The New Paradigm

I've been doing some thinking about the Movement that is happening right now in America. I love it- that's my first thought. People are waking up. Thanks to the internet, people are being exposed to truths that would never make the mainstream media news. There is a shift happening, and its palpable. I myself woke up to a whole new level of consciousness in 2013- I started the year as someone who was hiding her head in the sand about the state of things. It was a facebook event that grabbed my attention- the March Against Monsanto. A friend had tried to tell me about Monsanto and GMOs a year prior, and I refused to listen. It was too big, too much, I couldn't handle it. I saw that event and thought- "Here this is again, this Monsanto. I need to know more." I did some research, and I was appalled. I went to the March Against Monsanto on May 25, and the die was cast. I could not return to my former life- my former life meaning eating processed foods for every meal, with no regard to where it came from or what was in it. And in looking at food, which is central to the life of every person, I started to learn more about everything to which I had turned a blind eye. I opened my eyes. I woke up.

Waking up is all good and well, but its nothing without action. I learned this in the course of my life; I am no spring chicken and have had ample opportunity to learn some good hard lessons, and 'faith without works is dead' is a big one for me. I started blogging about my journey, and I started a facebook page to help spread ideas and draw attention to necessary issues. I changed the way I ate, and started culling recipes into a cookbook of easy, healthy, non GMO vegetarian meals. I began to investigate the world of the Food Justice Movement. I started attending beekeeping mentoring with Honeylove, I signed up as a volunteer at Los Angeles Green Grounds, I went to another March Against Monsanto, and other protests. I started to meet more like minded people; we met and talked about our roles in the New Paradigm. I am working on a non-profit for teenage girls, to teach them to grow food and raise bees, to understand their value and empower them to act on their compassionate urge to help, to connect them back to what is important and teach them to take a stand and play a part in the Shift. It is a snowball effect: once it starts it gathers no moss but rolls along with its own momentum. For those who are waking up, who are starting to realize they play a part in this Movement, I say- Fuck yeah. Come on, we need you. But don't just wake up; dig in. Shake the hive. Make waves. get involved. Always look for the thing the presence of which would make a difference, and bring that. All the time. The revolution is 24/7.

What I have been thinking about, however, is the different stances one can take in said Movement. I have found myself in both the anti side of things- protesting, standing against injustices, and pro- the growing and building of the New Paradigm. We need both. We need the fighters. We need them and we need them in great numbers.  But I think, in spite of my fighting nature (and I do have that, very definitely I do) that its my job to grow, and to build, and to teach. To inspire. But first- I have to be inspiring, and that is what I am building now, what I am growing. I am learning the vernacular of the New Paradigm, and how to speak about it in ways that are effective. Often I find many people preaching, and doing a really great job of it. But they are also preaching to the choir, and that is not what I want to do. I want to reach those who don't know and need to know. I want to connect with people who could make a very big difference if their eyes were only open. The system does everything in its power to lull the masses into a state of complacency, and its doing a DAMN fine job of it. People are generally more fascinated by Miley Cyrus's tongue's antics than the fact that Obama is trying to fast track the Trans Pacific Partnership. That's exactly how they want it. But you know this- if you are reading this, chances are that you are one of the lucky ones with a clue about what's going on. And since you likely are one of those people, I have to ask- what are you doing about it?

I have seen people leave the Monsanto March, or the TPP Rally, and go get Jack in the Box. I love that they showed up, that they cared, that they committed half their day to standing against the Fat Cats- but then its all dismantled by a decision. They leave and go support the very evil that they marched against. We must all, all of us who care and seek to make a difference, stop supporting corporations. Just don't do it. Shop at local businesses. Do your best to buy from local farmers- not every city has a farmer's market, but there are natural health food stores and co-ops. Try to buy organic from your market, and if its not the season for a certain produce item, then just don't buy it- it means that its been shipped across the world and picked before its ripened.  Buy your clothes second hand whenever possible- I make exceptions for undies and socks. I buy my technology second hand- I don't need the newest iphone when it hits the market- who really *needs* the latest iphone the second it comes out? Try to not use single use items whenever possible- carry a re-usable water bottle, and re-usable coffee cups if you're a coffee freak. Refill gallon size containers with water at the Water Vending machine in front of your grocery store- its 30 cents a gallon and you can fill up your re-usable water bottle daily.  Re-usable bags for groceries- but NOT JUST GROCERIES. Keep one of those kinds that fold up tiny for any time you shop- the pharmacy, the second hand store, anywhere. Keep flatware in your car for when you eat anywhere that you might need plastic forks or spoons. Never EVER eat fast food.  Bike or walk or use public transportation, or, if you can, get a hybrid or electric car. Look into alternative energy sources if you own your home. (In LA, they will install solar panels for you for free. Look into it!) Eat less, or no, meat. Do anything in your power to be sustainable by looking at your life and really understanding what is necessary and what has been marketed to you based on its convenience. 

 Convenience is killing this planet. People generally shirk commitment and embrace convenience. It needs to be the other way around. That's the start of the real revolution. . Eat food that causes chronic illnesses? Sure, if you make it so we don't have to get out of our car. Give all of our personal information to anyone asking for it? Sure, as long as we have access to apps, social media, and products delivered to our door. Destroy the ocean's delicate ecosystem with excessive non-biodegradable plastic? Sure, as long as we can have a bottle of water with us at all times. Hey- I'm guilty, too. We live in the modern age, and we have learned to hand over our rights so long as we are too distracted to be bothered by it. The process of waking up requires that we all pay attention to how spellbound we are by convenience, and how we go out of our way to avoid commitment...even a commitment to eschew convenience for the sake of living more rightly and true and in accord with the needs of our own body, mind, and world.

Those are just some ways EVERYONE can make a difference. To go a little more radical- start growing your own food. Raise bees- get in touch with a beekeeping association in your area and they will show you how. Raise chickens. Talk about it. Start a blog. Start a facebook page. Have meetings to discuss what your neighborhood can do to reduce its total carbon footprint. There are ways, and there is something each one of us can do. Maybe you're a fighter- then by all means, FIGHT! Show up at rallies, stand for something. Maybe you are more likely to want to build the New Paradigm- look into groups that are already doing it- you don't have to re-invent the wheel, the groups are out there, and they need you. THE MOVEMENT NEEDS YOU. I hope you really are getting that. I don't mean the you that lives next door or sitting beside you- I mean YOU.

Do whatever you can, with whatever you have!

I only have so much time to spare to do anything- like most people, I am raising a family and working. Unlike some people, I am doing this on my own with no assistance. And even so, I find the time to be involved, so there really is no excuse. Still, it has been important for me to get clear on what I am committed to showing up for. It does no good to get burned out or overwhelmed. There are lots of marches and rallies these days, and I feel like I've missed out when I don't or can't go, but my heart tells me to go explore the growing process. And in so doing, I meet the most amazing people who are interested in creating a better world, and I learn new ways to make a difference. We talk about forming alliances, fortifying the Movement, teaching others, reaching out.  Whether you are a fighter, a lover, a visionary or an anti-establishmentarian, I implore you to take who you are and make waves. Start with the small things you can do, right now, in your life, and see where that takes you. Occupy yourself!


XOXO,

Ashley Dane
Shake the Hive

Watching Teenage Girls Fall in Love with Bees

Last Sunday, I took my 17 year old daughter and her friend out to the Honeylove bee Sanctuary to meet the bees up close and personal. It was, for me, the beginning of Shake the Hive Collective- which is the non-profit for teenage girls that I aim to start in 2014. It is geared to bridge the impulse of compassion into action- I see my kids and all their friends have that impulse naturally- they just don't know how to turn that impulse into action; they haven't been empowered to. STH Collective will have a headquarters where we will run a micro-farm, with bees and chickens. We will work with local non-profits and help them with hands on participation. We will have workshops and classes in food growing, beekeeping, sustainability and permaculture for the kids, their friends and family. And the kids will blog and have a facebook page devoted to their activities, so they can help instill the interest in permaculture and sustainability in their peers.

Zoe and Kaila at the Honeylove Bee Sanctuary

 So, now you can see why this was the start of Shake the Hive Collective- I have been doing a lot of work with my own blog, with the Shake the Hive facebook page, and meeting people in the non-profit world through volunteering, but to bring teenagers out to meet the bees for the first time...my own daughter at that- this was where the rubber finally met the road.

Watching Teenage Girls Fall in Love with Bees

My daughter has been violently afraid of bees her entire life. I give her big props for confronting her fears- and no one was more surprised than me when she said she would like to go. Driving out to Moorpark- which is farm country, about 30 miles from our house- she was nervous. Putting on her bee suit, she kept asking Ceebs from Honeylove if there was any way for a bee to sting her and making sure there were no gaps in her bees suit. Her perception of bees consisted of one main thing- they sting, and that hurts. 

Its kind of like wearing space suits...

After we donned our bee suits (Zoe said she felt like Walter White) we walked up the hill to the hives. She grabbed my arm.  The wonderfully warm Kirk and Rob McFarland (of the husband and wife team Rob and Chelsea McFarland, who started Honeylove) were busy working on cleaning out the hives. There were a handful of others, and as Zoe and Kaila walked up, they saw no one running or screaming from the bees, no one being stung, everyone calm and interested, and the fact that Kirk was holding up trays of honeycomb crawling with hundreds of bees barehanded immediately changed her perception about the intention of bees- they are NOT out to get us. 

Kirk is pointing out the different variations of bees in the hive

Watching my 17 year old child discover the bees was the first time in many years I saw her childlike innocence. She was having a new experience, and soaking it up like a sponge. Before too long, she was handling honeycombs crawling with bees (with gloves on), helping scrape the old beeswax off frames from dead trays of honeycomb, putting her face as close as she could into the hive boxes to see the bees busy with the broods and storage cells, and the die was cast. She was a lily. (If you don't know that quote, then you watch the clip below from the classic movie You Can't take It With You by Frank Capra).  She and her friend Kaila fell in love with the bees.

Its not hard to do, fall in love with the bees- you either get it or you don't. To be able to see their devotion to the task at hand, and to the hive and the queen is a humbling thing, and a reminder that this is a quality that is often missing in human affairs. It is the thing that is missing the presence of which would make a BIG difference. And THAT is exactly what Shake the Hive Collective will continue to ask the teenage participants- when we are growing food, when we work with bees, with chickens, with wolves (at Wolf Connection in Acton)- with any charitable endeavor- What is missing in life that you could bring, that is needed, that you can learn from the bees, the wolves, the act of growing things? It is empowering to interact with the graceful deliberation of the natural world, and to learn to live in accord with it. It is the thing that is missing that will make a difference to disenfranchised teens being raised by single moms. 

Zoe scraping the old beeswax off the frames

Then my daughter did what I hoped she would- she posted this on Facebook-  

"Today I volunteered my morning to helping the bees. Not only did I get over one of my biggest fears, but I got to observe them up close & personal. They are truly miraculous little beings, all they care about is their colony and their Queen (she lives up to 7 years while the average bee lives up to 4 weeks!). They do not care to harm us, which is something I learned first hand today. There was a man holding the honey combs with NO gloves on and he was fine! STOP killing bees, they're here to protect and serve, without them we wouldn't exist. If they go endangered we lose 80% of the organic crops we consume due to their inability to properly pollinate. Make peace with the bees! If I did it, you can too!"

She had a bunch of kids respond to this post who want to go to the next mentoring day at the Honeylove Bee Sanctuary, and that is exactly how Shake the Hive Collective aims to educate teens; by having the teens bring the information to their peer groups, get them interested, involved, educated. STH Collective will have workshops for the participants, and for their friends to attend, and for- and this is very important- their mothers. Then those kids will post on social media about their experiences, and so on. We need to reach this demographic, but they aren't going to listen to old people. They have the power to reach each other through social media; one kid can impact thousands. This is the pond where the ripple is endless.

My kid Zoe, holding a honeycomb crawling with her new friends

And what does it do for the self esteem of the kids who are having these experiences, like working with the bees, and posting about it? In that world, where teenage girls are devastated when their new sexy profile picture doesn't get more likes than someone they consider a rival, where it is highly competitive, often cruel, diminishes any real sense of value and chips away at a falsely derived self esteem- it allows for a new sense of self to emerge, a new identity. Other kids respond differently, they respect these activities and the teens who are actively doing them. These teens are getting respect instead of objectification. Teens respond to the way people perceive them as if they are that- so they carefully monitor what people think of them, and it ends up a terrible mess. I have seen teenage girls police their own image on social media, and study the profiles of other girls, critiquing and taking notes, approving or not. I've listened as they've done it, and there is no value in that world. It is all surface, and without an intervention, this is what they will take into the world. The world doesn't need more superficiality, especially when these kids have the capacity for so much more. These are the future stewards of the planet, and future parents of future stewards. To connect them to their own compassion, and to empower them to respond to the world from that place, is the dream of Shake the Hive. Its what I have been doing for most of 2013- empowering myself, recognizing my urge towards compassion and acting on it. Not allowing myself to talk myself out of it, staying on track, and trusting myself to do this work. I have to do it, if I am going to encourage others to- and not just the teens- but the Moms, who are usually in survival mode constantly, frantic with worry about their kids and in a constant state of feeling like they can't do it all, that in some way they are failing their children no matter how hard they try. I AM that mom, I understand this better than anyone. Shake the Hive wants to support those Moms along with their kids, like a beehive filled with female bees who all support the hive, who are devoted to the well being of the hive above all else, STH Collective will have a safe space for their compassionate instincts to unfold and grow strong. Join us at our facebook page- please like us, then hover over the liked button and click "show in notifications" so you will see our posts all the time!

Ashley Dane, Founder of Shake the hive and proud mom of Zoe!

Occupy yourself!

xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Shake the Hive

The Urban Permaculture Movement is NEXT LEVEL

There are a lot of movements going on in the world.

Protests, marches, and rallies, groups like Anonymous fighting the good fight on terrain where no blood is shed and justice is served in a different way, more people looking into ways to live sustainably. I am reading more and more about people who go off the grid and homestead- in a new sort of way. Not as in squatting on some land and claiming it- homesteading today means being as self sufficient as possible, and using recycled or reclaimed materials as much as possible. Creating alternative energy sources. Micro and urban farming, beekeeping, and alternative irrigation systems like aquaponics being employed.

Its an exciting time. There is probably only 1 person per 10,000 who is taking on the mantle of living more harmoniously with the planet, and choosing not to exist solely as a consumer of products, food, energy and resources. But for those people, its an exalted state of being and living.

Like these guys-The Urban Farming guys- I love them. Here is their mission-

You can find them by clicking HERE.  There is some great information there about permaculture and sustainability.

You've heard about aquaponics but don't really know what it is? This is a pretty comprehensive diagram. It is a way to raise both edible plants AND fish, both of which sustain the other.  To learn more about aquaponics, click HERE.

There are all kinds of great housing ideas for living off the grid- some are surprisingly attractive, while some are rustic and cute and practical. But suffice it to say, there is something for every taste.

 

Even right here in Los Angeles, there are people living in your neighborhoods who are operating micro-farms, right under everyone's noses.  The Dervaes family operates a micro farm near downtown that grows 6 tons of food in a year's time. They have chickens for eggs, and goats for milk and cheese, they can and preserve what would otherwise go bad, they sell to local restaurants, their home is powered by solar and their cars are diesel, and they make the bio-fuel for it. I freaking love this whole operation- these people really inspire me to create a scenario like this for the Shake the Hive non-profit for teens. It would keep overhead low, and maybe even draw in its own funds. Click HERE to find out more about the Dervaes Family, and what they call (and rightly so) The Path To Freedom.

There are also even more modest micro farming efforts are underway all over the city. I recently met a woman, Kirsten, through a mutual friend, who insisted I come meet her and see her house. It was just an unassuming Spanish style home in the Valley, but its also a little urban farm. Kirsten had a couple of beehives tucked away in her yard. She said was still learning how to work the hives, and her second hive had angry bees. she was pretty offhand about it- some people get sort of obsessive, but she was casual. It was part of her life, and it had woven its way into the ebb and flow of a normal life in the city.

One of Kirsten's two beehives

She then took us out back to see her chicken coop. Well, I asked. She isn't a show off-y person- for her it was like someone saying- "Hey, can I see your washing machine?" This is just her life, her normal life, and if its exceptional, its seems to be lost on her.  She said she didn't really want chickens- a friend of hers had said- "lets go rescue those chickens at the pound," to which she said- "I don't really want chickens, but okay."  I really liked Kirsten- such a laid back person. She just flowed into being someone with a chicken coop, and now she has fresh eggs every day. She says the eggs are all kinds of different colors. She lets her chickens roam around the yard all day, and when they are ready, they go back to their coop on their own.

Chickens!

When we visited, her micro- farm was in between seasons. She had just planted seeds for her fall crop, so there isn't much to see here except for dirt. However, you can get a sense as to how she used the available space to create an urban farm, right next to her driveway.

Kirsten's micro-farm, just seeded for the fall season

You wouldn't expect that- but how cool is it? To have honey and eggs and produce- she also had fruit trees. Its a dream of mine to be able to eat so local that its from my back yard.

And finally, here is how one single mom built her own shipping container house on a shoe string. its pretty cute, and it isn't like she is going without anything. Its super cute, and it allows them to live partially our of doors. I recognize that one can't do this in most places in the US- but there are ways around the weather.

Next year, when I start fundraising for Shake the Hive, these are all things we want to explore. Permaculture, sustainability, farming, beekeeping, raising chickens and aquaponics. Building shipping container homes, composting, and building solar power panels that work. The teens who are part of the non profit will learn how to do these things (As will I; as will the community during workshops hosted by Shake the Hive) and will blog about it on the websites they will build, which they will post on the facebook pages they will manage. They will create their logos for their own organization, they will create a presence and build a community of their peers. They will do video blogs as well, short documentaries- they will create a t shirt or shopping bag with their own logo to fundraise for their own endeavors. They will learn how to change the world and to inspire others to join them.

OCCUPY YOURSELF!

In all the many movements taking place, I find the revolution that starts with our own personal consumer and lifestyle choices to be the single most relevant thing one person can do. Because we ALL can do this. By doing so, we take money away from those who seek to compromise our health for their profit. We make a stand that there are more of us than them. We become responsible stewards for the planet and for the future. We show our kids the art of living gracefully. Maybe we can't all go live in a shipping container and raise chickens- but there are so many things to do at so many different levels- I have seen small tiny urban farms on fire escapes, for cryin' out loud! It can be done. In NYC they keep bees on rooftops. Chickens too.  We can buy local- not just food, but to support shops and artisans in our neighborhoods and boycott major chain stores. We can find groups in our communities that are striving to make a difference locally.  As consumers, we are occupied by branding, by products, by convenience, by our craving for food (many of which are manufactured for the sole purpose of creating cravings), by our desire for things.  Shake the Hive proposes the Occupy Yourself movement- which is when you re-evaluate all these things, modify your choices, and change your lifestyle in ways that suit your well being, core values, and the sustainability of the planet.

Shake the Hive's Ashley Dane, showing off a mobile solar panel at the Green Festival

 

Shake the Hive!

xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Sustainability and Urban Farming for the Homeless, March Against Monsanto, and Artisanal LA

Last Friday, I went to see my friend Chick at Step Up on Vine Street. Step Up is an organization that helps the homeless, and my friend works with them, runs groups and trainings, and maintains the tower gardens on the roof. As he was giving me a tour, I was stunned by how evolved the whole premise and the way it is structured to include urban farming and sustainability in its program.

The roof garden at Step Up on Vine street

Step Up on Second and Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, both 501(c)3 organizations, have retrofitted an existing 20,718 sf, three-story hotel into a 34-unit affordable housing project. The facility is intended for the psychosocial rehabilitation and support of the homeless affected by severe and persistent mental illness. 

Located at the corner of Santa Monica and Vine, the ground floor features retail and community spaces including a computer lab, cafe and commercial kitchen to be used by residents. The second and third floors consist of living quarters, a community room and laundry facilities. The roof of the structure features an aquaponic rooftop garden, outdoor seating and lighting that enables the space to be utilized by residents. 

Sustainable features include green screens on the exterior; daylighting strategies including low E windows and eyebrows that will extend past the green screen; low flow plumbing fixtures; use of a grey water/irrigation system; a potential 50 kW solar array on roof deck; thermal hot water system heated by solar; and new efficient electrical and mechanical systems. 

The cafe at Step Up on Vine Street- full commercial kitchen in back

 I got that blurb from the construction company website- because the Step Up website has the best information about the services they provide for the homeless- which are extensive and impressive- like the commercial kitchen and cafe where they train the residents to work. The cafe is open to the public and is manned by the people who have been trained to prepare the food and run the cafe. CLICK HERE to see more about what Step Up does.

Me at Step Up on Vine Street

For the purposes of this blog, I wanted to mention Step Up not only for their contribution to humanity, but for their efforts at sustainability.  I love that they are using solar panels- it was interesting to learn that the power drops on cloudy days. It makes sense, but I didn't know how that worked. I had gone there to help my friend plant the towers, but by the time I got there, he had planted them all- it was a super hot day, and once I got there I could see why he had wanted to hurry up.  They grow a lot of different vegetables and leafy greens which they use in the kitchen and cafeteria.  I love the tower gardens, and I have one myself, but I've had trouble getting the seedlings going this time around- from the weather scorching them, to me over watering them, to my cats eating them- its been a little challenging.  But once that part is done, the towers manage themselves, and do provide a great option for having a garden when you don't have soil to plant in.  (If you look up garden towers here in the STH blogs, you will see a lot more about them).

The March Against Monsanto, May 25, 2013

 Saturday is the March Against Monsanto. Things like this really separate the chaff from the wheat, when it comes to putting your money where your mouth is. Its easy to share a great activist-y meme or Down with Monsanto meme on facebook- its an entirely different thing to commit a chunk of your day to going to march. Originally I had a big group of people who wanted to go to the March- and its dwindled to my one homey, who I affectionately have called my Wife for many years. She and I are gonna go hit the streets on Saturday, and then we will be attending Artisanal LA, which will feature locally grown and artisan foods and products, as well as classes on beekeeping and creating community gardens and canning and fermenting....a bunch of cool stuff! If you are in LA, I would like to suggest you do your best to get to both. As for the March- I am sure you have stuff to do on Saturday. We all do. I am a mother, trust me, I know. But there is strength in numbers, and if people last minute decide they have to tend to other things, the march will be looked at as a sweet little attempt by a few earth loving hippies and not something to be taken seriously. WE NEED YOU! There is a March in almost very city in the US, and all over the world.

MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO!


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE MARCH AND WHERE TO GO IN YOUR CITY

Xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Shake the Hive!

Consume What You Must, and Boogie

This week, I started to count all the ways I contribute to the problems in this world. As  consumers in this modern age, we barely notice all the waste we cause just by living. Its seemingly natural to have the checkout person at the grocery store double bag our groceries, to drink water out of plastic bottles, to pay the outrageous sums of money for the gas our cars require, which add to emissions and create an environmental crisis that is just rearing its ugly head. We drink our Coffee Bean or Starbucks out of paper or plastic cups with plastic lids, and perhaps a straw every day. We use those wooden chopsticks at Chinese restaurants that are thrown away after one use- for which entire forests have been used, in order to provide the world with these utensils. Its mind boggling.

So, here is what a normal week for me used to look like-

Coffee Bean, every morning. Plastic cup, lid and straw in summer/ paper cup with plastic lid in winter.  7 cups/ lids/ straws a week/ 365 a year

Groceries- once a week, two stores/ Vons and Trader Joes- about 20 bags since they double them

Speaking of groceries- all the packaging. Fruit in plastic clamshells. Cartons of milk, plastic bottles of juice, plastic bags for bread- boxes, wrappers, all of it. Too much to quantify

Gas- about $100 a week- around 25 gallons. $5200 year (around 1050 gallons)

Plastic water bottles- I have a confession to make. I personally don't make much of ripple here, as water is something I am learning to drink. My kids, however, go through about 24 bottles a week.

Electricity- So here is a little lesson. Most people haven't given it much thought as to how the electricity is produced that we all use, and that it requires fossil fuels, in most cases. For your edification-

 

 

Power plants make electricity out of other forms of energy. Most electricity in the U.S. today comes from converting the heat energy released from burning fossil fuels--coal, natural gas and oil. The rest is generated from nuclear reactors and from renewable sources, such as sunlight, wind, falling water and geothermal heat (see Renewables, Unit 5). In a typical power plant, a primary energy source like coal is burned to create heat, which is converted in a boiler to mechanical energy in the form of superheated, high-pressure steam. The steam is directed into a turbine, where it pushes on blades attached to a central shaft or rotor. The rapidly spinning rotor powers a generator. I am going to stop right there. I could just keep going, but I think this paints a pretty adequate picture of what we, individually, are doing to trash the globe. So what am I going to do about it? I'll tell you. Like all things I recommend, its baby steps. You can take big ones- that's awesome- but I find that for something to stick, its best not to change too much at once or your life won't support the shift. 1. For my morning coffee, I now get one cup on Monday, and I re-use it all week. Its easy to rinse it out when I am done and stick it in my work bag. I can't tell you how many times I mindlessly threw it in the trash, only to go back and get it out later. Its shocking, really, to confront that auto pilot thing, to realize how easy it is to just be a consuming and wasteful robot. Today, one of the baristas asked me why I did that. I told him because I love the planet, and we had a nice chat about it. You never know how a chat like that could inspire someone else to do things differently. Talk about what you are doing, and why. Not in a preachy way- no one will listen. 2. Groceries- I've started to shop mostly locally. This reduces the fossil fuel waste which occurs when they ship the produce from a foreign country, usually via several trucks, a plane, and sometimes a train as well. I use bags I bought specifically for shopping. At Trader Joe's,  I try to look at how things are packaged and choose items which are loose- for example- a clamshells full of nectarines, or loose ones that I put in a little plastic bag that I brought, and that I reuse. Or a large bottle of juice instead of 6 small bottles, or a 32 ounce yogurt instead of 8 single serve ones. Another way that this sneaks up on you- you just run into 7-11 for a gallon of milk and don't notice that its in a bag until you get home. or at CVS, you are buying lotion and razors and stuff like that, and you forgot to bring a bag in with you and its too much to carry out. I have been known to take the stuff to my car, empty the bag, and take it back in and give it back to them. It becomes a habit after a while. 3. Gas- I got a Prius! Its funny, I have friends who are judgmental about those cars, and people who drive them. I had one friend tell me that if I go vegan, to lose his number. Someone else said- Not you! You are becoming one of them!  Another said- the money you think you save on gas, you spend on the car itself, so it doesn't average out. What he was missing is that its better for the environment, and for me, that is one of the most important factors when deciding anything. If you think global warming isn't real, check this out. I love Prius drivers. I think they are sexy. I think when people show their concern for the state of the planet and its evident in the choices they make, its just plain old hot. The cars are definitely not sexy, but the drivers are. And the opposite is also true- someone in a gas guzzling but beautiful Aston Martin can not really be sexy by my standards. Someone flying around the globe in a private jet is maybe the most unattractive sort of person there is. No one who loves the planet or cares for the future of mankind would be so wasteful. If you haven't at least looked into getting a hybrid- there is no harm in looking. You might be surprised at how easy they are to finance, or buy used. But you won't know until you look. The other good news, for anyone who says they can't afford to eat local and organic- I will spend about $350 less a month on gas, so I will have more to spend on eating like someone who gives a f*ck about this world. And, p.s.- I am actually spending less by eating right. There aren't brands and ads to lure me in to buy items I don't really need.  I purchase only what I need, I love that its fresh from the farm,  I learn new recipes, and its fun as hell. 4. Plastic water bottles-  Contigo water bottles are my solution. Instead of buying cases of water bottles, we are buying 5 gallon jugs and filling our water bottles for the day at home. (At my work, I installed water filtration systems that also alkalinize the water, and I fill up when I am there, too). Here is a pretty good example of why we should all stop using water bottles, plastic bags, and 6 packs that use those plastic sturdy rings to hold them together. This picture isn't terribly shocking until you realize it is twice the size of Texas, in the Pacific Ocean, and growing all the time.     This is an aerial representation of the garbage vortexes in the pacific ocean. The scale is also represented.     Here are some of the sad results for creatures-   That could have been something I threw away years ago. or you. I can't live with that. If all I have to do is change my ways so this might not happen to another turtle, so that vortex of plastic waste materials doesn't become 5 times the size of Texas by the time my daughters have children. Given these facts, why wouldn't I endeavor to change my ways???  And if you do the same, and influence others to also do the same, we can change where this is going.   5. Electricity. This one is a no brainer. Turn things off when you aren't using them. If you live in an apartment and you notice that the building leaves all its lights on during the day, ask them to get a timer. My kids and I have a tradition when we exit our elevator on the ground floor- we turn off the laundry room light and the one directly outside the elevator. I have trouble getting them to do it at home, but at least its in their consciousness. They are beginning to recognize how gorgeous a person is when you can see that they care, and are willing to take a few extra steps (or more) to be less of a problem and more of a solution on this planet.  If you own your own home- solar is such an exciting option, you lucky thing you! You can also collect rain water, compost, and garden organically, and have a few beehives, and a chicken coop for fresh eggs! You are so freaking lucky- I would give my eye teeth to have a home and some land so I could really take this to the next level.   Here is a great link for all things solar, sustainable, and green for your home- Green Home Solutions   I encourage everyone to make a small list of ways they can change some of these habits ASAP. Here is a small list- try it out!   1. Use recycled bags any time you make a purchase. keep them in your car at all times.   2. re-use your coffee cups, or buy sustainable ones   3. Purchase water bottles that you can keep with you, and buy one big 5 gallon jug at a time, instead of 36 small bottles   4. Look into getting a hybrid car. Just look. Amazing things happen when you start to look into your options- they somehow manifest in the strangest ways. Just start looking on the internet. Can't hurt!   5. Turn off your lights! Turn off other people's lights. remind people to turn things off. Look into solar powered electricity for your home, if you own one.   6. Buy locally grown produce and other goods! This way, you don't contribute to the fossil fuels needed to ship them via truck, train and plane to your grocer. Support the good guys growing in your neck of the woods. Go to your local farmer's market once a week and stock up. Try your very best not to shop at the major chain stores or purchase major brands. I have kids and I have gone in Vons twice in two months- you can do it! Learn new recipes that concentrate on the fresh food in your area. Avoid bringing GMOs into your home. (Click here to check out the buycott app, which will tell you what foods to avoid while you are shopping)   There- 6 simple things that will make a huge impact, the more of us take on this way of living, the better. Even if you just pick one and practice it until it becomes a habit, and then pick another- but by all means, pay attention to your life and in what ways you are contributing to the demise of the planet. We are all part of the problem, by virtue of being alive in this day and age. But we can become part of the solution. Share this blog with your family and friends, so they can join the cause. OCCUPY YOURSELF!   (Why do I keep saying Occupy yourself? Because until you do, something else is occupying you. Only right action and waking up to reality will allow you to OCCUPY YOURSELF. Watch this short video below. This concept is best conveyed with visuals.)     And last but not least, Frank Zappa has something to say. Listen up.       Much love, Ashley Dane