Archive for August, 2009
Five Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
It’s one thing to acknowledge the climate change crisis, it’s another to actually change behavior. So here are some simple ways that I have changed to reduce my personal carbon footprint.
1) Eat less meat: One quarter of greenhouse gas emission have been created by the livestock industry. It takes many, many times the amount of grain to create that one pound of beef or chicken, than one pound of vegetarian food. While I like a great steak still, I have committed to eating vegetarian every other day, and trying to eat meat only once on the days that I do partake.
2) Buy a hybrid: It’s important to pay a little extra to support new environmentally savvy technologies. I did, albeit a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and it’s 28 MPG local far surpasses the 20 MPG I was getting in my Acura TL. Further my Ducati gets 52 MPG, and is my preferred “off hours” vehicle of choice.
3) Metal or plastic canteen: I’ve got three metal ones now. Carrying filtered water instead of buying plastic bottles represents a significant reduction in greenhouse gas. Americans consume so much bottled water that one could compare it to an additional 500,000 cars on the road.
4) Weatherize your house: Homes are responsible for 21% of greenhouse gases in the United States, so this is a big one. We actually bought a weatherized home right before we got married four plus years ago. Even with high gas prices, the house still rarely sees a heating or electric (AC) bill greater than $100.
5) Shut down your computer at night: If you are a blogger like me, it’s easy to leave your computer on. That way you don’t have to boot up in the morning, right? But you are hurting the environment for those precious two minutes of time. According to MIT, “the surge of power when a computer is turned off lasts a few seconds and is insignifcant compared to the sustained energy used in keeping it on during periods of inactivity.” Admittedly, I forget to do this, but mindful power consumption (including light usage) is a continuing effort in our house.
What would you add to the list?
Popularity: 28% [?]
Tags: carbon footprint, climate change, Global Warming, greenhouse, hybrid, water bottle, weatherize
Posted in Green | 6 Comments »
Global Warming Effects Mar Cub Lake Photo
Friday, August 28th, 2009
While beautiful with rings of lilly pads, this photo of Cub Lake demonstrates the effects of global warming on Rocky Mountain National Park. On both sides you can see the dying trees that are present throughout the region. Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado toured the park while we were visiting the region, and were briefed on the topic. Here’s a related story: tinyurl.com/n3enko.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Posted in Green | 1 Comment »
The Care2 Petition to Save Bat Nha
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
These monastics gather to recite the precepts every two weeks. This photo was taken after eight weeks without electricity and water.
I posted an open letter to Senator Jim Webb earlier this week about the emerging Bat Nha monastery situation in Vietnam. Since then we’ve created a Care2 Petition targeting the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that is gathering steam. Please sign below or on the site directly. In addition, the Thich Nhat Hanh Facebook page (23K strong) has been active if you would like to continue to get updates.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Posted in Reality | No Comments »
Help Thich Nhat Hanh’s Bat Nha: An Open Letter to Senator Webb
Monday, August 24th, 2009
Thank you for representing the Commonwealth of Virginia so well. I am proud to have voted for you in 2006.
I am writing in regards to a difficult, immediate situation in Vietnam, a land you served in and currently oversee as as Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs on the Foreign Relations Committee. Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Thich Nhat Hanh’s Vietnam-based Bat Nha monastery is under severe economic, violent, and governmental pressure to abandon the monastery by September 2. The cause: Two statements supporting religious freedom, a core principle of democracy.
For that, they have been beaten, had human feces thrown at them, had their electricity and water cut off, their homes robbed, and have suffered innumerable verbal abuses. These 400 monks were finally allowed to practice after Thich Nhat Hanh’s return trip to Vietnam after nearly 40 years in exile. The monastery serves as a training and practice center in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh’s home monastery, Plum Village in France.
I have had the privilege of spending time with the Monastics who learn and work with Thich Nhat Hanh. They are gentle, peaceful creatures who seek to sooth the world’s ills, bridge understanding between all faiths, and spread greater world, human and environmental peace. The love they bring to the table is simply amazing to behold.
As you know, Vietnam is a troubled chapter in our country’s history. The best thing we could possible do for this country is fight to keep this soothing salve in place, quietly working its magic of openness, peace and tolerance. And let’s try to prevent another horrific act of violence and bloodshed in Vietnam’s history.
Please act on behalf global human rights and Viet Nam. Please stop this violence and help save Bat Nha Monastary now.
Sincerely,
Geoff Livingston
Popularity: 26% [?]
Posted in Reality | 6 Comments »
Vacationing in the Rockies w/ Thich Nhat Hanh
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
Once in a while you get to meet one of those people you greatly admire in life. Caitlin and I will meet Thich Nhat Hanh, a world reknowned zen master, this Friday in Estes Park, Colorado. He is hosting a retreat dubbed “Awakening Our True Potential – Mindfulness” at the YMCA there.
This retreat comes at the right time for me as I am struggling greatly to overcome some character defects, in particular, shortness of temper, impatience, etc. which seem to be my personal Achilles Heel. I find these defects ground themselves in reacting to the present (and how it either inspires fear and/or reminds me of the past). And before this turns into a self-wallowing post, let me say that I am also very aware of the assets I bring to the table and how they benefit others.
The greatest ways to confront the defects so far are developing enough awareness and presence of mind to pause and respond rather than react. Another critical aspect of this is taking care of myself so I am rested and capable of being pleasantly present for others. Road travel just wrecks me, and often I am unable to respond intelligently after successive trips.
And so as I work on this comes the retreat with one of the people whom I respect the most from a spiritual level. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote the greatest book on love that I have read, and his other works like Going Home: Jesus and Buddha As Brothers and A Guide to Walking Meditation have really helped evolve my spiritual awareness. What will I learn from Hanh and the monks from Plum Village?
I don’t know! LOL, but it’s sure to be enlightening and peaceful. There will be more insights not only on my personal agenda for the trip, but I am sure on other things I am not even considering. Openness and a willingness to explore new things represent the best course. With those attitudes in mind, new tools and insights will surely come. Ultimately, if I can be of better service to others as a result of this trip, I’ll be happy.
And what a beautiful place to have the retreat. We are sure to enjoy some great hikes and photography in Rocky Mountain National Park during our retreat. I’m looking forward to it!
Popularity: 40% [?]
Tags: Buddha, Estes Park, growth, personal development, plum village, retreat, spiritual, thich nhat hanh, zen
Posted in Pop Philosophy, Reality | 4 Comments »
The Plight of the Bee
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
I was stung by a bee the other day while bike riding on the Mt. Vernon Trail. The little bugger got into my helmet, and the sting was painful, causing quite a spastic moment for onlookers. But I have to say, when I got my helmet off and saw that the offender had survived its attack, I was happy. Bees, while little pests at times, are very needed… and endangered.
Bees, in particular honey bees, are disappearing from our world. There are a few reasons scientists are debating, but the impact on our food supply cannot be underestimated. Bees are a top pollinator and are often used in farms to ensure well, that crops actually grow. Without bees you are looking at a serious food crisis.
There’s a vaccine for honey bees now, which will hopefully resolve the issue. It’s not just honey bees. I’ve noticed that there a lot less bees around, in general. Yellow jackets, for example, are much less present in my neighborhood as compared to five years ago. They’ve migrated north.
Beyond bees there’s a larger trend at play, amphibians and bats have suddenly started dropping dead. The New Yorker chronicled the mass endangerment and possible extinction of these species in a recent article, which showed empirically that we are in the Sixth Age of Extinction.
It’s hard to argue deny that the rise of the human race is having a dramatic affect on our earth. Our incredibly burgeoning population and the resulting vast amount of pollution and excess energy burned is creating what I continue to believe is the crisis of our generation. The evidence is mounting, and worse, it’s accelerating. Whether it’s the bees or frogs, the Antarctic ice or the ocean temperature, we’ve created a ticking time bomb called climate change.
I’ve been blessed to do a lot of nonprofit work over the years, but this is the crisis of our generation. It seems though we acknowledge the issue, we are intent on letting it escalate until the consequences become dire. And that scares the daylights our of me. See climate change is nondiscriminatory, race, ethnicity, sex, age, region, economic status. It will affect us all. We have to do something.
And when I think of my own actions, increasingly I am focussing on this crisis. I continue to work with Live Earth as a social media advisor, and increasingly I am doing more privately to work on climate change. While I am sure this activity will continue to accelerate in my life, in the interim I’ll be grateful for my bee sting. I hope to get a few more this lifetime, climate change willing.
Popularity: 45% [?]
Tags: amphibian, bat, bee, climate change, environment, extinction
Posted in Green, Reality | 10 Comments »
The El Show Episode #2: Trolls and More!
Monday, August 10th, 2009
Warning: There’s significant profanity in this podcast.
Richard Laermer and I hosted our second show today. The El Show (follow us on Twitter) was a wee bit outrageous today, focusing on:
Trolls
- Loren Feldman and his Puppets
- Michael Arrington and his Libel Suit
- Amanda Chapel – Hottie bombalody troll
- Us as Trolls
Mass markets without newspapers
Scoble’s mass unfollowing
Socializing content – It doesn’t mean anything. Now it means get slimed! Nothing social about it
Download and/or listen to the El Show today.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Tags: amanda chapel, friendfeed, geoff livingston, GI Joe, loren feldman, michael arrington, richard laermer, scoble, techcrunch, tr.im, trolls
Posted in Podcasts | No Comments »
Montreal in Pictures
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
Popularity: 20% [?]
Posted in Photography | No Comments »
Three Things to Make Life Easier
Friday, August 7th, 2009
Life for me these days is a whirlwind. Finding ways to relax or make stress management easier are essential. I don’t claim to have the answers, but here are three things I’ve done recently that seem to help.
1) Stop Wearing a Watch: The tyranny of the unurgent is a lot easier to ignore when you don’t have a watch on your arm all the time. I don’t find myself any later, and in fact, have actually been more punctual since I took the watch off. More importantly, while I still feel crushed for time, it’s a little less omnipresent now.
2) Eat Better Food: I recently ran into Andrea Weckerle, an old buddy of mine who started her own natural food company, ITK (in the know). The premise of the company is much better, organic nutrition. She handed me two ITK bars, one chocolate, one regular and said try them out.
Sure enough, I missed lunch due to a heavy schedule and had the two ITK bars readily available. And you know, I am not advocating skipping lunch for ITK, but the energy bars really seemed to hold me off a lot better than less natural versions of these (they tasted good, too).
It got me on a bit of a nutrient kick, and since I’ve been eating better, I feel a notch better. Go figure.
3) Leave the Mobile Phone: When I go into meetings or have dinner, I am increasingly leaving my mobile phone in the car. It makes a huge difference. Less distraction, more attention, better time, less stress.
The mobile is simply an Internet access device for me. So this is again, another form of turning off the tyranny of the urgent. Really, all of this, including me and my online life, is not that important.
What are your methods for reducing stress?
Popularity: 27% [?]
Posted in Reality | 1 Comment »
The El Show: Episode #1
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Because of the heavy amount of cursing in the podcast, I am posting this on my personal blog.
Richard Laermer and I had our debut show today of The El Show (follow us on Twitter). It was fun, humorous, pointed, foul and everything in between. Our goal is to provide talk show radio-esque commentary on the biz.
For episode one (listen here), we discussed the following:
- Personal brands
- Dan Rather’s fall from Grace
- The N.Y. Times and its broken model
- The women’s speakers bureau issue (joined by @digitalsista)
- Train factoid of the week
- Associated Press’s paid content disaster
Next week, we promise to talk about, Health Care Policy reform, @1938media and whether or not the industry should continue to accept him.
Popularity: 18% [?]
Posted in Podcasts | No Comments »
