Living In My Own World

If You Think Vegetarians are Fanatic, Watch This

Ever since I decided to go vegetarian, I find myself constantly defending my decision to others. The most ridiculous accusation I have gotten are comments like “Just dont become fanatic about it”.

As I mentioned in one of my posts on DareToWish.com, the award-winning documentary “Earthlings” was the inspiration behind my “If Slaughterhouses had Walls” t-shirt.

The following video is a must-see for those people out there who think that the vegetarians among us are the “fanatics”..

Tel Aviv Turns Off the Lights for Earth Hour 2008

For the first time in history, Tel-Aviv will be representing Israel in the global Earth Hour 2008 and turning off the lights for one hour of energy-free bliss.

Unfortunately, as we have yet to hear about separation of church and state, let alone separation of church and globe, due to the Jewish Sabbath, Tel Aviv will kicking off the project one day earlier than the rest of the world: tomorrow, Thursday March 27, between 8pm to 9pm.

(Note to self: focus on the positive side…)

So yes, Israel is taking action, action long overdue, but action nonetheless.

Bottom line is, I dont care who you are, where you will be, what important things you’ll need to be doing.. tomorrow night please, please, please do us all a favor and:

TURN OFF THE GODDAMN LIGHTS!!!!

Thank you.

How to Live Greener Without Really Trying

Not all of us can throw our bodies in front of tractors that are about to cut down trees or walk around naked in a protest against fur… And you know what? That’s okay! Not all of us have to!

But its pretty naive to assume that if you cant join in on the bigger causes then any other effort is worthless. Ironically enough, getting more people to make smaller changes in their lifestyle can ultimately have a much bigger impact on the planet than joining in on the current minority of “tree hugging fanatics” as I have heard them been called.

Having said that, I am currently working on a new blog called Green Your Day which I hope will focus exactly on this: on the small, seemingly insignificant things we can all start doing TODAY for greener living.

Think of it as “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Greener Living”. Ideal for all those out there who think: “Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

So anyway, check it out as I get this blog rolling and even more importantly: If you have any easy and/or fun environmental tips which you think might be a match for the site, please send them to me at livinginmyownworld@gmail.com and I promise you will get the credit you deserve.

Once again, thanks for helping me change the world one post at a time…

The Most Important Movie You Will Ever See

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

Please, please, please put aside 20 minutes to watch this movie:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Thank you.

Random Blog Post Causes Stir in Israeli Media

The other day I posted an article about the animal cruelty that took place on the premiere episode of “Survivor: Israel”.

The next day I was shocked and appalled that nowhere in the news headlines did anyone mention the abuse that took place on the show. Even animal rights groups seemed to have let it pass by quietly.

So in an effort to let out my frustration (and not necessarily receive a reply), I contacted Ynet, a major news website in Israel, with a link to my post. The letter read the following:

Hi,

I was wondering why this issue was completely ignored in the Israeli media:

(link to my original post)

Maybe you have some answers…

Thanks,

Shira

Within minutes I was contacted by a reporter from Ynet who asked to interview me about the issue and said that she would contact animal rights groups and Channel 10 (the channel that aired the show) for an official reaction.

Next thing I knew, this article was published on the homepage of Ynet, stating that the animal rights group “Anonymous” was filing a police complaint against Channel 10 and the article even linked to my original post!

Their article drew in over 150 comments, finally raising awareness to the mistreatment that had taken place on the show.

While some comments were negative as expected, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people felt exactly the way I did about the issue and had supported the cause.

***

My point is that sometimes we feel that we are only one person, and “how much of a difference can one person make…”

The answer, as I have just learned from my own personal experience, is that the change really does begin in each and every one of us, and that the least any of us can do… IS TRY.

Israeli Version of “Survivor” Premieres with Animal Cruelty

As I am writing this, the first episode of the Israeli version of the hit TV series “Survivor” is being aired on Israeli television (channel 10).

Having bought the rights to the show, it is so far a fair imitation of the original series, this one shot on the Caribbean Islands.

So far, survivors were split into groups and challenged to jump off a boat in the middle of ocean and get the game started.

What they were asked to do was swim to rafts filled with tools necessary for survival, grab as many as they can and swim back to their new individual boats.

So far so good.

What I didn’t see coming, however, was a couple of cages with live chickens amongst the items on the raft.

The participants of each group swam to and jumped on the cages trying to get a hold of them first, causing the chickens in the cage to panic. That was already a huge shock to me (because anyone who knows me knows how sensitive I am to animals) but if that wasn’t enough, the struggle over the cages caused them to open, the chickens fell into the water hysterically trying to swim and the contestants continued to fight over who gets the chickens!

The whole thing was just 30 seconds of chaos: people yelling, chickens panicking, feathers flying, water splashing…

At that point, I just burst into tears and ran out of the room leaving my husband in shock.

He knew how long I had been waiting to see the Israeli version, with all the promos and publicity the show has been having - but I couldnt help it! I just started crying in disbelief.

How is it possible, as we head towards the year 2008, that today’s society and media STILL allows this kind of mistreatment of animals!

And for what???? For rating????

I’m not proud of my reaction. I wish I could go on watching the show as if nothing happened (just like millions of Israelis are probably doing right now). I wish I didn’t take everything so hard and get so emotionally involved when I witness these kinds of injustices…

But I do. It’s just who I am. I have always been this way and I guess I always will be.

And so I continue in my personal (and sometimes emotionally exhausting) pursuit of a better world.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

UPDATE: I just saw a promo for next week’s episode where survivors argue over whether to kill the chickens. Apparently the show is called “Survivor” based on whether or not the animals on the island make it out alive…

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: This post gets on Ynet and makes a difference?Click here to read all about it.

What’s the Worst That Could Happen: A Global Warming Decision

Global warming: Panicked activists think it’s the worse think to ever happen to humanity… hardening skeptics claim its a hoax… and everyone inbetween simply thinks to themselves: “What’s the worst that could happen?”

But then along comes a 38-year-old science teacher and father of two, and asks 2.5 million YouTube viewers the folllowing question:

What if I told you I think I’ve found an argument that makes that whole bitter question of whether it’s really happening or not, moot? An argument where we don’t need to know whether it’s true or not in order to still decide what to do or not do. An argument that leads to a conclusion that even the most hardened skeptic and the most panicked activist both can agree on?

So what’s the worst that could happen? Well, that depends on which column you choose… (check out this video below)

What the World Would be Like if More People Walked Barefoot

Today my husband and I were walking home from a concert and my feet were really hurting from my shoes. Next thing I knew I was walking down the streets of Tel Aviv barefoot.

All I can say is: What a relief! I couldn’t believe how good and natural it felt. I honestly felt like I was connecting with the Earth, like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. What was even more astonishing was that every person who walked by didn’t seem to give it a second glance. It seemed so natural, both to me and to the people who noticed, that it made me wonder: Why don’t more people walk around barefoot? And what would the world be like if we did? More »

Together, WE ADD UP

The climate crisis is real and it’s happening right now. Yet, it’s so easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed. People keep asking, “What difference will changing my light bulbs really make? The problem is so huge, and I’m just one person.” I always try to explain to whoever is willing to listen how every little bit counts and I also try to find and promote other websites and/or organizations that can help to get the message across.

That is why I am so glad a stumbled upon a new website called WE ADD UP.

WE ADD UP is a new global campaign that uses organic cotton t-shirts that literally “count you in” the fight against global warming. It was created by mother-daughter team Judy Pezdir and Jill Palermo who represent the type of people who are crazy enough to get a vision and follow it through.

According to their website:

Our goal is to get millions of people around the world counted in and committed to helping stop global warming. With our combined effort, we can create a healthy, thriving world for generations to come. So, get counted in. Because you + everyone else = change.

The interesting approach they take is that every shirt is printed by hand with a unique number. YOUR number represents your place in the sequential global count of all the people who are taking steps to help stop climate change - a perfect opportunity to show the people around us that we don’t really have to do it alone… That we’re all in this together!

As the count grows, they demonstrate to the world how “WE ADD UP.” On the back of each shirt is a word or phrase that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint on this planet, such as Unplug, Lights Off, Carpool, Shower Together, Hybrid, Bike, Buy Local, Recycle, Demand Change and 16 others. You choose which action you are committed to doing and then instantly get counted in with your own unique number! I think it’s a very creative (and hopefully, very effective) idea.

I also love their motto:

“No one can do everything. Everyone can do something.”

And in the end, WE ADD UP.

One Less Plastic Bag

A recent post on One Jerusalem discusses a new environmental program being inaugurated in Israel in order to persuade people to use less polymer plastic material:

The program, mentioned briefly on T.V. Channel 10, is asking consumers to “use one less plastic bag” when sacking up their groceries during their weekly supermarket shopping forays. Most shoppers use an average of 20-25 polymer plastic shopping bags each week; and though lighter in weight than paper bags, as well as slightly less polluting, these bags are not wholly biodegradable and wind up being buried by the millions in sanitary landfills and garbage dumps.

and then continues… 

To give you an idea of what can be achieved by using less plastic grocery bags, it is estimated that if citizens in a city the size of New York City use one less plastic grocery bag per year, the savings will be 109 less tons of disposable garbage and $11,000 less in disposal costs. Now multiply that by one less bag on each weekly shopping trip!

I don’t know, I still think my solution is better:

50 Things You and I Can Do Today to Save Our Planet

Thanks so much to Celsias for bringing this list to my attention.  (Adapted from the original list found at GlobalWarmingFacts.info)

Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don’t need to wait for governments to solve this problem. Each one of us can make a significant contribution by adopting a more responsible lifestyle - starting with little, everyday things. In fact, how you live and ‘consume’ will greatly shape our economies, and apply upward pressure on our leaders.

Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of them are at no cost, some other require a little investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
   CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
2. Install a programmable thermostat
   Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. If you don’t have central heating - get a cheap timer plug(s) for your heating appliance(s). During hot summer days, close your curtains to keep the house cooler. In winter, dress well rather than turn the heat up!
3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
   Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.
4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
   Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
   Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models available.
6. Don’t leave appliances on standby - Unplug them!
   Appliances left plugged in are like a vampire on our grid. A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode. Switch your TV and other appliances off completely - don’t use standby modes. Also, even appliances that are switched off can draw power from the grid (called ‘phantom load‘). Unplugging your appliances completely eliminates this waste (using multiboards enables you to unplug several appliances in one hit).
7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
   You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
8. Move your fridge and freezer
   Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers. Lighten the load - keep them in a cool place.
9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
   Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
10. Don’t let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full, or, not at all!
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures. Ideally, don’t use dishwashers or dryers at all! Dishwashers use an excessive amount of water and energy, and rob the family of one of the rare moments in modern life when they can work and talk together.
15. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    Instead of using a dryer, that shortens the life of your clothing, line dry your clothes - or if weather and/or circumstances don’t allow, use a clotheshorse to dry indoors.You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

More »

Recycling Plastic: Its Not Just About Water Bottles

About a decade too late, Israeli’s are finally starting to understand the importance of recycling. This is most obviously seen by the recycling bins that have been popping up in the streets of Tel-Aviv (where I live.)

Unfortunately, most of these bins seem to be filled with mostly water bottles, so I wanted to point out a few other things that (believe it or not) ARE made of plastic and SHOULD be recycled as well:

• plastic cups AND straws (usually sold at coffee shops: ice coffee, milk shakes, fruit shakes, juices, etc…)

• plastic boxes, forks, knives, spoons (especially from take-out and food ordered in at the office or at home)

• plastic lids (usually found on top of paper coffee cups)

• plastic beauty products (shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, hair products, body lotions, nail polish remover, deodorant, etc…)

• plastic cleaning products (laundry detergent, almost ALL cleaning materials, liquids and sprays)

• plastic food packaging (almost ALL cheeses, yogurts, ketchup, mayo, puddings, syrups, etc…)

• plastic trays INSIDE food packaging (for example, the plastic trays inside cookie boxes or frozen foods, etc…)

Of course, there are many more places we can find plastic right under our noses. If you can think of any, please comment and add them below. Oh, and recycle, recycle. recycle! Thanks!

Remember: Every great thing that has ever happened to humanity has begun by a single thought in one man’s mind…

The Secret Life of Plants - A Hidden Stevie Wonder Treasure

I recently cam across a beautiful song written and performed by the legend Stevie Wonder called “The Secret Life of Plants.” It is taken from the soundrack to the 1979 movie “Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants“, which was based on the famous 1973 book.

As Wikipedia describes:

Published in 1973, The Secret Life of Plantswas written by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. It is described as “A fascinating account of the physical, emotional, and spiritual relations between plants and man.”

Essentially, the subject of the book is the idea that plants may be sentient, despite their lack of a nervous system. This sentience is observed primarily through changes in the plant’s conductivity, as through a polygraph, as pioneered by Cleve Backster. The book also contains a summary of Goethe’s theory of plant metamorphosis.

With that being said, this book is about much more than just plants, and delves quite deeply into such topics as the aura, psychophysics, orgone, radionics, kirlian photography, magnetism / magnetotropism, bioelectrics, dowsing, and the history of science.

It was the basis for the 1979 documentary of the same name featuring the Stevie Wonder soundtrack Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. The film made heavy use of time-lapse photography (where you can see plants grow in a few seconds, creepers reaching out to other plants and tugging on them, mushrooms and flowers popping open, etc.), certainly in order to portray them as animate beings. When the film was released, such images were novelty to the general public.

Though I have yet to get my hands on the movie, I did come across what is supposedly the end of the movie where Stevie Wonder performs this song. Though the quality of the clip is pretty low, the music, as all of his songs, is simply beautiful.

The Secret Life of Plants - Lyrics:

I can’t conceive the nucleus of all
Begins inside a tiny seed
And what we think as insignificant
Provides the purest air we breathe

But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants

A species smaller than the eye can see
Or larger than most living things
And yet we take from it without consent
Our shelter, food, habilment

But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants

But far too many give them in return
A stomp, cut, drown, or burn
As is they’re nothing
But if you ask yourself where would you be
Without them you will find you would not

And some believe antennas are their leaves
That spans beyond our galaxy
They’ve been, they are and probably will be
Who are the mediocrity

But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants

The Weather Outside

May 10, 2007: Winds are raging throughout the streets of Tel-Aviv. Occasional sprinkles of rain tap against my shutters. Doors in the house slam. News teams from around the world report “extreme weather conditions”. One Jerusalem blogger talks of a yellow sky.

Planet Earth is going mad and yet most people don’t seem to notice.