The Power of Youth

While many people agree and point out that children are our future, there is often a groan of disappointment in this statement. Young adults from the ages of 16-25 are often painted as lazy, unmotivated, good for nothing kids who would rather party then make a difference. That isn’t to say that some aren’t, I’m sure many are, but the past 12 months paint a very different picture.

In the past 12 months we’ve seen a huge rise in social awareness in youth as well as activism. From Occupy Wallstreet to fighting SOPA (Stop online Piracy Act) and the newest movement Kony 2012. Here we have hundreds of thousands of our youth fighting back against something they feel is wrong. Although we are giving it our best we are met with criticism at every turn.

As poor students gathered to “Occupy Wallstreet” their heavy duty commitment to the cause drew it’s fair share of scoffs.  “Get a job” was a common jeer. Another backlash to the movement was the idea that people who were fighting for more equality were just lazy and looking for handouts. Even when people opposed the method, there was almost no constructive criticism. Here you have youth, going out of their way to physically create change in the only way they know how.

Then with the movement against SOPA you had again thousands of youth following the news for developments, lobbying their governments, raising awareness, signing petitions met with more criticism. The same criticism that Kony 2012 is receiving and there is a new word for it: “Slacktivism” The idea behind slacktivism being lazy activism. Critics laugh at the naivety of the youth that changing their facebook photo or sharing a video will change anything.

What I’m getting at, is that it’s there, there is passion and drive within this new generation to create change. Unfortunately this passion is being met negativity. These kids are interested and they are trying their best, they just have no idea how to create change. And it’s everyones responsibility to educate yes, but continue to encourage this passion.

After watching the documentaries “Chemerical” and “Garbage” both directed by Andrew Nisker I was absolutely blown away. There is something wrong with this world, and it’s only going to get worse until we intervene. What I love about both documentaries was it gave the information “Okay, so this is what’s wrong…” and then the most important part “…and this is how you can change it.” That is what makes the Kony 2012 campaign so popular. We want to create change, so tell us how.

People don’t realize how incredibly easy it is to start at home with reducing our carbon footprint as well as protecting ourselves from harmful chemicals in our cleaners and cosmetics. Not only is it easy, it’s also economical. The amount of money saved by creating your own detergent is mind blowing. The problem is this world is being drowned in garbage and chemicals, and those documentaries as well as many other articles can show you how to stop it.

Here it is: the call to action. Watch those documentaries, do your research, and start the change with yourself. Youth, you asked how you can make a change, and this is it.

Now go ahead, get involved: Take Action

-Heather

Both Chemerical and Garbage can be purchased here:
http://takeactionfilms.com/store.html

More ways to make a difference:
http://www.chemicalnation.com/

Are the companies you support Green?

Photo Credit: Witthaya Phonsawat

I’ve spent the past few months looking into getting a new phone. Doing my research on the Fido website I was pleasantly surprised to find that Fido is working with and supporting “Ever Green” a charity that focuses on making big cities greener.

Some other ways that Fido contributes to a greener planet is by charging two dollars for paper invoices and then forwards that money to sustainability charities. They also encourage customers to hand in phones for other people to buy and use or suggest proper recycling methods.

Not only is my phone company supporting the cause for a greener earth but even my web host “Dreamhost” consider themselves green by creating a carbon neutral work environment. This is boasted from calculating electricity and paper use and cutting down. They even have the third party recognition to back them up. They have even provided a small banner put on your website to boast about your “green website”.

As impossible as it may seem to control your own waste and carbon footprint, it’s even more difficult to find and support big companies that are on your side. Most companies are more interested in making money then remaining eco-friendly, although this is changing.

Ever since global warming became a hot topic, so did ways of being eco friendly. Over the past years many businesses and even governments have successfully backed up the war on plastic bags. Although arguably companies do make a buck for their reusable bag and save some on providing less bags or charging, it does show an interest in a greener initiative.

Although finding and switching to greener companies may be hard, it isn’t impossible. If you take the time to research there are definitely eco friendly options for all of your services and products.

-Heather