Rethos.com - darkstar's Global Feed

ChicoBag founder Andy Keller on landfills, Bikram Yoga and his beef with plastic

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:32:45 -0400

There is no shortage of entrepreneurs inspired by the movie Wall Street or the stories of Sam Walton or Steve Jobs. I recently had the opportunity to interview Andy Keller, whose inspiration is a little more, shall we say, down to Earth.

CA -- Tell us about the origins of ChicoBag.

AK -- I used to sell software for an enterprise software company down in the Bay Area. I ended up getting laid off when the company was bought out by a company in the UK. The community and lifestyle in Chico (California) really appealed to me, so it was important...

Treehuggers to descend on Montreal

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:43:44 -0400

More than 165 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors are expected to descend on Montreal's Old Port for three days beginning June 13th, to share ideas about living more sustainably.

The "Salon national de l'environnement" (SNE) was developed out of a citizens’ initiative in 2006. The event looks at the current challenges to the environment and offers visitors concrete solutions. The event describes as its objective "to make visitors aware of today’s environmental challenges, while proposing solutions and tools for people to have a better understanding and to encourage beha...

Quebec and Ontario showing leadership with cap-and-trade program

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:47:50 -0400

The provinces of Quebec and Ontario have shown great leadership by working together to institute a bilateral "cap-and-trade" system in an attempt to curb green house gas emissions. When the Canadian federal government is dragging its heels on what most consider the most important issue curretnly facing humanity, bilateral initiatives between provinces or municipalities makes a good deal of sense.

This kind of autonomy and leadership at the provincial level is refreshing. A similar dynamic has existed for many years in the U.S., where despite an administration nearl...

What Gets Seventh Generationâ€™s â€œDirector of Corporate Consciousnessâ€ Out of Bed in the Morning?

Tue, 27 May 2008 10:41:01 -0400

What Gets Seventh Generation’s “Director of Corporate Consciousness” Out of Bed in the Morning?

An exclusive interview with Gregor Barnum, senior executive of Vermont-based Seventh Generation, one of the sustainability movement’s most innovative companies.

By Alex Salzman
May 19, 2008

Don’t let the altruistic job title fool you – Gregor Barnum and his cohorts at Seventh Generation are relentlessly pragmatic about building a sustainable company. I recently caught up with Barnum, who is part ethics s...

Excellent Video on Earth Day TV

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:25:30 -0500

Here is an excellent video from the Earth Day Network - It's a production of the University of South FLorida, about an hour long, and very inspiring! A great model for what we can do with the 3 finger Solution! Look at www.SustainabilitySymbol.com and check out EarthDay TV

Facebook Underutilized as a Tool Kit for Activism

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:35:57 -0500

Despite Facebook’s vast, international audience and best-of-breed viral features, the site has yet to realize its potential to advance social change. My two co-founders and I conceived of Rethos.com out of criticism of the landscape of mainstream social networking websites and their apparent obsession with superficial content. Indeed, it remains doubtful that Facebook’s 60+ million members are going to super-poke their way to a more just and sustainable world.

But the...

Correction of the web address! - Philip McMaster

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:21:26 -0500

Sorry, CORRECTION... the web address is: http://www.sustainabilitysymbol.COM hope to see you online February 1st --- Don't forget to invite 3 people to share a 3 finger Photo!

You're invited to Celebrate the One Year Anniversary of 3 Finger "Peace Plus One" - Philip McMaster

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:39:45 -0500

Hello Sustainability Symbol Friends around the WORLD (Especially in Beijing) - IT'S A PARTY / CELEBRATION of the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol... and we're having a WEB-CAM World Party connecting YOUR town with Beijing China, site of the 2008 Olympics. You are most welcome to attend our party celebration for the One Year Anniversary of the 3 Finger "Peace Plus One" Sustainability Symbol on February 1st at 7pm - 9pm Friday, Feb 1st The Bookworm Building 4, Nan sanlitun Road Chao Yang District, Beijing Tel: 65869507 www.chinabookworm.com Plea...

My Truth

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:55:54 -0500

Here are my views on the 2008 election. And beyond.

First off I will flat out say I am a John Edwards backer 100% now that Dennis Kucinich is fully out of the race.

1. John Edwards is the voice of the â€œreal America.â€ He is the voice of â€œreal Americans.â€ I am talking about those who work their asses off for their entire lives and end up with nothing to show for it but an aching back and a wrecked soul. Throughout John Edwards campaign he has had a very hard anti-corporate message. Clinton has not. Obama has not. Because of this the Mainstream Media has complet...

Doing Philanthropy the Google Way

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:27:07 -0500

This is a great article about the changing landscape of philanthropy. As it has the worlds of search, advertising and online media, Google is disrupting and evolving the nature of corporate philanthropy by taking an entrepreneurial approach as opposed to a charitable approach to solving societal problems. Says Susan Raymond, senior managing director for research and chief analyst at OnPhilanthropy, about Google.org and its new, entrepreneurial attitude towards philanthropy: “Instead of just giving a man a fish, or even teaching him to fish, a social entrepreneur would invest in hi...

Check out this article... - kiadso

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:50:37 -0500

Hi allies- Thanks for being my ally- I look forward to reading more of your writings. I wanted to ask that you all read the article here. I think it's important and I hope you will rate it and leave a comment... Thanks for your time... kiadso

Baby Girl

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:02:39 -0500

You wear Brother’s clothes
Sensible and warm
You hear kind words of
Acceptance and love

You don’t know
About the dresses
The chemicals people will want you to wear
On your nails
On your face
On your hair.

Already the separation
Brother and sister
Dresses and bows
In the dead of winter.

Alliance Accepted! - Sarah Minczeski

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:29:18 -0500

Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:34:54 -0500

Google’s Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal

Creates renewable energy R&D group and supports breakthrough technologies

Mountain View, Calif. (November 27, 2007) â€“ Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced a new strategic initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The newly created initiative, known as RE

GLOBAL ROAR - URGENT: Global Emergency! Sign Petition and Share Sustainability Symbol

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:20:11 -0500

Please take a moment right now to sign the new global emergency petition at this link, then tell all your friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/bali_emergency/3.php

Take this opportunity to join the virtual climate change march in Bali, and hold your 3 fingers of the Sustainability Symbol high above your head. Sign the global petition, share the Sustainability Symbol (www.SustainabilitySymbol.com) and consider encouraging more allies on Rethos http://www.rethos.com/?token=8de60be286974a0aa3c4bd22de135f9a9cc29e38

I just joined a virtual climate change march on Bali&#...

Opportunity for Webmasters and Bloggers! FREE USE OF WEBSITES

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:32:14 -0500

King or Queen of your own sustainability domain!

We'd like to offer you some of the valuable Sustainability-related domains collected over the years.

What we ask in return is that you design a really cool site that gets people involved, spreads the Sustainability Symbol (the 3 finger symbol) around the world and brings attention to, and supports at least one of the Climate Change related projects we’re working on (Like “STOP the GLOFs”) The rest will be up to you.

Almost two years ago we introduced the 3 Finger Sustainab...

I'M GIVING AWAY MY DOMAINS (Free) for you to create powerful communication portals

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:26:08 -0500

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My gift to you this season are some of the valuable Sustainability-related domains I’ve collected over the years.

All I ask in return is that you design a really cool site that gets people involved, spreads the Sustainability Symbol around the world and brings attention to at least one of the Climate Change related projects we’re working on (Like “STOP the GLOFs”) The rest will be up to you.

Almost one year ago we introduced the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol (Peace Plus One) to the HK Environ...

Let's build an Institute of Ethical Entrepreneurial Commerce - starting with a few Pennies in the Jar

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:45:35 -0500

Here’s an effort that’s starting to take off!

Let’s build an Institute that promotes Ethical Commerce – based on sharing a few Pennies in the Jar to keep things going.

The McMaster Institute for Sustainable Commerce is a grass-roots effort which is attracting people and interest from every political, social, economic and environmental spectrum.

The Institute is committed to encouraging Ethical, Entrepreneurial, Eco-Commerce and welcomes anyone who is willing to share their efforts and support the efforts of others.

What̵...

Attitude from Altitude the EcoEverest Expeditions

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:09:40 -0500

Sorry to all the schools and organizations that asked for a presentation about the 3 Finger Sustainability Symbol… something very important that may help nudge the tipping point to Sustainable Thinking has arrived.

...and the Rethos.com community is the FIRST to hear about it!

I’m off to Nepal to help with the EcoEverest expedition -

if you are interested in participating, enjoying an amazing adventure, and helping bring a “three finger focus” to this area of the planet where climate change and global warming...

Column A (Solution) or Column B (Problem)?

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:58:59 -0500

Are you in Column A (part of the Solution) or Column B (still part of the Problem)?

The instigator of the Sustainability Symbol, Philip McMaster, says there are two types of people on the planet – people who are 1. still part of the PROBLEM (ignorant, delusional, deniers, inconsiderate, irresponsible, self-righteous, self-serving) and people who are 2. part of the SOLUTION (aware, realistic, curious, considerate, responsible and good at risk assessment)

The science teacher in this video clearly and effectively ...

The Silliness of CSR ("Corporate Social Responsibility")

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:03:04 -0500

I noticed there is now a new category on Rethos.com: Corporations. So I can be allies with citizens, organizations, and now corporations. To see this new development, log in and go to “My Allies”.

In the blog posting titled “The Urgency of CSR”, the idea behind this is spelled out. Basically, Rethos.com is meant to link up consumers (that’s us) with “socially responsible” corporations.

I understand the intent behind encouragin...

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:42:29 -0500

Every year Thanksgiving rolls around, I get frustrated and apprehensive about what to do. For many years, I felt this way merely because I was vegetarian and my family cooked everything with meat or broth and I felt like I was causing such headaches, why even bother. Telling people why I was vegetarian never helped- my family wanted to think it was because I just loved cute little animals and didn’t want to eat them, or health reasons, or environmental reasons. But when I would tell them it was less about those things and more about the fact that the meat industry is bad for peo...

THIS VIDEO SAYS IT ALL

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:48:52 -0500

Enter Message / description of files attached:

Farm bill reform petition, please sign

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:57:25 -0400

Farm Bill Reform Depends on Your Action Today

Act TodayThe 2007 Farm Bill is headed for the Senate floor. Write to your Senators today, and urge them to vote for the Dorgan-Grassley amendment that closes the loopholes in farm programs and brings an end to million-dollar subsidy payments.

How your Senators vote in the upcoming debate will be pivotal in the fight to end unlimited payments and make the 2007 Farm Bill work for all Americans, not just a select few. Your action will help us win a farm bill that stops over-subsidizing the nation’s largest farms and sta...

Groups Urge Emergency Federal Protection for Rare Checkerspot Butterfly:

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:46:05 -0400

SANTA FE, N.M.â€” Conservation groups Forest Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last Friday over its failure to grant emergency federal protection to the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly. Richard Holland, one of the two scientists that discovered this rare butterfly, also sent a letter to the Service yesterday supporting emergency listing.

The emergency has become acute, with Otero County poised to spray the insecticide Btk over the majority of the butterflyâ€™s...

Biofules, At What Cost?

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:23:00 -0400

Earth Track is pleased to announce the release of Biofuels - At What Cost? Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in the United States: 2007 Update As prepared for the Global Subsidies Initiative of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. The report, which updates our 2006 analysis on subsidy policies as well as the most detailed look to date at new subsidies to ethanol and biodiesel under pending energy and farm legislation. Unfortunately, the pending legislation does quite a bit to drive subsidies way up, but little to constrain the potentially enormous environme...

The Sustainability Symbol heard on Washington D.C. Radio

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:25:31 -0400

Last week the Sustainability Symbol made a “command performance” at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Whistler, British Columbia.

Frances X. Farrell, Publisher of National Geographic Adventure Magazine and Keynote speaker at the Summit, asked me to do the “Sustainability TEST” on the 500 assembled delegates to the conference.

From that point forward, and throughout the conference, many of the speakers and participants used the 3 finger Sustainability Symbol in their talks, discussions, the breakout sessions and even...

Sustainability Symbol (DragonTHINK.com) on MTV - "Think"

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:43:43 -0400

Let’s get the Rethos message out on other social media too! I’d like to invite you to join MTV Think, where you, your friends, and your favorite celebrities can get informed, get heard and take action on the issues that matter to us most here at Rethos.

MTV has launched the site called Think to give people the opportunity to make your life, your community and your world better – Just like Rethos, but already established, and speaking to the masses. The MTV Think site provides the too...

Alliance Accepted! - Technology For People Group Inc.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:09:13 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Austin Community School

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:25:22 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Chris Advansun

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:43:31 -0400

Ally Request - Sophie Green

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:41:26 -0400

Ally Request - Pascal

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:41:06 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Greening Princeton

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:48:18 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - bernie

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:08:13 -0500

Ally Request - Danielle

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:13:20 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Travis

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:46:40 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Philip McMaster

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:46:49 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - kiadso

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:01:23 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Kidz Like Me

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:41:45 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Stephen Dufrechou

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:59:16 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Jesse Smale

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:45:35 -0400

Are you a great designer, or translator?

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:15:45 -0400

We are in the process of translating the word/concepts/phrase of

1. SOCIETY

2. ENVIRONMENT

3. ECONOMY

... into the languages of the world, and adapting the different ways of writing to the three fingered hand symbol.

You can see a sample of the Sustainability Symbol in Chinese script on this message.

Your name will be forever associated with the chosen modification of the symbol that represents “Society, Environment, Economy” in your linguistic communi...

Convert website into something attractive

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:51:00 -0400

The three finger Sustainability Symbol is beginning to attract attention on and off the internet. This is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, more and more people are learning about the campaign (personally passing it along from one individual to another),

on the other hand, our website stinks.

It’s homemade, and as you will see, I’m no web designer!

If there are any talented web designers out there in the Rethosarian community, please have a look at www.DragonTHINK.com and make a suggestion of how we could use some of the existing conte...

Alliance Accepted! - Frank Miller

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:41:04 -0400