Five minutes of caring

Give Twice: TOMS

Sam Davidson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    If you&#39;ve been following us for a while, you know we&#39;re fans of [TOMS Shoes][]. We love the [buy one, give one][] model, and that&#39;s why they&#39;re kicking off the 2009 [Christmas is Not Your Birthday][] campaign. When you buy a pair of [TOMS][] (for yourself or someone else), **you will get one pair of shoes to wear and another pair will be given to a child in need around the world**. Make your gift giving even cooler this year - [click here to shop][].

Stay tuned: We'll share a "give twice" idea every Friday between now and December 25.

Thank a Youth Worker

Sam Davidson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Today is [Thank a Youth Worker Day][]. So, whether you&#39;re young or young at heart, **spend five minutes thanking someone who helped get you where you are**. Maybe it&#39;s a [teacher][], a [mentor][], or a coach and you&#39;re realizing they get thanked far too little. So, sign on to the [Thank a Youth Worker movement][] and share with others who you&#39;ll be thanking. Or, head over to [their fan page][] and do the same.

Who will you thank today? Tell us in the comments of this article and one lucky person will receive a copy of New Day Revolution!

Pet Project

Sam Davidson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    When it comes to owning pets, **we may not be as green as we think**. In fact, it could be [worse than][] driving a huge SUV. Luckily, there are lots of resources to help us be eco-friendly the next time we [adopt][] and care for a dog or cat (or any other acceptable pet). Here&#39;s [a handy buying guide][] when it comes to pet food. Also - make sure you buy a [durable collar or leash][], so you don&#39;t replace it over and over again. And, you should always [clean up after your pet][] (we really hope you already do).

L.E.A.F.

Sam Davidson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Since fall is in full effect, beautiful orange and red leaves are all over your [yard][]. When it comes time for you to rake them up, **be sure to remember these four steps to ensure that your leaf disposal tactics are good for our planet:**

L is for landfill, which is where we don't want our leaves going. Compost them instead.
E is for earth, which is where the leaves will return if you use biodegradable bags.
A is for avoiding waterways. Never sweep leaves into the street.
F is for fall leaf collections - nearly every city has one.

November Time!

Sam Davidson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    The [eleventh month of the year][] (how did time fly so fast?) is full of stuff to do in order to make a difference - whether it&#39;s in your own back yard or around the world. **Here&#39;s just a small sampling of some causes and issues that use November to raise awareness:**

This is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
November is National Adoption Month.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month is going on.
And, it's National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.

Not to mention, coming on Friday, we fire up the fourth installment of our popular, "Christmas is Not Your Birthday" campaign. Stay tuned.

Keep the Change

Sam Davidson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Whether you change your clocks on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, at least some part of your weekend will be spent resetting your timepieces. **So, while you&#39;re changing your digital and analog clocks, why not change a few more things?**

Clean out stuff from your car you don't need to be hauling everywhere you go.
Make sure your fan is spinning properly for winter.
When was the last time you replaced your air filter?
Do you really need all of those clocks anyway?
If you feel like dusting, those light bulbs need your attention.

Safely at Home

Sam Davidson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    It&#39;s scary to think about everything that could happen on [Halloween][]. When kids are running around in the streets after dark, someone dressed as a vampire isn&#39;t all that frightening. Now that you have [the right candy][] and are making your Halloween [as green as possible][], **don&#39;t overlook the precautions you&#39;ll need this weekend**. Here&#39;s [a quick guide][] to read to make sure you&#39;ve got all of your bases covered. And, here&#39;s [a checklist][] to familiarize yourself with before leaving home. Being safe means that you&#39;ll be able to get back home and enjoy all of that free candy.

Lung Health Day

Sam Davidson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    We&#39;re right in the middle of Respiratory Care Week, so that means it&#39;s [Lung Health Day][]! You mean you didn&#39;t have this week marked on your calendar? That&#39;s okay - you can more than make up for it by quickly checking out these [six ways][] to reduce your risk of lung disease. Or, **spend five minutes and read up on the following conditions, all which pertain to the lungs**. You can even find ways you can make a difference related to each of these:

Make Halloween Cool

Sam Davidson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    While Halloween was meant for scaring people and knocking on neighbors&#39; [doors][] (and getting free [candy][], of course), **it&#39;s also a chance for you to be cool and showcase your earth-friendly habits**. You can make your own costume and thereby reduce the amount of [garbage][] you create. You can stock those flashlights you&#39;ll be carrying with rechargeable [batteries][]. You can skip out on buying a plastic pumpkin for collecting candy and use a [bag][] you already have. And, you can [carpool with friends][] as you go door-to-door. Let&#39;s face it - nothing&#39;s scarier than a Halloween that hurts our planet.

TELL US! Share your green Halloween tip in the comments and one lucky winner gets our newest shirt!

On the Books

Sam Davidson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Not too long ago, we [showcased some winning ideas][] you can use when you have books you no longer want. You seemed to have liked the article, because we [heard][] from quite a few people about other things to do with old books, **like offering them to your local library**. Of course, each branch is different, so call [one near you][] before heading over there with a trunk full of [paperbacks][]. Many [libraries][] hold book sales from time to time in order to fund their work, so you may be able to &quot;donate&quot; those books in a different way.

Rainforest SOS

Sam Davidson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    So there&#39;s a big meeting coming up in December in [Copenhagen][]. A lot of people will be there to talk about [the climate][]. And, a lot of organizations and people are delivering an important message at the meeting, including the [Prince of Wales][]. You can help make that message more powerful by signing on to The Prince&#39;s [Rainforest Project][]. It&#39;s easy - just state that you care about protecting this valuable resource of ours ([which absorbs tons of CO2][]) and you&#39;ll [be a part of the movement][]. **Every voice matters, so check out the campaign and lend your support today.**

Halloween Can be Free

Sam Davidson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    We know what you&#39;re thinking. [Halloween][] is all about the free, right? As in free candy? Isn&#39;t that what makes people dress up long after they&#39;ve turned 16? Sure - but today we want to briefly remind you that next weekend&#39;s [holiday][] should also be free from chocolate and candy [made by slaves][]. So, if you&#39;re responsible for stocking up for all the goblins that [knock on your front door][] this year, **set a trend and hand out fair trade chocolate**. You can grab it at any [Ten Thousand Villages][] store and be the coolest candy giver on the block.

Not So Fast

Sam Davidson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    The act of [fasting][] is one in which you choose to take a break from something. Usually, people do it with food for religious reasons, but you can also do it for the planet with things like paper, [plastic][], or any fossil fuels. What if you fasted from driving for a week (or even [just a day][])? Or what about not using any [new sheets of paper][]? No [TV][] even? Maybe you decide to skip [all kinds][] of plastic bags? **You might just find that what you thought you absolutely needed wasn&#39;t that big of a deal all along.**

Community 101

Sam Davidson — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

    Whether you&#39;ve lived somewhere for 20 days or 20 years, we&#39;re willing to bet there&#39;s something [you can learn][] about your city of residence. Whether it&#39;s seeking out a local vegetarian [restaurant][] or trying to figure out the [public transportation system][], learning about your community expands your horizons while shrinking your local world. So, pick up [a local paper][] or try a new coffee shop. Talk to a [politician][], meet your [neighbor][], or make your way to [a nearby event][] for a good cause. Then, **teach someone what you learned and increase the concept of community in an instant**.