A SYMBOL OF OPPRESSION IS FINALLY REMOVED!

There has been much controversy and discussion about the removal of the Confederate Flag lately.  Many claim that it is a symbol of victory and an important part of history but there is much violence, racism and hate associated with this flag:

Bree Newsome (with assistance of a friend) took the initiative and climbed the flag pole to take down the flag herself.  We all understand and know what transpired during the civil rights movement.  There was no equality for people of colour during that time.  People of colour couldn’t use the same fountains and washrooms of whites, they couldn’t go to the same schools.  And if you spoke or advocated for equality; you were beaten, degraded and even killed.

I applaud those who came before Bree Newsome and stood up to their oppressors, people who demanded respect and equality and who didn’t want to be treated like they were unworthy.  All over the world people like; Harriet Tubman, Representative John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Malcolm X, Desmond Tutu, Bob Moses and Ella Baker fought their oppressors and demanded change around the world.

Today, this type of oppression continues by those who are supposed to serve and protect everyone.  It is common to see videos of white policeman beat and kill so many people of colour.  When politicians are debating creating barriers, fences and walls to keep immigrants out, what else are we supposed to conclude except that these same politicians are pandering to the white racist America.  If they are treating minorities from other countries this way, it isn’t inconceivable to believe that politicians and legislators want to keep America’s minorities disenfranchised, poor, uneducated and oppressed.

So, when you hear your friends say things like; “they do it to themselves”, “if they were not committing the crimes, they wouldn’t be in jail”, “they are supposed to listen to the police” and so many other ignorant statements, they are just regurgitating the sentiments expressed by corporate media to insure we keep those same minorities lucid and submissive.

The REVOLUTION OF LOVE continues – we are the many that have had enough of those few who want to continue this oppression.  Knowledge is power!  With knowledge, determination and passion POSITIVE CHANGE is inevitable.  So many have given their lives to ensure those people who have oppressed others and their symbols are removed but never forgotten.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

BRIEF BIOS OF GREAT PEOPLE and HOW THEY INSPIRED POSITIVE CHANGE

What inspires you to create positive change in the world?  Have you ever thought about the countless individuals who have risked and even gave their lives fighting for injustices around the world?  We all know their names:

Harriet Tubman:  Born enslaved, liberated herself and returned to the area of her birth many times to lead family, friends, and other enslaved African-Americans north to freedom.  Advocate for women, the Union and enslaved people.  A leader to the civil rights movement.  Escaped to freedom at the age of 27 in 1849.  Returned to Dorchester County, Maryland USA (her birthplace) approximately 13 times to liberate friends, family and other enslaved African-Americans via the Underground Railroad.

Dian Fossey:  Undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years.  Financed patrols to destroy poachers traps.  Helped in the arrest of several poachers.  Strongly opposed wildlife tourism, as gorillas are very susceptible to human anthroponotic diseases like influenza for which gorillas have no immunity.  Viewed the holding of animals in “prison” (zoos) for the entertainment of people as unethical.

Martin Luther King Jr.:  Born Michael Luther King Jr., later changed his name to Martin.  Graduated High School at the age of fifteen.  Received B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College and later received doctorate degree at Boston University in 1955.  In December of 1955, he accepted leadership of first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States.  During an 11 year period between 1957 – 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times.  He directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, “I Have a Dream”.  He was awarded five honorary degrees and named ‘Man of the Year’ by Time magazine in 1963 and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.  At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest man to have received The Nobel Peace Prize – when notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over his prize money of $54, 123 to further advance the civil rights movement.

Mother Teresa:  Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia in 1910.  At the age of twelve, she knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ.  At eighteen, she left Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India.  From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls had such a deep impression on her that in 1948, she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.  In 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, “The Missionaries of Charity”, whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after.

Nelson Mandela: 

Born on July 18, 1918 in Qunu, South Africa.  Son of a chief, Nelson Mandela studied law and became one of South Africa’s first black lawyers. Early in the 1950s he was elected leader of the youth wing of the ANC (African National Congress) liberation movement. When the country’s white minority government prohibited the ANC in 1960, Mandela became convinced that armed struggle was inevitable. Inspired by the guerrilla wars in Algeria and Cuba, he organized a military underground movement that engaged in sabotage. In 1962 he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for high treason and conspiracy against the state.

From 1964 to 1982 he was confined to the notorious prison island Robben Island, together with several other resistance leaders. He was then moved to prison on the mainland until his release in 1990. During his imprisonment, Mandela became a rallying point for South Africa’s oppressed, and the world’s most famous political prisoner.

Nelson Mandela shared the Peace Prize with the man who had released him, President Frederik Willem de Klerk, because they had agreed on a peaceful transition to majority rule.

Harvey Milk:  Born on May 22, 1930 in Woodmere, New York.  Harvey graduated from New York College for Teachers (now State University of New York) and enlisted in the Navy in 1951.  Discharged in 1955 with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.  He worked as a public school teacher on Long Island, a stock analyst in New York City and production associate for Broadway musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair.  During the 1960’s and 70’s he became more actively involved in politics and advocacy and he demonstrated against the Vietnam War.  In late 1972, Milk moved to San Francisco, where he opened a camera store on Castro Street, in the heart of the city’s growing gay community.  Just over a year later, he declared his candidacy for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors – he lost but emerged from the campaign as a force to be reckoned with in local politics.  In 1975, he ran and narrowly lost.  His close friend and ally Mayor George Mascone, appointed him to the city’s Board of Permit Appeals, making Milk the first openly gay city commissioner in the United States.  In 1977, he easily won his third bid, and was inaugurated as a San Francisco City-County Supervisor on January 9, 1978. 

Harvey Milk spoke out on state and national issues of interest to LGBT people, women, racial and ethnic minorities and other marginalized communities.  One of these was a California ballot initiative, Proposition 6, which would have mandated the firing of gay teachers in the state’s public schools. State Senator John Briggs, seeking to marshal anti-gay sentiment and an agenda of hate and diminishment for political gain, spearheaded the initiative. With strong, effective opposition from Milk and others, it was defeated at a time when other political attacks on gay people were being successfully waged around the US.

Princess Diana:  Born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham (Norfolk, England).  Married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981.  Princess Diana pulled out of being patroness or president of over 100 social institutions and charitable organizations.  She took her role as patron of the English National Ballet, the Leprosy Mission and the British AIDS Help seriously.  She was known for her humanitary and fund-raising work for international charities.  She received recognition for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.  From 1989, she was the president of Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, in addition to dozens of other charities.

“I remember I used to sit on hospital beds and hold people’s hands.  People used to be sort of shocked, but to me it was quite a normal thing to do.  These people need hope.  They also need encouragement.”

Mahatma Gandhi:  Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly known as ‘Mahatma’ (meaning ‘Great Soul’) in Porbandar, Gujarat, in NorthWest India on October 2, 1869.  Married (via arranged marriage) at the age of 13 to Kasturba Makhanji.  Began college at University of College London at age of 18 in September of 1888.  Determined to adhere to Hindu principles, which included vegetarianism as well as alcohol and sexual abstinence, he found London restrictive initially, but once he had found kindred spirits he flourished, and pursued the philosophical study of religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and others, having professed no particular interest in religion up until then.  Following admission to the English Bar, and his return to India, he found work difficult to come by and, in 1893, accepted a year’s contract to work for an Indian firm in Natal, South Africa.  Despite arriving on a year’s contract, Gandhi spent the next 21 years living in South Africa, and railed against the injustice of racial segregation.  Witnessing the racial bias experienced by his countrymen served as a catalyst for his later activism, and he attempted to fight segregation at all levels.  He founded a political movement, known as Natal Indian Congress, and developed his theoretical belief in non-violent civil protest into a tangible political stance, when he opposed the introduction of registration for all Indians, within South Africa, via non-cooperation with relevant civic authorities.

David Suzuki:  Co-Founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.  David Suzuki is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster.  Dr. Suzuki is a geneticist.  He graduated from Amherst College (Massachusetts) in 1958 with an Honours BA in Biology, followed by a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961.  In 1972, he was awarded the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship for the outstanding research scientist in Canada under the age of 35 and held it for three years.  He holds 25 honorary degrees in Canada, the U.S. and Australia.  He was elected to the Royal Society of Canada and is a Companion of the Order of Canada.  Dr. Suzuki has written 52 books, including 19 for children.  His 1976 text-book An Introduction to Genetic Analysis (with A.J.F. Griffiths), remains the most widely used genetics text-book in the U.S. and has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Greek, Indonesian, Arabic, French and German.  Dr. Suzuki is also recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology. He is the recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for Science, the United Nations Environment Program Medal, UNEPs Global 500 and in 2009 won the Right Livelihood Award that is considered the Alternative Nobel Prize.

Ingrid Newkirk:  Animal rights activist, author and Co-Founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 1980.  Born in Surrey, England.  Ingrid became an animal activist at the age of 21 after discovering that a neighbour abanded some kittens and decided to bring them to an animal shelter.  This life-changing experience let to her first job working in behalf of animals – cleaning kennels and investigating cruelty cases.  Ingrid served as deputy sheriff, a Maryland state law enforcement officer with the highest success rate in convicting animal abusers, the director of cruelty investigations for the second-oldest humane society in the U.S., and the chief of animal disease control for the Commission on Public Health in Washington, D.C.  Under Ingrid’s leadership, legislation was passed to create the first-ever spray-and-neuter clinic in Washington, D.C.  She coordinated the first arrest in U.S. history of a laboratory animal experiment on cruelty charges and helped achieve the first ever anti-cruelty law in Taiwan.  She spearheaded the closure of a Department of Defense underground “wound laboratory”, and she has initiated many other campaigns against animal abuse, including ending General Motors’ car-crash tests on animals.

Let the stories and actions of all the people mentioned above, inspire and motivate you to create positive change into our world and universe. 

Resources:

www.nobelprize.org

www.peta.org

www.gorillafund.org

www.royal.gov.uk

www.harriettubmanbiography.com

www.milkfoundation.org

www.princess-diana.com

www.davidsuzuki.org

www.ingridnewkirk.com

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

 

THE BEST SPEECH EVER!!!!

Throughout history – leaders, activists, politicians, celebrities, CEO’s, and ordinary people have given some very motivating and inspirational speeches, people like; Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Louise L. Hay, John F. Kennedy, Harvey Milk, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Barack Obama – I could go on.  No other speech has touched my heart and stirred so much emotion in me than the one I am about to share.  This speech comes from the movie ‘The Great Dictator’ starring Charlie Chaplin.  I always thought that Charlie Chaplin was a silent film actor and was never aware that he actually had a speaking role.  I am glad I came across this and that I am able to share it with you.   Let you imagination go as you listen to his words – visualize and think about what he is saying.  His words are profound and have never meant as much as they do today.  I hope this inspires you to act with compassion, without judgement, and only with love.  I also hope that this creates an awareness in you to act for the greater good of humanity so that we can all live in peace and with kindness towards one another.  The REVOLUTION of LOVE has begun and we will win!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RYlAPjyNm8

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

Original painting by Robert Pavao (please contact me if you are interested in a copy).

WE NEED POSITIVE CHANGE NOW!

How well do you respond to social, political, environmental, and personal change?  We all respond to personal change in a different way – some people can just move forward without any further thought about the change that happened while others, tend to see this change as something to fear.  If we look at social, political, environmental and life change with love and as a learning experience, you will never have to fear it. 

I believe that so many people – past and present – felt so strongly about creating positive change into the world that all they could do is act on making that change happen through their passion and their desire to do good.  People like; John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, The Freedom Riders, Princess Diana, John Lennon, etc…because of their passion to invoke positive change – many of these people created movements that changed the world forever.  This momentum has to continue.

Here are some great quotes about change from people listed above and some other great individuals:

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.  It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.  Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow.  Let reality be reality.  Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu

“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” – Rick Warren

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” – Eckhart Tolle

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.” – Madonna

“All that you touch You Change.  All that you Change Changes you.  The only lasting truth is Change.  God is Change.” – Octavia E. Butler

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways:  the point, however, is to change it.” – Karl Marx

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.  I’m not sure who the first person was who said that.  Probably Shakespeare.  Or maybe Sting.  But at the moment, it’s the sentence that best explains my tragic flaw, my inability to change.  I don’t think I’m alone in this.  The more I get to know other people, the more I realize it’s kind of everyone’s flaw.  Staying exactly the same for as long as possible, standing perfectly still…It feels safer somehow.  And if you are suffering, at least the pain is familiar.  Because if you took the leap of faith, went outside the box, did something unexpected…Who knows what other pain might be out there, waiting for you.  Chances are it could be even worse.  So you maintain the status quo.  Choose the road already traveled and it doesn’t seem that bad.  Not as far as flaws go.  You’re not a drug addict. You’re not killing anyone…Except maybe yourself a little.  When we finally do change, I don’t think it happens like an earthquake or an explosion, where all of a sudden we’re like this different person.  I think it’s smaller than that.  The kind of thing most people wouldn’t even notice unless they looked at us really close.  Which, thank God, they never do.  But you notice it.  Inside you that change feels like a world of difference.  And you hope this is it.  This is the person you get to be forever…that you’ll never have to change again.” – Laura J. Burns

“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change.  Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.” – William S. Burroughs

“People can cry much easier than they can change.” – James Baldwin

“A little rebellion is a good thing.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes.  If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed.  Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.”  – Rumi

“One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change.  Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions.  Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“To change one’s life:  1.  Start immediately.  2.  Do it flamboyantly.  3.  No exceptions.” – William James

All of these quotes, surrounding change, are profound and inspiring.  These inspiring people lived by their words – they live (or lived) their lives based on the change they experienced and the world today is a product of how they created that change.  Change can’t happen if we sit still and do nothing.  If you are not happy with certain aspects of your life – work towards changing what you need to change to be more fulfilled.  If you are unhappy about government policies – don’t wait until someone else is unhappy about those policies – get together with like-minded people and demand the positive change you want to see. 

We are at a very crucial point in our existence – we must act on what Mahatma Gandhi insisted – “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.  Be the change you wish to see in the world – think about that.  Meditate on that quote – live that quote and you will a conduit for the change you wish to see in the world.  It’s a great place to start.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

GET UP STAND UP – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

There are so many people who want to be conduits for positive change in the world – some are still with us and some have been long gone, people like:  Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Ingrid Newkirk, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy, Bill McKibben….I could name thousands that have been extensively profiled in the media but the people who are most important in creating positive change in the world are those that act.

Change can’t happen if people do not get involved.  The worldwide Occupy movements have caused a new protest movement against BIG CORPORATION and Government that we haven’t seen since the 60’s.  These Occupy movements possibly sparked mass protests worldwide such as the uprising against President Mubarak in Egypt, the protests against Monsanto, the mass demonstrations against the KXL Pipeline and so on.

If we are to live in a society where we hold freedom, democracy and justice for all – we must RISE UP against those who wish to take those privileges away from us and that means holding BIG CORPORATIONS, Governments and dictators accountable for their actions.  We have seen peaceful protests around the world become violent not because of the protesters but because of the police that are acting on behalf of the government.  There have been media blackouts so that others around the world don’t see the mass protests against their countries governments.  Countries around the world are being held hostage by their own governments and corporations all because of greed.  Why are we allowing these governments and corporations to destroy our world?  Why are we allowing countries to go hungry?  Why are we allowing banks to ‘pay off’ government officials and putting the world in a massive financial crisis only to watch our governments reward them?

It’s time to get up and stand up and we must not give up the fight…..(thanks Peter Tosh and Bob Marley for making it so simple).  When are you going to “get up and stand up” – What is it going to take for you to create positive change in our world?

TURKEY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

DEMONSTRATORS FOR THE EARTH – against the Keystone Pipeline, Drilling in the Arctic, Deforestation in world forests, etc…. – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

THOSE FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALITY – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

AGAINST CORRUPT RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS/GOVERNMENTS/BIG CORPORATION – DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Preacher man, don’t tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don’t know
What life is really worth.
It’s not all that glitters is gold;
‘Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great god will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! )
Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Don’t give up the fight! (life is your right! )
Get up, stand up! (so we can’t give up the fight! )
Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! )
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! )
Don’t give up the fight! (yeah! )

We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game –
Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty god is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can’t fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! )

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! )
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! )
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! (don’t give it up, don’t give it up! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Don’t give up the fight! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (… )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don’t give up the fight! /fadeout/

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A MORE POSITIVE ONE!

LET YOUR PASSION and COMPASSION CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE WORLD

My full-time job satisfies me to a certain degree – with it, I can live, buy food, clothing and have shelter.  It also allows me to work on what I am most passionate about and that is to advocate for the LGBT (lesbian/gay/bi/transgender) communities, the ethical treatment of animals and our environment.  Through my blog, I am able to share my passion with you and to shed light on these social issues.  I hope that people view my posts and are inspired to act and become part of the Coalition of Positive Energy whether that is by making better choices daily for our environment, making better choices in food consumption to ensure the ethical treatment of animals or by simply understanding that because someone is born gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered doesn’t make them any less of a human been than they are.

There have been many historical moments where humanity has shown its very dark and cruel side – slavery, genocide, environmental catastrophe’s, greed, violence in the name of religion etc….many think that these issues were too complicated to do anything about, they are wrong.  Think about the civil rights movement – why did it take so long for society to understand that killing someone for the colour of their skin was completely wrong or that it was alright for black people to sit at the back of the bus?  For me, standing up against hate, ignorance and intolerance is courageous – we should be all grateful for those that inspired change for equality and freedom such as Claudette Colvin, Rosa Parks, Representative John Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr.,  Malcolm X and countless others that fought for civil rights.

World War II saw the genocide of 6 millions jews – had the world not stood up to the tyranny of Adolph Hitler, what would the world look like today.  When we decide not to act for the greater good in our world – things like genocide, slavery, greed, violence, tyranny, dictatorship and violence will continue.

We all have a moral obligation to ensure that we live in a world and in a society that comes from love, compassion and without judgement.  Allow your heart to speak for your and for what is right and for what creates positive change in our world.  We know that governments shouldn’t be taking people’s rights and freedom’s away, we know that dictatorship is wrong, we know that oil spills cause environmental catastrophe’s, we know organized religion (like governments) are in place to keep people from free thought – what ‘they’ don’t want us to know is that we can do something about it.

What is your passion and what positive change will you create in the world from your compassion?

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

DID YOU KNOW…..

Many of us don’t know or want to understand the consequences of our actions in relation to the environment, recycling, energy consumption, composting, waste, etc.  Here are some great statistics on various environmental issues:

1. Approximately 20 million people across the United States celebrated the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970. Today, more than 1 billion people around the world take part in the event.
2. In 1995 over 200 of the world landfills were full.
3. Each person throws away approximately 4 pounds of garbage per day.
4. Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each year ends up in the ocean.
5. The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a traditional light bulb for four hours
6. In, 1931, Albert Einstein, collected a Nobel Prize for his work in solar and photovoltaic experimentation.
7. Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution.
8. 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year
9. 84% of all household waste can be recycled
10. More than 1/3 of all energy is used by people at home
11. Most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastic every year
12. Everyday in the United States, we produce enough trash to equal the weight of the Empire State Building
13. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a swirling vortex of waste and debris in the Pacific Ocean.  This area is twice the size of the continental US and is believed to hold almost 100 million tons of garbage.
14. The human population has grown more in the last 50 years than it did in the previous 4 million years
15. John Herschel, a British astronomer, converted solar power by using a solar collector box to cook food while on an African expedition, in 1830.
16. In some elementary schools, after Halloween and Christmas, Earth Day is the third largest celebrated holiday
17. One in four mammals is at risk of extinction – 78% of marine mammals are threatened by accidental deaths such as getting caught in fishing nets intended for other species.
18. At least 50 million acres of rainforest are lost every year, totaling an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined.
19. Average temperatures will increase by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21^st century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at the current pace.
20. If the entire world lived like the average American, we’d need 5 planets to provide enough resources.
21. A world record was set in 1990 when a solar-powered aircraft flew 4060km across the USA, using no fuel.
22. In one hour more sunlight falls on the earth than what is used by the entire population in one year.
23. April 22 is the first official day of Spring in the Northern hemisphere and of Fall in the Southern hemisphere and was chosen to be Earth Day for this reason
24. More than 20,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.
25. Only 11% of the earth’s surface is used to grow food.
26. If every newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.
27. A highlight of the annual Earth Day ceremony at the United Nations is the ringing of the Peace Bell that was given to the UN by Japan. It is made from coins given by school children to further peace on our planet.
28. By using renewable energy sources to provide your daily energy needs we can decease CO2 emissions with 20,000 pounds less of carbon dioxide each year, including 50 pounds of nitrogen oxide less, and 70 pounds of  less sulfur dioxide omitted into our atmosphere.
29. Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months.
30. The U.S. is 5% of the world’s population but uses 25% of its natural resources.  We use one million gallons of oil every two minutes.
31. More than 100 million Americans live in urban areas where the air is officially classified by the EPA as unsafe to breathe.
32. The US has less than 4% of its forests left.
33. 40% of our waterways are undrinkable.
34. 200,000 people a day are moving to cities from environments that no longer support them.
35. According to the National Academy of Sciences, on average there are 27 oil spills every day somewhere in the waters of the worlds
36. Residential lawns and gardens are doused with 80 million pounds of chemical pesticides and 70 million tons of fertilizers annually.
37. It would cost about $13 billion annually to satisfy the world’s basic sanitation and food requirements. That’s roughly equivalent to what Americans and Europeans spend on perfume and cologne every year.
38. Each year Americans alone throw away 18 billion disposable diapers.  In perspective, this is enough to extend from the earth to the moon and back 7 times.
39. Ford Motor Company indicates that 75% of every vehicle is recyclable.
40. In 1 year, the earth will travel 1.6 million miles in its annual journey around the Sun, the 4.6-billionth such round-trip. It will rotate about its axis exactly once.

Thanks to http://www.solarworld.com in sharing this information.

Sources:  WebEcoist, PlanetPals, History.com, Yumsugar.com, Stumblerz.com, Daily Green, Gree.Autoblog.com

Can one person make a difference in anything we do in the world.  Many have argued that this is impossible.  If one person wasn’t able to speak up for our environment, for animals, for the hungry, for compassion, for peace, for love, for equal rights and for love – we wouldn’t have all those individuals like Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Princess Diana, David Suzuki, Albert Einstein, and so many countless others fighting to create positive change in our world.

What changes are you making right now to create positive change in the world!

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

WHAT IF…..

What if you knew you had one month to live?  How would you live it?

It is important to live each day without judgement and to live with compassion, love, kindness and respect.  Enjoy each moment as if it was your last.  Brighten someone’s day with your smile, kind words, good karma, and positive energy because we really do not know what may happen tomorrow.  If you live each moment with good intentions, imagine how amazing life would be for your for all the people you connect with.  How are you living today?

For all those skeptics…..

What if climate change/global warming is happening?

There has been so many scientific reports indicating that are planet is warming up.

Global warming is the increase of the average temperature in the atmosphere and oceans over time due primarily to human influences. Since the late 19th century, scientists have monitored the fluctuations in temperature and studied global warming theories and trends to determine the causes and to assess the extent to which they are due to human activity. The greenhouse effect is largely caused by human-generated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and, to some extent, by increases in solar activity, etc. The term “global warming” is used to imply a human influence while “climate change” is most often used in association with changes in climate with no easily identifiable cause, such as the processes that produced the Ice Ages. http://marinebio.org/oceans/conservation/global-warming.asp

What if everyone had to witness the horrors animals go through in the name of fashion, sport, and how they eventually become food on your plate?

Would people be more compassionate about animals and what they go through?  I came to believe that if I indicated that I loved animals – why would I engage in eating them?  Many people say they love animals and are pet owners – how can people make the distinction of loving their pets (whom are animals) yet eat others like; cow, pig, chicken, fish, lamb, duck etc? In my opinion you can’t be an animal lover if you eat them – that seems hypocritical.

What if you were born as someone you have made judgements of/against?

Think about all those individuals who have protested and committed acts of violence against black people during the civil rights movement or the people who protest against gays and lesbians having the same civil liberties as they do.  How about all those bullies that were directly responsible in making the decisions of teens/children and even adults to commit suicide easier because of their sexual orientation.  How about all those men who are chauvinistic and misogynistic.  Imagine if all these people had to live the lives of those they have tormented, would it make a difference?  If we all took a moment and walked in someone else’s shoes, would there not be more love, understanding, compassion and respect for one another?

What If?…………………

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!