Eco-posts can be found anywhere!

Over the past year, I've been honing my craft and stretching outside my comfort zone - to an extent.

Writing is a form of art, which is important for a person who cannot seem to draw anything more complex and creative than stick figures or balloon animals.

About two years ago, I left my office at a small nature center and chose to pursue a different passion - and was pleased to find more outlets than I ever imagined!

This time, I'd like to take a moment and give a shout out to the Quill Café Blog. This portion of a website for office supplies and other resources is dedicated to helping people develop professionally. Some of the tutorials are straight forward - like cleaning a paper shredder - while others can open your eyes.

I pitched an idea on what officemates could do when somebody walks in asking for donations. Rejecting a person at an event might be easy, but when you face that person everyday at work it's a different story. The cool people at Quill let me put together a piece on deciding how to give in ways that reflect you as a person.


This led to an opportunity on how to celebrate Earth Day at the office too!

But I think my best article for them so far was about my favorite drink - COFFEE. A good friend (thanks, Sarah!) had created a perfect little guide that inspired me to research what all those little labels on the bags of coffee mean.

I present to you how to choose your coffee responsibly!

Thanks, Quill, for giving me an outlet to share some cool ideas!

-Callie

Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Well, here we go again. An accident happened on a British Petroleum oil rig that was doing exploratory work to find a new spot to drill in the Gulf of Mexico, not far from the LA and MS coasts. The rig caught fire on Tuesday and actually sank on Earth Day, yesterday. I chose to post an NPR article because I find their work is typically objective, and does not typically attack any person or company so you can draw your own conclusions.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126214809

Let's put the irony of an oil spill on Earth Day aside and discuss the issues at hand. It appears 11 crew members have died with 4 more in serious condition. There are currently ??? rigs active in the Gulf of Mexico alone, and although BP is taking the initiative with the clean up, the potential disaster could be as much as 336,000 gallons a day that may leak from the reservoir that was tapped and about to be plugged so they could return and pump for real production. Keep this in mind, that leak would have to continue at that pace for an entire month in order to reach the status of the Exxon Valdez's 11,000,000 gallons... yeah, that's millions.
This article gives some insight into modern day clean up procedures and the Marine Spill Response Corp. has the reins. This is an independent non-profit created in 1990 specifically to handle problems like this one. What scares me is the necessity for its creation in the first place. I thought you might like to learn more about this company, so I have included their website too:
http://www.msrc.org/

I plan to watch the progression of this issue closely in the media - will it get the warranted attention? Will it get the press of disasters such as the Exxon Valdez? I know individuals who will not stop at an Exxon station solely because of that environmental debacle. So, how will BP be portrayed in this case?

There are also many discussions about the dangers of offshore drilling. Just in case you don't make it all the way to the end of the article, this rig was inspected 3 times THIS year alone - with the most recent inspection being April 1st.... Hm, that IS April Fool's Day, do you think...? nah, I'm sure the inspector took everything very seriously.

RATING: ~~~~~ (5 out of 5 waves) you NEED to read this article and get people talking about these issues

My Earth Day was spent with family, friends, and at Whole Foods Market's Sierra Club benefit day. I bought my groceries, got a canvas bag to add to my collection, and attended Mommy & Baby Yoga with my 10-month old son.

How did you spend the day?
-Callie

Support your local organizations

Sorry about the long delay in posting. A fun little cold ran its course through my entire household, and with one of those being a 9 month old baby, it was a long drawn out process that did not allow for quality blog-time.

During my "absence" I went to a local event at one of my favorite places: Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, FL. On March 13th, they celebrated the 5th annual "Turtle Day" and this was the first time I attended simply as a guest. Usually I am working for an organization or volunteering to help GL out, but this year was just for fun! To learn about this awesome place for yourself, check out http://www.gumbolimbo.org.

While trekking through the hammock on a shady boardwalk, baby in stroller, I remembered how I first found the place. I had decided to take a drive down A-1-A and see the ocean. I just happened to drive by and made a point to drive by again on purpose and take the time to pull over. I filled out a volunteer application that day and Gumbo Limbo became a part of my life within a week. I acquired have life long friends and unforgettable experiences because one day, I took the long way home.

There are wonderful and unique opportunities no matter where you live. On T.V. I heard an obese man comment on how he look at a local mountain everyday for 38 years, but never climbed it until he finally started losing the weight. Living in Florida exposed me to countless New Yorkers, and when asked about Central Park's attractions or the Statue of Liberty, or even Ground Zero, they say... "oh, I've never been" or "never took the time to see it". Why do we often wait to go somewhere great that happens to be close by only when a friend or relative comes from far away? There is nothing wrong with being a tourist in your own state, and checking out all the must-see areas.

Yes, I live in Florida, and while raising my son it is extremely important to me and Jacen's father that we give him exposure to everything there is to offer here. He was at the beach at 5 weeks old. At least once a week we go to an area park, sanctuary, or natural preserve to walk around and show him the world. He will go to the Keys, and the Everglades, and Disney too! As he grows up, the adventures will only get bigger an better.

In this world of economic downturn, I have seen (and am still watching) wonderful organizations struggle or shut their doors completely because there is a lack of LOCAL SUPPORT. I understand how it can be financially difficult to have that vacation you so desperately deserve, so look into what is within one day's driving distance. You will save money, support a very worthy cause, and maybe... like my experience with Gumbo Limbo... change your life.

An easy way to find out what is around is to visit a weekend festival or green market. Earth Day is coming up, and that will be a perfect time to go somewhere new. So, I challenge you to find the time in April and try something different! Earth Day is technically Thursday, April 22nd, but many places will celebrate on the 17th. Check your local paper or go to your city's website.

Good luck, and have fun playing OUTSIDE! Maybe even play in the WATER if you can!
-Callie