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.
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.
Valentine’s Day – it’s about love, isn’t it?
Did you know that Saint Valentine’s Day is said to derive from a christian tradition involving a Pope in 500 AD?
These days, Valentine’s Day has become a symbol for consumerism with ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her and ‘experiences’ at varying costs being promoted relentlessly weeks before the occasion. I resent the commercialisation of such a precious gift: the love and affection between two lovers. And that is why I am making the case for no Valentine’s Day or slow Valentine’s Day – borrowing from the slow cooking movement -and it goes like this: [Read more…]
Business & human rights: the basics (part 1)
For the past decade or so I have been keeping abreast of developments in business and human rights in Australia and abroad and have just updated an introductory reading list for a forthcoming workshop. I would like to share the key documents with those of you who need to get across the topic quickly without compromising quality.
Whether you are a law student, a sustainability or corporate responsibility professional or simply an interested individual – if you want to save time sifting through the vast amount of material and wish to get to the substance immediately – look no further. The list of articles below is organised in priority order:
Bring on the education revolution to save the planet!
What do Australian children need and what can the public and the government do to help protect them and make the future more secure?
Children are naturally vulnerable and most people wish to ensure they are protected and grow up to reach their full potential regardless of their background and circumstances. There are many individual issues that affect the quality of childhood. These include their health & mental health, the provision of sufficient opportunities and the quality of their education to name just a few.
In addition, there is one overarching issue that affects all of us, a common denominator that has not found its way into policy and practice yet: the safety of our planet. Sustainable management of our resources is being discussed this week at the Rio + 20 summit and this is extremely timely.
We have known about the negative environmental impact of large scale economic activity for at least four decades. The assumptions upon which we have based social service delivery to protect children have changed and continue to change. Nothing is simple anymore but children need to inherit a clean and safe environment as the minimum foundation to prosper. So what do we have to do to attain a sustainable lifestyle for them? How will the effect of climate change influence the delivery of social services to children? What does climate change mean for the policy and practice of protecting children? [Read more…]