Day 5 of 31 - Remember the Rainforest

Remember the Rainforest while making your purchases -

It only takes a minute to help save the world’s rainforests. Watch this video for tips from The Rainforest Alliance.

Alicia Beats the Heat

Whew! What a week we had huh? I am not one for the heat. I get grouchy, blotchy and tired. In other words, I am no fun to be around. AT ALL. In fact, I don't have much patience for the cold weather either. I have about a 20 degree span of comfortability. Anywhere from about 55 - 75 degrees is my ideal. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but once we hit the triple digits? There will be a reckoning!

With heat reaching 105 degrees in New York and a heat index of 115 degrees, last week I gotta say, my first reaction was annoyance! I know it's summer and therefore Mother Nature has license to make it as hot as she likes wherever she sees fit on this continent of ours. I, however, disagree with the adamant and persistent attack that she enforced on us. I mean, we deal with the snow and the shoveling, we shouldn't have to deal with this kind of heat.

And then...as I went to restaurant after restaurant and their lights dimmed and their air conditioners failed cause of power outages, I got scared. Really scared. What was happening? This heat was not normal. Was this global warming? Eh Gads!

I am a subscriber of Green Energy and use a lot of recycled or green products in my home. I also recycle, reuse and reduce as much as possible, but on a recent vacation, I realized that's not the norm throughout this great country of ours. Even in 2011. And that makes me sad. We all gotta pitch in folks. We gotta help to fight these issues in our own homes first. If we want change to happen, it has to start with us.

If this past week freaked you out at all, or annoyed you in any way - consider watching these videos for some ideas on how to help stop global warming. Or please feel free to share ideas of your own.

All of these big changes start with us, we have to do something about it.
Take Action!

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Make Sting Proud - Adopt an Acre of Rainforest!

When I was growing up, campaigns to help protect the rainforest were everywhere. Every other report seemed to be about the depletion of the rainforest or our ozone layer, but these days, I don't hear as much about this anymore. Turns out though, the threats that faced the rainforest all those years ago are still there; we just don't talk about them as much. Except for Sting, who is the Bono of the rainforest.

Last year, we teamed up with The Rainforest Alliance on videos to help these precious ecosystems. They feature various kid-friendly programs on their site. They have online games that will educate you and your little one on how goods like bananas, chocolate and coffee get on your plate. You can also find coloring book pages and fact sheets that can help your mini-me's get passionate about protecting these resources.

I, however, opted to adopt an acre of rainforest as part of my challenge. Through Adopt-A-Rainforest, you can contribute funding to small conservation groups in tropical countries that work to stop rainforest destruction. Donations to the Adopt-A-Rainforest projects support the purchase and sustainable management of tropical forest lands. Pretty cool. I could choose to support a particular project in a country of interest, or ask the Rainforest Alliance to select one in need. I'm a little indecisive and felt bad singling one out, so I broke my donation up between the 9 options.

And next time you go to the supermarket to stock up on coffee, chocolate or fruit, be sure to purchase Rainforest Alliance Certified products. You can use your buying power to help enact change. There are a lot of options out there. And believe me, they're just as delicious.

Thanks!
Alicia

A Lenten Proposition - The Click Sites

A Lenten Quest - Day 2: Click it!


We here at What You Can Do are big fans of the GreaterGood Network's click sites. In terms of the one-minute movement, there really isn't a better way to make a profound difference in a short amount of time.


We have produced videos on all of the click sites: The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Animal Rescue Site, The Child Health Site, The Literacy Site, and The Rainforest Site. In addition to these click sites, they also feature apps for iphones that allow you to Touch to Give.


We're also planning on producing a video for The Veterans' Site, the GreaterGood's newest click site that helps get meals into the hands of homeless and hungry veterans.

Writing this blog took longer than logging on to any one of these sites and clicking. In fact, clicking one site takes about five seconds (depending on your internet connection), so over here, we're in the habit of clicking all seven sites - and we can do it in under 60 seconds!

Just think, in sixty seconds, you can "give the value of 1.1 cups of food to the hungry," "help another woman in need get a free mammogram," "give the value of 0.6 bowls of food to a rescued animal," "help a homeless and hungry veteran get a free meal," "provide a child with livesaving health care," "help give a child in need a book to read and treasure," and "help protect 11.4 square feet of rainforest habitat for widlife."


Just think, if you can do some much in one minute, why wouldn't you start every day by clicking? Make it a habit - set your web page to load to one of these sites and click today!


Thanks guys - Alicia

An Interview with Abby Ray, Communications Associate at The Rainforest Alliance

Here is Part 2 of our interview with Abby Ray, our contact at the Rainforest Alliance.

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What would happen if all of our rainforests disappeared?
With the release of all of that CO2 into the atmosphere from cutting all of those trees, we’d see a big impact on climate change. There would be major soil erosion, waterway contamination, increased instances of malaria and increased illness. We’d lose species that currently we don’t even know exist, and we’d lose all of those precious and unique creatures that only reside in rainforests.

What is the connection between conserving the rainforest and social and economic factors?
We see sustainability as having three equally important pillars: environmental, social and economic. For many poor communities living in areas of high biodiversity, the forest is worth more cut down than it is standing. They can sell the timber and grow agricultural products, or graze cattle. If forests are to have a higher value intact, they need to provide local communities with a sustainable livelihood, and that’s where the social and economic factors come into play. Without those components, we’ll continue to see rainforest destruction and illegal logging in “preserved areas,” despite our best intentions. If communities can receive Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)/Rainforest Alliance certification for their forests, they often have better market access and can learn to responsibly manage their land so that it retains wildlife and its precious ecosystems. We have also developed a climate initiative to work on helping communities receive payment for ecosystem services – or compensating landowners for the carbon that their forests store.

What can the average person do to help conserve the rainforest?
It is up to all of us to act responsibly. You can help protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by holding an Adopt-A-Rainforest fundraiser, becoming a member of the Rainforest Alliance and buying responsibly produced foods, wood and paper products. You can look for the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal in your local grocery stores. Take responsible vacations, and ask questions about the hotel’s social and environmental policies. We have all of these tips and more on our Green Living Tips page: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/support.cfm?id=tips.

Is there anything that you would like add?
You can watch great videos on our website for an easier way to understand what we do:The Rainforest Alliance. Also, follow us on
Twitter and Facebook .

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To find out more about the Rainforest or about the Rainforest Alliance, please visit - The Rainforest Alliance.

Certified Wood

Think there's nothing you can do to help Protect our Rainforests in 1 Minute?

Starring - Damion Fitz
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information Provided by: The Rainforest Alliance, www.rainforest-alliance.org,

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Abby Ray and everyone at The Rainforest Alliance, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

10 Things to Help the Rainforest

Think there's nothing you can do to help Protect our Rainforests in 1 Minute?

Starring - Maria Christina Perry
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information Provided by: The Rainforest Alliance, www.rainforest-alliance.org,

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Abby Ray and everyone at The Rainforest Alliance, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Adopt an Acre of Rainforest

Think there's nothing you can do to help Protect our Rainforests in 1 Minute?

Starring - Abby Lynn Mulay
Written by - Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information Provided by: The Rainforest Alliance, www.rainforest-alliance.org,

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Abby Ray and everyone at The Rainforest Alliance, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Click for the Rainforest

Think there's nothing you can do to help Protect our Rainforests in 1 Minute?

Starring - Alicia Arinella & Dennis Arinella
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information Provided by: The GreaterGood Network, and Dennis Arinella

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Rosemary Jones and everyone at the GreaterGood Network, www.therainforestsite.com

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Buy Rainforest Alliance Certified

Think there's nothing you can do to help Protect our Rainforests in 1 Minute?

Starring - Julie Tortorici
Written by -  Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Statistical Information Provided by: The Rainforest Alliance - www.rainforest-alliance.org

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Abby Ray and everyone at the Rainforest Alliance, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

An Interview with Abby Ray, Communications Associate at the Rainforest Alliance, part 1

When we asked our “What You Can Do “ fans which topics were of most concern to them, an overwhelming majority said protecting our rainforests. Thus we set off to complete a week of one minute ideas dedicated to halting the destruction of this precious resource. In the course of our research we were lucky enough to find The Rainforest Alliance whose help and expertise proved invaluable in our assembly of this week.

Here Abby Ray, our contact at The Rainforest Alliance, took the time to answer some questions for us . Please read on for Part 1 of our interview.

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Please tell us why rainforest conservation is important?
It’s important to conserve rainforests, in part, because they are often considered “the lungs of the planet,” absorbing much of the carbon dioxide that can contribute to climate change. Also, the rainforest is home to rich biodiversity, and some plants and animals only exist in the rainforest. There’s a reason why rainforests are called the “world’s largest pharmacies;” we have already developed medicines to fight cancer, diabetes and heart diseases from rainforest plants, and more cures could be found there. One-quarter of the Western medicines that we use today are derived from plants, yet less than one percent of these tropical trees and plants have been screened by scientists for pharmaceutical properties. Deforestation causes destruction of wildlife habitat and therefore loss of wildlife, the release of carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change, soil erosion, contaminated waterways and often poor health conditions for local communities.

Please tell us a little bit about the Rainforest Alliance.
The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit organization, works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. We work in sustainable agriculture, forestry, tourism and climate.

How much of the rainforest is lost ever year?
Nearly half of the Earth's original forest cover has already been lost, and each year an additional 32 million acres (13 million hectares) are destroyed (a land area the size of Nicaragua or the State of Louisiana).

Why is the rainforest being destroyed?
Around the world, people are clearing land to grow crops. While people need to grow food, in many countries, there are no laws to prevent people from entering a forest, cutting it down, burning the dry vegetation, and planting seeds. Because most of a rainforest's nutrients are found in its diverse flora, the soils that support so much biodiversity are actually quite thin and poor. The farmers can grow crops in the ashes of burned forests for a few years, but eventually, the nutrient-poor soils give out, and the colonists must move farther into the forest and start over. The abandoned lands are often used by ranchers to graze livestock. On average, six acres of pastureland in the tropics are needed to feed just one cow. People who need wood for fuel also cause deforestation. When timber companies cut down valuable hardwoods in a forest in an irresponsible way, the process usually destroys all surrounding vegetation and jeopardizes the wildlife that depended on that lost vegetation. Illegal logging is also a problem. Development projects like dams, new settlements, highways and large-scale mining and petroleum projects are also leading causes of deforestation. In the Amazon, in particular, forests are being cut down to grow soy beans and acai, graze cattle and build developments. Other tropical areas face similar threats but from different crops like palm oil, sugar cane or sun-grown coffee.

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To find out more about the Rainforest or about the Rainforest Alliance, please visit - The Rainforest Alliance.

Finding the Rainforest

Here’s what I think of when I think about the rainforest. Rain. Plants. Wet plants. Trees. Wet trees. Monkey. Birds. Loads of bugs. Sometimes I think about snakes as well – but I try to avoid that at all costs. Here are the things I don’t think about: coffee, chocolate (something I try to think about as often as possible), rubber, my kitchen cabinets and my parent’s fern plant. And yet... They are all related. Nobody needed to convince me that the rainforests are important. The fact that scientist believe it likely that there are some, as yet, undiscovered species living there was more than enough of a reason for me to think that maybe we shouldn’t destroy it. However, I hadn’t before realized that even if you don’t LIVE in a rainforest, you are basically living OFF of the rainforest. Then I thought... Geez... I need to recycle more than I do.

And that is to say the very least.

Thanks for watching this week’s focus on deforestation.

Diary of an American Shopper day 173

I know I've talked about it before, but I love this country. I love the different landscapes it offers. I'm always amazed that we have: oceans, deserts, rivers, streams, rainforest, glaciers, volcanoes, mountains, valleys, badlands, canyons, islands, capes, wetlands, basins, reefs, archipelagos, geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, plains, cities and towns. It is awesome in it's size and resources. As we celebrate, Earth Day, I want to share with you a few facts about this great land of ours.

Hawaii is the only state that features almost all of our landscape features in one location - it has oceans, mountains, valleys, deserts, volcanoes and rainforest. It's an amazing place, and the only state that is growing every year. As the Kilauea volcano continues to erupt on the big island, she continues to add land mass to the island. Therefore, making Hawaii our youngest state both in in adoption to the union, and in it's time on the earth. And this change is happening solely because of Mother Nature.

But what about the areas of our country that are changing because of Us?

At one point, the wetlands along the Gulf Coast, protected our shores from all sorts of natural disasters as well as housed wildlife and improved the overall water quality of the area. On the EPA's website, I learned that an acre of wetland can store 1-1.5 million gallons of floodwater. That up to one-half of North American bird species nest or feed in the wetlands, and Although wetlands keep only about 5% of the land surface in the lower 48 United States, they are home to 31 percent of our plant species. And despite these fact, the US loses about 60,000 acres of the wetlands each year. That gave me pause. The wetlands along the gulf coast are deteriorating. And I want to do something about it.

Glacier National Park in northern Montana is losing it's glacier's at a staggering rate. This year, it lost an additional two glaciers, and experts are predicting that the remaining 25 glaciers could be gone by the end of the decade. These glaciers are disappearing at such an alarming rate that Dan Fagre, an ecologist with The U.S. Geological Survey stated, "When we're measuring glacier margins, by the time we go home the glacier is already smaller than what we've measured." I find that terribly upsetting. Glacier Bay once homed 137 glaciers and now, we could live in a world where our children may never understand where this National Park got it's name. These glaciers feed the streams and therefore ecosystem of the region. Also, without the water flow, the chance of forest fires also increases.

But what can we do? In the spirit of What You Can Do, I pledge to make one simple change to help save these Wetlands and Glaciers. I vow that I will not purchase any new yarn (I'm an avid crocheter) or books for the next 6 months. I will use what I have, and donate the money I save to organizations that address these issues.

I mark day 173 a depressing but motivating challenge. Will you join me?