There are some statistics regarding the Earth Day cleanup project that I was part of on April 17th, that I wanted to share.

over 3,300 volunteers came out to 25 state parks

volunteers planted 500 native trees

filled 329 trash bags, 12 truckloads and 2 dumpsters of trash

removed 10,000 weeds and cleared 3 acres

installed many interpretive signs, miles of fencing, and several irrigation systems

After participating for the first time this year, I am definitely looking forward to helping again next year. I am also thinking that a bbq/beach party would be sweet to do after the cleanup and restoration. Our state parks really are in desperate need of help and anyone who enjoys our beaches or parks needs to start thinking about pitching in because I am fairly certain that without the public’s help, our state parks are going to begin deteriorating significantly. The California State Park Foundation or CSPF is a good place for information on how to help, visit www.calparks.org.

There was an article about the city of Anchorage and the Alaska Moose Federation coming together to create a win win situation for all; well, except for the dead moose. In the city of Anchorage there are over 100 moose that are hit and killed by vehicles every year and they don’t let that meat go to waste. It is donated, but it usually takes hours of police supervised cleanup and removal. However,  with a new grant from the state, the Alaska Moose Federation has been able to outfit four trucks with winches that can quickly remove the deceased animal. Now, the process takes a matter of minutes saving precious time, resources, and clearing the road quicker for increased safety. Like I said, everyone wins but the moose.

ANDREA produce an air purifier system that utilizes a live plant. They have been acknowledged by both Popular Science and MOMA for their invention’s function and form. Like you may be wondering, I was eager to find out if putting a plant in their air purifier contraption made a dramatic difference in improving the plants innate ability to pull toxins out of the air. They state on their website that, ” Andrea improves the efficiency of formaldehyde removal from the air relative to plants alone by 360%. Relative to HEPA and carbon filters, comparison between the RTP Labs data and literature data show an improvement in formaldehyde filtration efficiency of 4400%. These data confirm that while plants alone in an interior setting are more efficient than HEPA and carbon filters at removing toxic gases from the air, they are significantly less efficient than Andrea. Even more important, the rate of gas removal by Andrea is, according to the RTP Labs data, over 1000% faster than for plants alone.”

So how does it work? Basically, it utilizes a fan to draw air into the plant, soil, and water filtration system that through the process produces naturally purified air, as shown by the following diagram.

For more information about the ANDREA air purifier and where you can purchase one, you can visit their website. I just might have to get me one of these.

I spent this past Saturday volunteering for an Earth Day cleanup at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. I thought with Earth Day coming up, it was a perfect opportunity to get involved with the California State Parks Foundation and do some state park maintenance. It was a bit ironic that my group was actually in charge of taking out trees and plants for this event, but rest assured they were nonnative plants that had to go. National Volunteer Week runs through this week and there is a myriad of ways to volunteer in your community. You can find one at VolunteerMatch or DoSomething.org.

Evidence that some large corporations really get it. PUMA is going to begin using sustainable packaging (coming 2011) that will have a tremendous impact on decreasing their environmental impact. Here is what PUMA Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said regarding this initiative that speaks volumes regarding Puma’s commitment towards and understanding of corporate social responsibility. They should be applauded and supported for their efforts and leadership.

“To begin with, we don’t expect to save costs with this. It may even have a negative impact in the short term. But over the long run, there should be cost savings,” he said.

“Sustainability is not only absolutely necessary considering the situation our planet is in, we as companies are also overdue to take responsibility,” Zeitz said. “We can’t wait for governments. Companies have to lead the way and we want to be among the leaders.”

They have laid out the following goals to be achieved by 2015:

• 25% reduction of CO2, energy, water and waste in PUMA offices, stores, warehouses and direct supplier factories.
• Paperless office policy through a 75% reduction and offsetting initiatives for the remaining paper usage such as tree planting initiatives.
• 25% CO2 reduction through more efficient product transport solutions by our logistic partners.
• Begin collaborating with our strategic suppliers and logistic service providers to offset their own footprints in the long-term.
• Introduction of the PUMA Sustainability-Index (S-Index) standard that serves as a benchmark for sustainable products and communicates the products’ sustainable features to consumers.
• 50% of PUMA’s international collections will be manufactured according to the PUMA S-Index standard by 2015, using sustainable materials such as organic cotton, Cotton Made in Africa or recycled polyester as well as applying best practice production processes.

You can find out more information about PUMA’s sustainable packaging, including a video at PUMAVISION.

You can also read the Reuters article posted on msnbc.com, Puma saying goodbye to shoe boxes.

Olympic gold medal snowboarder, Hannah Teter, wanted to give back and her backside to help causes she cared about and created a company called Sweet Cheeks. Currently, her Sweet Cheeks are supporting Doctors Without Borders and every pair of undees sold raises $5 for the organization. Her goal is to raise $100,000 by May to help the organization’s relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Each pair (why is a single piece of underwear considered a ‘pair’ of underwear?) costs $18. The design of the underwear is inspired by the organization currently being supported, so check back for future designs and opportunities to support an organization that you may be inspired by. Also, sorry fellas, but I think they only sell women’s underwear but it would be a cool gift for your lady friend(s).

I wanted to share some thoughts that I expressed in an email to the President of Guidestar. He wrote in one of his newsletters, last summer, about the future landscape of the nonprofit sector as he saw it developing. I was beginning to pay more attention to the nonprofit sector, myself, and these were some thoughts that I shared at that time. I still feel these observations are relevant for creating a successful nonprofit, especially after reading the book Forces for Good, which I reviewed and recommend reading.

I think it is important for any organization to be effective and efficient in order to be successful, but even more so for those with limited resources that don’t necessarily get served their slice of the pie first. I also agree that in this age of giving and the increased competition for limited funding, it is important to be transparent to develop trust and accountability. However, I think what is most important in an age of instant information and relationships via social media and the internet is visibility. With recent generations and future generations of volunteers, donors, and even those in need, growing up in this age of blogs and tweets, connectivity, and accessibility, there is no excuse for not sharing real-time insight into the stories of work and passion being put forth to accomplish one’s mission—engagement will help an organization on every level of operation.

Every business tries to develop fruitful relationships with ‘customers’ but often fall short in creating a more meaningful relationship that transcends mere dollars and cents. Engaging people in a way that makes them feel responsible for the success and allows them to share in the success will develop a more meaningful and rewarding dynamic between an organization and whom it targets for funding and for helping.

Also, your article mentions collaboration which I think is also key for non profits to becoming more effective and efficient. After reading about the Eisner Foundation via their website, I was impressed with the way they reached out simply, sincerely, and readily, to other like-minded organizations to ensure that they were not only pulling on the same side of the rope, but at the same time. There has to be collaboration amongst like-minded organizations across all sectors and industries to increase the potential of success and level of success that is required to make one’s current mission statement obsolete. After all, that is the ultimate goal.

I think we’ve found a new way to raise money for charity. Have a funky Friday and collect some money for charity while you are at it.

I have just finished reading, Creating a World Without Poverty by Muhammad Yunus, and I believe it holds immense importance and relevance for the future of our world. Although one might think this book was created only for social entrepreneurs or people involved in the nonprofit sector or business professionals, it really is a book for everyone because we all have a stake in creating the world that we live in.

The value of reading this book is not just in the inspiration it provides, but really found in how it inspires. It doesn’t inspire with mere fanciful stories and riveting diatribes. It inspires with innovative ideas that have garnered immediate success and a relentless desire to end global poverty through creative solutions and the practical implementation of proven business principles. The ideas and examples shared in this book offer an opportunity to create a better world by tapping into the unlimited potential of all people around the world.  The very first page of the first chapter had me captivated. Quickly, I had to stop what I was reading and begin writing about the book—a book that I had read a total of eight pages.

Here are a couple of powerful excerpts from the first page of the first chapter:

•    Global income distribution tells the story: 94% of the world income goes to 40% of the people, while the other 60% must live on only 6% of the world income.
•    Half of the world lives on two dollars a day or less, while almost a billion people live on less than one dollar a day.

The crux of the book is on creating new for profit business entities, that Muhammad Yunus calls social business, within a free market system and under the principles of capitalism. He thoroughly explains the idea of a social business in the first section of the book.

“Thus, a social business is designed and operated as a business enterprise, with products, services, customers, markets, expenses, and revenues—but with the profit-maximization principle replaced by the social-benefit principle. Rather than seeking to amass the highest possible level of financial profit to be enjoyed by the investors, the social business seeks to achieve a social objective.”

“Profitability is important to a social business. Wherever possible, without compromising the social objective, social businesses should make profits for two reasons: First, to pay back its investors; and second, to support the pursuit of long-term social goals.”

The middle section of the book provides a study of the principles put forth in the beginning chapters with reference to its implementation in Bangladesh (Yunus’ home country) and creating a prosperous future for his country’s poorest people. He offers specific ideas on various projects from implementing free trade among neighboring countries to creating a mega-port to stimulate trade and commerce in the area.  There are chapters dedicated to the first multi-national social business, the Grameen Danone joint venture that provides a nutritious fortified yogurt with the poor as their target market.

The final chapters focus on ideas in eradicating global poverty and increasing the quality of life for all who are living in substandard conditions. He offers insight in utilizing information technology and the importance of sustainability, decreasing green house gases, and limiting the pillaging of natural resources. He calls for the wealthiest and most powerful nations to set a global standard for prosperity that doesn’t decimate our environment or leave the vast majority without a decent quality of living.

Ultimately, it is up to us that have read this book to take it’s teachings and resources out into the real world. This book is merely a spring board, a powerful one; however, if the words and wisdom found in this book do not create action, it will become a book of only fiction.

“We tend to be so busy with our everyday work and enjoying our lives to find out where we are right now in our journey, and take time off to reflect where we wish to go ultimately. Once we know where we want to go, getting there will be so much easier. Each of us should draw up a wish list of our own—to reflect on what kind of world we would like to see when we retire. Once it is done, we should hang it on our walls to remind us daily whether we are getting closer to the destination. Then we should insist that the drivers of our societies—the political leaders, academic experts, religious teaches, and corporate executives—take us where we want to go.”

This book is not merely a resource book. It is a story of the current world that offers us an opportunity to write the future chapters. We can start by writing a wish list of our dream world as Yunus does in the last chapter of his book.

For more information, I recommend the following:

•    Reading his Nobel Prize Lecture
•    Visiting the Yunus Centre website at www.muhammadyunus.org to become further involved with his works and the social business movement.
•    Visiting  www.grameenamerica.com for information on how the principles are being implemented in the United States.


I am still a huge fan of cool tees that do more than just make you look good. These vintage Tide tees created under the well known graphic tee label, Junk Food, help families that are affected by disaster through the Tide Loads of Hope program. One aspect of their program is to provide clean laundry to these victims via their mobile laundry station that is capable of doing 500 loads a day, I believe. I appreciate programs such as these that are aligned with the core of the business because they have the ability and expertise to be effective in delivering this program for greater impact and it fulfills a basic need that all people enjoy–having clean clothes. The tees are $20 and come in both men’s and women’s styles.

There was a recent post on the green is sexy site about the eradication of all fish by our mouths and stomachs. Before I continue, a little bit about green is sexy. It’s a site co-founded by three ladies with one of them being Rachel McAdams of the Notebook and Sherlock Holmes. What I love about the site is how personalized the writing and tips are. It’s not some corporate mumbojumbo but some honest information and view points of three young ladies making a difference in the world. Visit their site at www.greenissexy.org for more sexy greenish 411. Getting back to the fish story, they were referencing a documentary entitled, The End of the Line. It’s really about a movement and campaign to eat sustainable foods and “developing a responsible attitude towards our oceans.” The following is a trailer of the documentary.

I recently read, Forces for Good, by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant with ten pages of excerpts and notes that will become part of my doctrine for doing good, as a result.  I would encourage anyone involved with the nonprofit sector to read it. You can visit the official website of the book for more information. You can purchase it at amazon.com or better yet, check it out at your local library. Here are my thoughts on the book.

It offers insight on how to create sustainable high-impact organizations through an in depth study of twelve nonprofit organizations such as City Year and Habitat for Humanity. As a result of their study, they highlight six practices that are utilized by all twelve organizations to varying degrees.

The book is laid out like a resource book with a clear structure and a summary at the end of each chapter (except the last two) that highlight the key points of their respective chapter. It is an easy read that uses limited jargon and provides clear examples to support their ideas. Their appendices are very useful with clearly delineated endnotes and an additional resource appendix that relates back to points made throughout the book. A lot of the ideas provided are rooted in proven business theory and practice that are practical, valuable and viable.

I think there are some archaic, possibly self-imposed, barriers that have limited the function and effectiveness of some nonprofits. However, with the emergence of new trends in social responsibility and the need to collaborate across sectors and platforms, nonprofits are adapting new practices that may still be taboo to conventional wisdom and metrics of the sector, but are garnering results and ushering in a new age of nonprofit impact and success.

Clearly, problems such as hunger, poverty, disease, global warming, violence, are not going away and throwing more money at them isn’t the solution. It’s innovation in thought and practice that is required to create a path for eliminating these tragic societal and environmental norms. This book provides the innovation that is needed to evolve the minds and practices of those looking to make a sustainable and monumental impact on our world. I truly believe that the principles and ideas laid forth in this book are the keys to unlocking cures to the most rampant ailments of our society and environment.

I had no idea that this was in the works with all the attention going to health care reform; however, this impacts another right that we should be entitled to in this country, education.

I was recently made aware of a volunteering initiative that is being undertaken by American Express, TakePart.com and Volunteermatch. If you are an American Express holder you can earn rewards points for volunteering and can use those points like any other earned points. You can donate them to any recognized 501 (c)(3) or use them to purchase a trip or item for yourself.

What surprises me a little bit is the negative reaction of some. It’s similar to the reaction that some had regarding Disney giving free passes to their parks, in exchange for a day of volunteering. Some good people have deep rooted personal beliefs that volunteering should be a completely selfless act with no reward of any kind given, except those resulting directly from the volunteer experience. I am not one of those people. I believe that we have to do anything and everything possible to create genuine acts of kindness and public service, even if that is motivated or inspired by some derived benefit. My thought is that it is possible that a person on the fence of volunteering can be pushed to take that step by some other incentive and from that one experience, that person may become a serial volunteer or better yet, have a permanent heightened capacity to care on a daily basis. If these cause marketing incentives net real positive impact, I support them 100%.

If you are someone who feels that volunteer work shouldn’t be tainted by corporate involvement, I highly recommend you reading a book entitled, Uncharitable, by Dan Pallotta. It will offer a different perspective and thought regarding nonprofits reaching their true goal of eradicating social and environmental issues. I am not saying  that you are wrong and I am right or vice versa, but I believe in the pursuit of different opinions and thought from respected and credible sources to strengthen one’s own truth.

The following is an excerpt of the American Express program from an article that I read. You can also read the press release regarding this program in detail by clicking here or go to the Take Part website for more information.

This video is from Good about a neighborhood with wirelessly controlled Endesa LED street lamps. Not only does it save electricity and money but it cuts down on the light pollution too.

There was an article posted on Planet Green, a Discovery run site, that listed 22 facts about the bicycle. You can read the complete list of facts here. Here are a few of their ‘greener’ facts:

18. How many bikes can be parked in a single car parking space in a paved lot?

Anywhere from 6 to 20.

19. Bicycles currently displace over 238 million gallons of gasoline per year, by replacing car trips with bicycle trips.

20. When Worldwatch Institute compared energy used per passenger-mile (calories), they found that a bicycle needed only 35 calories, whereas a car expended a whopping 1,860. Bus and trains fell about midway between, and walking still took 3 times as many calories as riding a bike the same distance.

21. Bicycles use 2% as much energy as cars per passenger-kilometer, and cost less than 3% as much to purchase.

I am actually planning on buying a commuter bicycle that is easily transportable because it’s a folding bike. I absolutely love the design and components of the Dahon bikes and they have a wide price range depending on your needs and use. Their website is really useful in figuring out what model would be best for you. Visit www.dahon.com for more info.

The Boost Bike

I came across this site, LeapAnywhere, via a comment to an online article. I checked out their site and created a free account with the promise of ‘Fun’ being a key component of my future doing-good endeavors. It’s about connecting you with local opportunities to do good and have fun, at the same time. They started in London and are expanding this year to the USA. I am not sure if they are a for profit or nonprofit, to be honest, but their business model and strategy do seem genuinely focused on doing good. I just created an account and will report my findings. Here is some copy from their website and a video.

We have partnered with over 200 charities to bring you events and activities that benefit good causes that are actually fun.  How about going to a Bar Night for Botswana or a Soup Kitchen Singles Night or going Surfing for Soweto.  It’s all here and we want you in on the good times.

Charities post their events and people (just like you) create their own cool, crazy, creative events and activities.  All of them benefit charities through raising awareness or a little bit of money.  All you have to do is have fun, the helping charities takes care of itself.

Here are 7 reasons for you to get involved.

1. The Leap Effect

Get high, When we help others, we help ourselves.  When you do good, good things start happening to you, your family and your friends. It’s strange but true. See more here.

2. Keep track of all your good

Leap let’s you track previous events that you participated in that benefitted good causes.  You can also keep track of the good actions you did.  Like buying a happy meal for someone who is homeless.  That’ll make him happy, you happy, and McDonald’s happy.  Win win win.

When you do good you want the world to know about it right?  Well you should!  That inspires other people to get off out of the rat race for a couple of hours and make a difference too.

3. More interesting social life

Do things with friends that matter, break from the same old boring routine.  Meet new boys, new girls. All good people.

4. It’s not just painting houses or month-long mission trips

LeapAnywhere is filled with events that are in the evening or on the weekends and don’t take up too much time. There are some more traditional things to do such as volunteering but a lot of it is just getting together to have fun and raise awareness (or a bit of money) for a good cause.

5. We deliver goodness direct to you

Each week we pack all the best of LeapAnywhere into 1 awesome email.  Then we send it to you.  And hopefully (please!!) you read it.  And see hot off the press pictures of quirky, whacky, beautiful people having fun (and doing good).  Also see all the flyest upcoming events that benefit good causes.  And read quick snippets of stories that will have you smiling so big you’ll be able to eat a banana sideways.

6. It’s free and simple. No hassle, no chores.

No pesky forms, Criminal Record Bureau checks or 6 month commitments.

7. Crazy things happen when people do good.

Hey you…yes you! Watch this first! from Leapanywhere.com on Vimeo.

Here are some ‘after’ pics of Catherine. She helped raise nearly $1000 to fight children’s cancer–amazing.

One of my dear friend’s daughter is shaving her head today to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This is her before picture and I will post an after picture at a later date. You can visit her fund raising page  here if you would like to make a donation. I am so inspired, I think I will make her a sweet tee, if I can come up with something good.

I came across this company called DreamBank that helps people raise funds for a Dream Gift. They state on their site, “DreamBank is the ultimate online gift registry that makes giving & receiving the perfect gift easy, and helps create positive change for the planet and important social causes too.” They do an exceptional job of explaining what they do and are completely transparent with their business practices. I invite you to visit their site and check out their useful and clearly organized About Us section to fully understand what they do and to decide whether it is something you would want to use. I have highlighted some of the main points.

Quick Facts:

1) It is based in Canada so the monetary denomination used on the website are Canadian Dollars (CAD). There is a link to a monetary conversion chart because you don’t have to be located in Canada to use the site. FYI, it’s basically 1 USD to 1 CAD, currently.

2) 10% of gross revenue, that’s gross and not net profits, gets donated proportionately, as determined by users, to the following charities: African Wildlife Foundation, Care Canada, Doctors Without Borders, Kiva Microfinancing, Save the Children, and Global Greengrants Fund.

3) This is a for profit company with a socially responsible business model. They do charge transaction fees. For every contribution made to a Dream Gift, there is a $2.25 fee charged to the contributor.  This can easily equate to 10% of the actual contribution, if it were a contribution of say, $20. That might seem like a significant price but you are basically paying a management fee to utilize their services to help you raise the funds for your Dream Gift.

4) Their philosophy for creating and using this site is based on giving gifts that matter–gives that you really want or really need. Everyone has received gifts for their birthday or Christmas or other occasion that was either not used at all or very sparingly and becomes  part of a culture of waste. It is the thought that counts but what’s more thoughtful than making someone’s dreams come true? They also explain that expecting gifts from strangers is not going to happen and not how they envisioned the use of this site. This is a way for people you know who would normally be giving you a gift or gifts to contribute to your Dream Gift instead of that cheese and meat box or gift card or crazy sweater.

5) They distribute the funds to a PayPal account, so you would need to create one, which costs nothing to do. You don’t need a PayPal account to contribute to a Dream Gift, only if you are a Dreamer asking for money to make your dream come true.

Gap, Inc. is running a current cause marketing campaign called Gap Give and Get via Facebook. You can sign up and receive a 30% off coupon that you can use online or at any Gap, Banana Republic, or Old Navy store,  including factory and outlet stores. In addition, you will be able to designate 5% of your purchase to one of the following charities: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, World Wildlife Fund, Feeding America, Teach for America, Big Brothers and Sisters, and Dress for Success. This sales promotion runs from March 18-22 (4 days only). If you visit the Facebook page for Gap Give and Get, you will also see there is a contest where you can win $10,000 for your community and a $500 gift card.

Charities are not immune to being used for phishing scams. A phishing scam is an email that is sent  looking to either steal your identity or your money. They are commonly associated with absorbent monetary reward amounts that you need to claim. However, I have not encountered this type of scam that tries to masquerade as a charity. The following is an excerpt from the email that I received from Habitat for Humanity International with the phishy email address careers@habitat.COM:

At HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, we work hard to improve and provide training, technical expertise and support in fund-raising to the national organizations in all the regions of the world. However, the actual work of HABITAT is carried out at the community level by affiliates that have been officially approved by the HFHI Board of Directors. The International Board of Directors (IBOD) are volunteers from around the world who share a deep concern for the problems of poverty housing.

This is demonstrated in our role as a corporate sponsor for the HAITI RELIEF PROGRAM with money raised going towards helping displaced and disabled children and their families.
We are an organization with a remarkable heritage.

You’ve got a chance to be one of our representatives and earn a commission for funds raised.This Could earn you an average of $200 – $500 weekly and as much as $2000 (TAX FREE) in a month depending on how active you are.

I was disgusted by this email and wanted to make everyone aware of this new ploy. Despicable acts like this reinforce my resolve to do good. My whole philosophy on doing good is based on the thought that if the good people in the world aren’t willing to do good, then who will?  Do a little good today because we need to win.

Since Conan O’brien has been out of work, he has passed the time tweeting up a storm. In the latest installment of his twitter account, he has randomly chosen his one and only person to follow, Sarah Killen. She is a 19 year-old soon to be bride that currently resides in a basement. Prior to the ‘Conan Effect’, she had all of 3 followers. She now has over 25,000 people following and has benefited from her new found fame with donations coming in from various sources to give her a proper wedding. She has even invited Conan to be the best man. I think it’s an amusing series of fortunate events, but what I dig the most is that she is using her new found online fame to raise money for charity. She has raised over 3,000 for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and is paying it forward.

I believe that health care, like education, is a right not a privilege.  Health care reform hasn’t happened in decades and it makes me wonder, why? Is it because the current health care system is meeting the needs of the people or is it because it’s the best we think that we can do? I grew up in a middle class family and didn’t have to worry about health care until I graduated from college. I wasn’t able to secure a job immediately after graduating but was no longer insured under my parents’ plan. I eventually found a job but didn’t receive benefits and in addition to paying my cost of living, I needed to start paying back all the debt that I accrued during college, including a car payment, student loans and credit card debt. Health insurance didn’t fit into my budget at the moment and I was young and invincible still. Unfortunately, I was wrong on being invincible and broke my collarbone.

I had to pay for the hospital care with savings and credit card debt. It really hurt and more than just physically. I was later in a class action law suit against a conglomerate of entities that overcharged customers that paid for services out of pocket. We won millions of dollars, collectively, and I was awarded 30% of what I originally paid. Was the health care system trying to help me or help themselves to my money? After this experience, I couldn’t afford not to have health insurance and luckily my boss realized that too and gave me a slight raise.

Now having some extra money to budget for health insurance I set out to get some and felt relieved. It was short lived. The prospect of insuring a 25 year old with no prior family or personal history of chronic or any significant health issues proved to be too risky for health insurance providers. The process of securing health insurance, if you haven’t done it yourself, isn’t easy. It’s an arduous process even for “low risk” individuals. I was finally able to secure some health insurance but because of significant annual increases in my monthly fee, I have had to choose a cheaper plan. Am I thankful to have the insurance plan that I currently have? Yes. Am I still worried about being left with a substantial bill should something happen that doesn’t fall within the exact parameters of my coverage that I can afford? Hell, yes. Should I, an active and healthy 30 year old, have to pay nearly $400 a month for good coverage that only covers me? It seemed excessive, so I changed to a cheaper plan with the same insurance provider, but I am still better off than millions of people.

I think the challenges to health care reform have to do with selfish senses of security. I think that if we made it illegal for all employers in all sectors to provide health care benefits to its employees, our health care system would make much more sense for more people. I think that it is easy for people not to care about reforming the health care system when their health care is subsidized by their employer and secured by their employer. If every individual and family that currently has health care coverage were forced to find the most affordable and best health care insurance for themselves, the system would not be where it is today because people would be forced to directly deal with all the current problems that ravage the current system. Health care is an issue that involves individuals, public agencies, and private entities and we all need to contribute to a system that protects the people from disease, ailments, pain and suffering. A system focused on ways to ensure that we have health care when we most need it. A system that isn’t predatory and reliant on strategies of greed and deception.

There hasn’t been real health care reform in a long time. Today, there is an opportunity to make real health care reform a reality. Is it the perfect solution? No, but waiting for a perfect solution has left us with the current failing system. We need significant changes now as the first conclusive step to creating our perfect solution. It will be a process but waiting for a “silver bullet” to fix our health care system will continue to leave millions suffering and dead. This isn’t an insignificant baby step but one giant leap in the right direction to creating a new and much improved system.

Here are two links that show where we have been with health reform and where we can go.

A History of Overhauling Health Care

Organizing for America: Final March for Reform

Hello Porsche! Goodbye Prius (left in the dust at the line, goodbye). This isn’t a Prius on HGH (human growth hormone). This is the new Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid concept recently revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. The concept behind getting almost 80 mpg while maintaining the ability to be a street  legal race car that can almost top out at 200 mph with a 0-60 sub 3.5 seconds is similar to those of current hybrids like the Prius. It can alternate between using an electric powertrain and gas depending on the mode selected and driving conditions. This car’s conceptual specs and design have a drool factor of 100 out of 100 for eco-conscious motor enthusiasts. I wonder if it comes with a flower vase like the beetle, hmmm?

(Photo credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

I have been bombarded, through recent experiences and readings, with thoughts and ideas that have me believe that the most immediate change we can create is with the power of the dollar and not the vote. Despite a progressive, positive, ambitious plan of the current administration, it is business as usual with gridlock and the lack of tangible and real results in policy that will create a sustainable change in our society for the greatest good of the populace.

As John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and Hoowinked, recently wrote in his newsletter, “Our president has little real power. In recent years, geopolitics have shifted; the corporatocracy rules. Democrats and Republicans alike fall under the thumb of the multinational corporations. We have entered a time of realignment…this time it is global; countries are becoming less relevant. The emerging rulers are corporate CEOs, members of the corporatocracy.

The good news: for the first time in history this new empire has been created not by military force, but through the sale of goods and services. And the marketplace is democratic—once we decide to see it as such. It is the ultimate polling booth. Corporations exist only because we vote for them in their stores, at the malls, and over the Internet.

It is up to us to decide which companies will succeed and which ones will fail.”

Start by doing some research. It’s quick and easy with the internet at your fingertips. Do a simple search on companies that you buy products or services from via their company website or by using a search engine like Google to research their social responsibility initiatives. If you can’t easily find information posted on their website or through a Google search, then you can come to the conclusion that either they don’t exist or they aren’t significant enough to warrant any merit.

If you want to help your community and make a real and immediate impact on improving the quality of life in your neighborhoods, invest in your community. Move your money from banks that aren’t heavily invested in supporting local businesses, organizations or programs that serve your community. A good place to start looking for banks is moveyourmoney.info where you can enter your zip code and it will return community banks in your area.

Buy groceries and other goods from your local farmers market. You can find one at localharvest.org. It’s a good way to connect with your community by meeting local vendors and being amongst your neighbors and it’s a good reason to get outside and spend time with family and/or friends.

Your dollar is the most important vote that you can cast on a daily basis that will create an immediate and sustainable impact on your community and the global community. Businesses have to adhere to the demands and wishes of its customers or they cease to exist. With more and more socially responsible companies vying for your money in virtually every marketplace, isn’t it time that you invest your money in companies that want to invest in your wellbeing?

Do I expect every purchase made to be a completely informed decision from a saint-like company? No. However, it isn’t impossible to think that corporate social responsibility will be the norm and not an exception to the rule in the not too distant future. Social responsibility will not only lead to a stronger economy, but a stronger society. My hope is that you begin to think about your role in creating a better world and future by asking yourself, “What steps can I easily and readily adopt into my normal routine that can benefit my community and my world?”

Why? (Be)cause corporations are trying to jump on the socially responsible bandwagon, so they partner with nonprofits and create some kind of marketing event to help raise awareness and funds for a cause, while building some goodwill of their own.

American Diabetes Association and Netflix
For every new sign up that happens through Monday, March 8, a donation of $20 will go to the American Diabetes Association.

I couldn’t come up with a better way to describe the premise behind these videos than the one used on thefuntheory.com so…

This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

These ideas and videos are an initiative of Volkswagen and take place in Sweden, I believe. They are amazing examples of generating a desired outcome through innovation, creativity and fun.

Bottle Bank Arcade Machine

Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that’s because we don’t get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile. See the results here.

Piano Staircase

”Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here

The World’s Deepest Bin

To throw rubbish in the bin instead of onto the floor shouldn’t really be so hard. Many people still fail to do so. Can we get more people to throw rubbish into the bin, rather than onto the ground, by making it fun to do? See the results here.

The second company that I want to share with you is called MARCsMovement. I had the pleasure of meeting Brent Freeman, Co-founder, and was introduced to his website where you can ‘shop responsibly’. What’s unique about MARCsMovement is that they donate 5% of every purchase to the charity of your choice and offer discounted prices on all the products sold on their site. They make it easy for you to save money and donate to your favorite charity in one transaction. The acronym MARC stands for Moral And Responsible Company and on each product page there is a link to learn why that company is a MARC. They offer a wide breadth of products from pet products to digital cameras. The current depth of each product segment is still a work in process, but you can find some familiar brands such as Sony and be introduced to new socially and environmentally responsible brands such as Ethletic footwear.

I know they are diligently looking to improve their product offerings, site, and customer experience. I highly recommend a visit to their site and even if you don’t purchase something, take five minutes and send some feedback. These are the type of companies we need to support and that need our support. The ability for a business to sell discounted merchandise and still donate a portion of proceeds to a charity isn’t a common occurrence in the market place. Let’s help the idea become a phenomenon.