The single biggest driver of global warming
Pollution from burning coal is the single biggest driver of global warming – threatening life, health and the environment worldwide.
It is National Eucalypt Day!
There is a day for absolutely anything you may think and yes, naming a national day for a cause is a frequently employed marketing strategy. Why? Because it can be a very effective to raise awareness – hopefully it will work for the National Eucalypt Day as well!
Ghost Gum a painting by Albert Namatjira
The National Eucalypt Day is an initiative of the Bjarne K Dahl Trust. It aims to raise awareness of the iconic gum tree and celebrate the important place they hold in the hearts and lives of Australians.
Eucalypts are the epitome of the Australian landscape:
Eucalypts, commonly known as gum trees, form an integral part of the Australian identity with the bush. From the children’s song Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree through to the distinctive smell of eucalypts to iconic paintings and photographs, eucalypts are an essential part of Australian culture, featuring in art, music and literature. Quoted from http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/eucalypts
Koala and Gum Tree
The gum tree is essential for the Australian landscape and for many animals – including the equally iconic Koala. We need to preserve eucalypts and there was a symposium about this very issue, read more here: http://www.eucalyptaustralia.org.au/conserving-eucalypts-symposium
The Australian Koala Foundation has released a tree planting list – of course, to be useful for Koalas, trees have to be planted in groups and need to be connected to other Koala habitat.
Let’s celebrate the Australian gum tree today and ensure they are here for future generations.
Further information:
Eucalypt Australia is a grant making Charitable Trust that focuses on eucalypts – a significant aspect of Australia’s natural environment and biodiversity. The Trust would like to inspire the public to appreciate eucalypts. It used to operated under the name of Bjarne K Dahl Trust as it was set up by his estate.
International Women’s Day 2017 – #beboldforchange #DayWithoutAWoman
Women Standing Up For Their Rights
This year, International Women’s Day is getting a bit more attention in the industrialised world, especially in the USA, due to a certain President whose name I don’t want to mention as he is getting enough attention already… it’s a bit like certain reality TV personalities whose name I don’t utter because I am hoping they’ll go away sooner rather than later…
It is estimated that up to 4.6 million women marched peacefully on the streets of America for their rights: rights gained over centuries and not to be taken for granted anywhere in the world.
Rights to enjoy in some countries and not others; rights constantly under threat and rights never to be taken for granted.
confessions of an earth hour sceptic II
According to best estimates by the organisers, Saturday 29 March 2014 the people of 152 nations and 7000 cities will turn off their lights for one hour to prove the world can unite to tackle climate change.
Neither Earth Hour nor any other clever social marketing initiative have made inroads into the rate of destruction of the environment thus far. Earth Hour has raised awareness, but so far, the awareness hasn’t translated into environmental benefits. Many people including reputable scientists believe that we have passed the point of no return and that it is now a question of damage control rather than the opportunity to maintain what we have or even to turn this ship around. Nobody likes bad news and people are clinging to hope. Earth Hour gives hope because it brings people together and signals good will.
This year, Earth Hour is trying to take the initiative further than in previous years adopting crowd funding and an extensive network of partner organisations to help turn this year’s Earth Hour from a ‘moment into a movement’. [Read more…]
Eat Less. Care More. Feel Good! How?
Go Meat Free for a Week! Why?
Can you believe that with an average consumption of 111.5kg per hear per annum Australia is ranked in the top three biggest meat-eating countries in the world per capita? I guess you can – Australians love their meat in all shapes and forms, be it on the BBQ, in a pie or on a Pizza! Nine out of 10 Australians don’t eat enough vegetables, yet when it comes to meat, Australians eat more than double the world average of 41.9kg per person.
This massive consumption of meat apparently compromises our health, and with global meat production predicted to double within six years in line with the growth of the middle classes, we know for a fact, it also raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability of the planet and animal welfare. [Read more…]
Happy International Women’s Day!
For the past 103 years, women worldwide come together on 8 March to celebrate their achievements and reflect on what remains to be done. This year is no different.
International Women’s Day is a good day to take stock of women’s affairs.
Did you realise that currently:
- women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half the world’s food, and yet earn only 10 % of the world’s income and own less than 1% of the world’s property?
- women make up 70% of the worlds 1.3 billion people who live in poverty?
- women over the age of 15 in the least developed countries are twice as likely to be illiterate than men.
The solution? Social investment in girls. [Read more…]
Business and Human Rights and Corruption – An Overview
This is an introduction to the core concepts of business and human rights and why we never get anywhere in the prevention of human rights abuses if corruption persists.
Human Rights and Business – the Issues
Globalisation
Human rights and globalisation are arguably two of the most influential features of international relations in the 21st century. Businesses are sources of well documented human rights abuses but also have the capacity, and particularly the resources, to promote human rights.
Business is at the heart of almost every effort to improve development and people’s living standards because it is the main source of economic activity. [Read more…]
World Kindness Day is here!
There are a million days for this and that – some go, some stay – the time is right for the World Kindness movement to catch our imagination and help us live up to our fullest kindness potential.
The World Kindness Day is very close to my heart and appeals to me for many reasons BUT first and foremost because my mother was born on 13 November and she also passed away on 13 November. It makes this day very special to me and I couldn’t think of a nicer association than World Kindness Day where many, many people in the world commit acts of kindness.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Random acts of kindness have long been on my wishlist for all sorts of occasions and are included on the alternative Christmas presents and here is a long list of kindness ideas produced by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in case you require inspiration.
- A kindness checklist divided into Kindness to yourself; Kindness to Others and Kindness to Earth. It is proposed that we all keep a a checklist of the monthly acts of kindness in the three categories as a way of raising our awareness about kindness .
- Cross species kindness between a blind dog called Bak and a goose named Button, a story so touching it might bring a tears to your eyes!
And last but not least, here are a few quotes and poetry about kindness by people from different spheres of life:
Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Mark Twain, ( 1835 – 1910) Author and Humorist
We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), Comedic Actor, Filmmaker, Writer
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. Henry James (1843-1916), Author
Life is mostly froth and bubble; Two things stand like stone: Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in our own. Adam Lindsay [Lionel Gordon] Gordon (1833-1870) Poet
Please take a moment to let me know your kindness ideas and let’s keep the kindness momentum going 🙂
Think before you eat and help save our environment!
Who cares about World Environment Day ? I do! And it seems that each year there are more and more people who care about positive environmental action. Here are a few facts followed by the low down of some of my favorite initiatives for World Environment Day 2013.
What is Environment Day about?
The motto for this year’s UN World Environment Day is THINK EAT SAVE – an anti-food and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint by making you more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you make.
We are all invited to raise awareness and take action and nothing is more pertinent and unifying than food – we all need to eat and drink to live each and every day.
a well stocked delicatessen in NYC
Why is food important to the environment?
Governments and Corporate Sustainability – a Rudderless Ship?
Sustainability ‘Made in Germany’ – Way to Go!
Following the global financial crisis there was a widespread desire to emerge from it with economic reform that would meet the true needs of society. Gone were the days when sustainability thinking was the domain of marginalised environmentalists. It was a wake-up call which required affected governments to bail out companies to prevent financial ruin – setting new terms and conditions for the financial industry in the process.