently, visit http://aceee.org/consumerguide/cooling.htm for some great tips from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Really, I am in such a quandary about what to do with the containers that are piling up in my kitchen and elsewhere around my house as a result of my emphatic daily renewing and reusing efforts.  I am basically a neat person but the effects of my efforts are beginning to pile up not only in my packed garage but in my kitchen.…not to mention the realization about how much cream cheese I consume, jelly I eat, and take out dinners I've had!  I’m drowning in juice jugs, pesto jars and you name it; the mound is even growing under my breakfast table because the garage's recycling shelf is all filled up.

I wouldn't dream of throwing these opportunities to reuse away, nor would I want to deal with the green guilt, if I did.  I have enough on my plate and am entirely too busy to add the burden of guilt for not doing my job in the recycling area.  I have the green bug in it's most basic and elementary state and I won’t shake it, I've even begun to compost.  And you know why?  It just plain makes me feel good. Not only am I noticing a major reduction in my weekly garbage, I feel great that my juice pulp, egg shells, garden trimmings, dinner scraps and more are going back into the lifecycle and that next year my garden will be even greater with a better yield, thanks to the organic compost pile in the corner of my garden.

But I digress from the mess in my kitchen which simultaneously overwhelms me and inspires me to continue on.   I want a neat kitchen, but also I can not turn a blind eye to the fact that the  glass and plastic containers I come across can be used over and over again in so many ways!  I am now even making my daughter a no-waste lunch. I pack a cloth napkin,  her sandwich and carrots and apples in reusable plastic containers instead of disposable plastic wrap, and she loves to be responsible for bringing them home for reuse. I become more creative every day; I use small glass jars as vases for little flowers, paint storage,  buttons, paper clips, etc…you get my drift!

But how to manage the  glass towers waiting to be filled with ingenious goodies that are now teetering all over my house!  In a cosmic-laugh kind of way, perhaps there is something Zen taking place as the untidiness is teaching me the same lessons learned from the kids movie Kung Fu Panda, but I am not getting it.  So I would love to read your ideas and suggestions on how you manage to successfully balance the world of consumerism and conservancy in a calm way without making a mountain out of a mole hill.