Think Global, Act Local

Today's skinny is on how to think global and act local. To be an American is to be a Consumer. Sad to say, but this is pretty much what defines us. Our measurement at large is not how many people's lives we have made better today, but it is our GDP. So that being said we have to realize that every concumer purchase is a statement and an action. What we buy makes an impact on economies and environments world wide. So when we buy something we have a choice, we can choose to buy merely out of convenience or we can choose to buy products from vendors who adhere to standards. I don't really want to get into to much detail on how hard corporate america makes it to find out where are products really come from and under what conditions they are made (that's for a later post), but I did find an interesting article that can help us become a more aware consumer.

Ecospace.cc Article
"When was the last time you checked the tag of your t-shirt to look for more than just a size or price? Do you know what your clothes are made of or who made them? The answers to these questions may surprise you, as inputs of clothing production have significant effects on the physical and social environment."
Now for another easy act of goodness that makes a global impact. I must make sure that everyone that uses Hotmail and MSN IM is aware of Microsoft's "i'm Making a Difference" options in thier mail and IM interface. Proceed to the below link to find out how in 5 minutes your emails and IMs can make small donations to worth while organizations."

MSN i'm MAKING A Difference
"Every time you use Windows Live™ Messenger or Windows Live Hotmail®, our free webmail service, Microsoft shares a portion of its advertising revenue with an organization of your choice from a list of some of the world's most effective social cause organizations."

Now for the Act Local part. I stopped by a local organizations Board Meeting with out any intention to make a large commitment, but just to see what was going on every first tuesday of the month. Low and behold I discovered that I have many skill sets that they could use. Sugar Creek is a small tributary of great recreational importance for the local and statewide community. Also to my delight I discovered that they cooperate with other county non-profits to make a significant impact on the preservation of local habitats and species that are in danger and need to be preserved.

FSC Website
"The Friends of Sugar Creek are celebrating thier 20th year!"
"The Story of Sugar Creek began over 18,000 years ago. For centuries Native Americans depended on the clear waters of the "ahsenaamisi siipiiwi" for survival. Our forefathers relied on it for food, transportation, commerce and recreation. Many species of fish, birds and wildlife still populate the creek and its adjacent lands. Now the river faces growing ecological threats from teh industrial and agricultural institutions it helped to create."

So I urge you to find a recreation you enjoy, search for an organization in your community and stop in and see what they do. If nothing else I am sure that have ideas that could be useful or just be able to lend a helping hand once in a while.