I stumbled upon this post from 'No Impact Man' Colin Beaven in response to the NASA report and it has become a topic for conversation over at Holstee for the past week. Regardless of the political stance on the issue, I think these questions get to the heart of the matter: 

Why were we born? What is really important in life? Are we living in line with that? Or are we distracted from the point of our existence? Is there a way to get people to wake up and ask these crucial questions?

Is there a way to get governments to do so? Because if we are wrecking the place in fulfillment of our human purpose, then so be it. But if we are wrecking the place while sleepwalking our way from birth to death? Living unconsciously and wrecking the place in that process? That seems like such a terrible tragedy. How can we wake up? -Colin Beaven

It basically gets down to something that we want to be the common thread through everything we do at Holstee and the lifestyles we live day-to-day. We want to live consciously, being aware of how each and every decision we make affects the world and those around us and doing something about it. It calls for waking up and realizing our ability to decide to leave the world better or worse than we found it.

Wendell Berry is quoted saying, "We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it." 

Indeed. 

See the full article from NASA here. Visit 350.org to find ways to act.

Mark your calendars! The fine folks at 350.org are mobilizing the community again. This time, it is a day set aside for celebrating action on moving beyond fossil fuels. On September 24, 2011, there will be events going on throughout the world to demand solutions and stand on the truth that, as a community of people gathered together for a united cause, we can and will make a difference for the environment. So grab your bike, your Razor scooter, or your roller blades and find an event going on near you (or you can even start your own :).

The goal is to get moving beyond fossil fuels—both symbolically by pouring into the streets in the thousands on foot, bicycle and other means of sustainable movement, and politically by bringing powerful demands to our leaders that day to move beyond fossil fuels to a 350ppm world. -350.org

A month ago Mikey wrote this honest and heartfelt post on the Yellowstone River oil spill of this past July. It made me think: what would it take to stop more oil spills like this from happening in the future? What would that type of action required to stop the catastrophic damage to our environment look like?

It looks like this: hundreds of people of almost every demographic gathered in front of the White House risking arrest (over 1,000 have already been arrested to date) to carry a petition of over 600,000 names to President Obama. In one of the largest acts of environmental civil disobedience to take place, protesters have gathered for the past two-weeks to push President Obama to oppose the Tar Sands Oil Keystone XL Pipeline.

This proposed pipeline would transport tar sands oil from Canada 1,700 miles across the United States to be refined in Texas, risking many more large oil spills and severely threatening habitats, farms, livelihoods, and drinking water.  Emitting three times the amount of Carbon into the air than traditional oil, tar sands oil is one of the most dirty and carbon-intensive fuels out there. In a time when more and more people are realizing the need for cleaner energy alternatives and more responsible actions for the environment, the reality of this pipeline would be devestating to the progress being made on this front.

To learn more about the Keystone XL Pipeline and stay up-to-date on the action taking place, check out the Tar Sands Action website. The amazing work that they are doing to organize this movement and hold our government accountable is unmatched. We send major props & much love to the inspirational activists who have risked arrest to stand firm for our communities, our environment, and our planet as we stand in solidarity with them.

Photo by Josh Lopez.

CLIF Bar is challenging us to rethink the commute. Did you know that in the United States, an estimated 40% of urban travel is under two miles? 90% of those trips are taken by car (yikes!). In an effort to engage the community in the fight against climate change, the CLIF Bar 2-Mile Challenge was created as a call to replace as many car trips as possible with a bicycle. We love it!

To further celebrate and encourage bicycle lifestyles, CLIF Bar has partnered with GOOD to offer a contest to benefit organizations championing the bicycle movement. Three winners will be chosen to win up to $5,000 for a bicycle nonprofit of his or her choice (plus, a year's supply of CLIF Bars!). In order to win, submit a photograph along with your best bike story here by September 5th.

Check out the CLIF Bar 2-Mile Challenge and learn more about the power of rethinking the commute!

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. -JFK