Wednesday, November 15, 2006

greener than this

i have high hopes to become the advocate i know exists
deep down, past all my layers of weekness and instability,
of contempt and scorn for this modern day massacre we call the
civilized world...
i have put down my driver spirit
and picked up the plight of the underpriviledged
and still i feel sick for falling in love so easily
with convenience
and the God-forsaken American Way.
but i took courage from walking amongst
my fellow brow-beaten believers,
last weekend in SF for the Green Festival
(www.greenfestivals.org)
creating throngs of peaceful protectors
who hope for change, educate as they maneuver,
and pay heed to each prophets great appeal
to cast off these wicked ways and cherish our greaest gift:
the perfect and natural world.

...so many have taken to celebrating
for at least one political purpose enacted this November...
yet i spurn the ones insisting we have won something
when there are reports each day of the bloodshed of the innocent
and the warriors who think they can protect something precious with only bullets.
when there are ancient forests crying out because of the deep wounds suffered,
the battle scars of imperialism and commerce
in a world losing its wonder.
when people continue to go without basics
while others simply throw out their excess
and smirk over their shoulders
at the poor on their doorsteps.

Alice Walker said it right there,
when she asked how we could call our country a democracy
if the system fails because the poor people
can't afford to buy their own candidates?
Her book, "We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For"
seems keyed in to the war being waged on our spirit,
on our sense of security, on our very ability to
distinguish right from wrong...
and she brought back some of my wonder,
when she reminded me of the miracle of a single peach.

I learn much from Alice, as i do from Dr. David Suzuki,
a leading geneticist, who spoke so eloquently of the delicate balance between
our environment and the work it will take to restore and repair mankind's damage.
Great minds may think alike, yet they have a grave responsilibity to act on their innermost thoughts, to challenge the common flaws of our forebearers,
and create a plan of action to spread the wings of conscious cohesion,
finally taking to flight all of our dreams for health, happiness, and well-being.
There is a terrific need for personal accountability,
for radiant people poised on the graying pavement,
staring ever at the naked universe, once so small and dense.

Sat Santokh, the yogi propenent of inner peace leading to world peace,
gave openly to our collective energy,
sang on with a low rolling moan,
"Deep blue sea, baby deep blue sea,
Deep blue sea, baby deep blue sea,
Deep blue sea, Baby deep blue sea..
And now there's peace throughout the land,
And now there's peace
throughout the land, and o'er the deep blue sea..."
and we joined arms, and we made silence,
and i reminisced with the wilderness of Hetch Hetchy,
and saw tiny reflection pools of blues, greens, and goldens
carved out in cuppings all down the mountain...
and i remembered why i always find solace in these festivals of knowledge,
because i know down deep that if enough people show they care,
if enough voices call out in the daylight,
if enough dollars get put into enough of the more resposible pockets,
and if enough waste can be eliminated from our daily doings,
then just maybe our future generations will still have it so easy,
and maybe one or two species might be spared anihilation,
including our own...

Cheers and thank you!!! to the Green Festivals team,
Global Exchange & Co-Op America,
and to all of the amazing vendors, educators, and volunteers who made Green Festival Sf a reality for so many of us who are thirsty for revolution and inspiration.
Here are a short list of some of my favorite non-profits that i would be thrilled to support in any capacity, and which you may want to check out for yourself:

  • Women's Global Green Action Network; Empowering grassroots women, linking resources to their needs, educating the global community, & forging a global movment. www.wggan.org
  • Sustainable Harvest International; Planting hope, Restoring forests, Nourishing Communities. www.sustainableharvest.org
  • Heifer International; End world hunger by providing livestock, trees, & training to struggling families around the globe. www.heifer.org
  • Trees for the Future; Planting trees to help people and the environment. www.plant-trees.org
  • Co-Op America; Economic actions for a just planet. www.coopamerica.org
  • GreenDimes; Planting a tree for each dime you give, stopping your hideous junk mail! www.greendimes.com
  • World Centric; Reducing environmental degradation and injustice through education, community networks, and sustainable enterprises like "Biocompostables". www.worldcentric.org

Check out CoOpAmerica's National Green Pages, published with a full listing of green, fair trade, and sustainable businesses! And here are some of my favorites at the festival, all of whom i would have gladly purchased from, (and some i did!) had i but unlimited resources and felt a bit more fancifully consumer-minded.

Please DO check out these websites in lui of heading to your Walmart, Home Depot, or Target; because when you buy there, you may save some pennies, but you will lose a part of our collective soul. These companies which i recommend supporting bring new promise of a better tomorrow and care more about the impact of their products than they do about their overall profits:

  • Biocompostables; Not just disposable, but COMPOSTABLE! alternatives for serving food on the go; the plates, cups, utensils, straws. etc. are made entirely from suger cane, potato starch, and corn and can be composted and break down within 30-90 days, saving trees from being cut for paper plates, and providing alternative to plastics which may take tens of years to break down, if they ever do. Every vendor at the festival used this product and every restaurant and scho0l which serve food disposably in this city should take a lesson! It's not difficult to switch to an earth-friendly fork, it merely takes your will and a dedication to what's right! www.worldcentric.org
  • To-Go Ware; Another great resource for conscious cutlery. Reusable, very chic and made from sustainable wood. www.to-goware.com
  • Green Zebra; A savings guide based on eco-aware businesses you may already be buying from. Feel good about the money you spend and save! $25. www.thegreenzebra.org
  • Living Tree Paper Company; A pioneer for paper products with environmental benefit, made from agricultural fibers, post-consumer waste, and some FSC certified wood. www.livingtreepaper.com
  • Inkworks Press; Safe and environmental printing company based in Berkeley, get all you pamphlets, zines, and self-promotions printed here! www.inkworkspress.org
  • Peaceful Company; all the holistic, organic, rechargable, meditative, inspirational, and peaceful stuff for your gift buying needs. www.peacefulcompany.com
  • Pangea Organics; ..And especially if you're buying a gift for me, i want something luscious from Pangea Organics! This awesome company from Colorado, boasts entirely plant based skin and body products, which are paraben-free, use only essional oils, use only compostable non-paper-packaging! The only way you could get something more natural is if you just slather yourself in pure milk and honey. www.pangeaorganics.com
  • Global Exchange; Another source for clothing & gifts of all kind, all from fair trade unions, and directly supporting underprivaledged communities. Your purchases help to bring a living wage to all peoples, and educate those in the community about their purchasing powers. www.globalexchange.com

There are so many alternatives to sweat shop-made clothing made from chemically altered or sythetic fibers with harmful dyes, which is what represents the majority of clothing options in America. The alternatives are there, but only if you are looking! Here were just a few of my favorites:

The list is growing of companies branching out to make products that conserve and protect our vital resources. But we must support them with our money and tell others all we know, including our fine representatives in government, our community schools, our church groups, our local media... everyone! We must demand better options to blind decision making & to our endless needless waste. We must start believing that our coffee cup matters, and so does the dollar in our hand!

Please visit the Chicago Green Festival, Apr.22-23, 2007 and check out www.greenfestivals.org to find one near you or to get involved!

cheers and namaste.

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