It was one of the hottest parties in town, all in aid of working toward a cooler planet. With performances by Mia Maestro, Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte and Camp Freddy as well as Juliette Lewis and Mark McGrath, the Global Green USA 7th Annual Pre-Oscar® party hit all the right notes with its celebrity guests.

With the event tagged “Greener Cities for a Cooler Planet”, the point was, as it has been since its inception, to raise funds and awareness for Global Green’s national initiatives to fight climate change. In the past, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit various projects including the green rebuilding of New Orleans.

“By raising awareness about the threats posed by climate change and by holding our corporate and political leaders accountable, we can make a real difference,” said the organization’s CEO Matt Petersen.

“(We) can and must do something about climate change, and we can start by creating green buildings, schools, cities and communities that create green jobs, save money and improve our health.”

Having celebrities on hand will do wonders to get attention to a worthwhile cause. The Global Green USA pre-Oscar festivities had the love of Tinseltown heavyweights such as Leonardo DiCaprio, James and Suzy Cameron, Jessica Alba, Benji and Joel Madden (pictured below), Serena Williams, Mel B, Juliette Lewis and many others.

Before heading onto the carpet, many of the celebs recorded an online video PSA entitled “I Am” that will soon be released at www.globalgreen.org. Written in collaboration with Global Green supporter Marshall Herskovitz and made possible by Paul Emami’s Storytellerz, it will raise awareness the issues related to global climate change — something that affects more than 150 million Americans and more than 2.75 billion globally.

Guests were treated to the official unveiling of the eco-friendly gown Suzy Amis Cameron plans to wear on the red carpet (pictured below) at the Academy Awards this Sunday (March 7) as part of her “Red Carpet Green Dress” design campaign to benefit Muse Elementary.  Jillian Granz, a student from Michigan State University won the competition and was recognized by Suzy and James Cameron who also spoke about their passion for creating green schools and healthy learning environments for kids.

Global Green USA also featured a first: the new Chevrolet Volt Plug-In Electric Vehicle, an electric car that can travel up to 40 miles on electric charge, reducing harmful carbon emissions and gas usage. Displayed alongside the green carpet, VIP guests were treated a sneak peek of the vehicle which will go on sale later this year. Check out our sneak peek at the Chevy Volt, and interview, below.

Photos courtesy of Global Green USA and WireImage

What is the Simple Life?

There is no single definition of simplicity. My vision of a simple life will be different than yours, or anyone else’s — and none of us is wrong. I’ve read about someone living in a log cabin in Alaska, with no electricity or running water or television or Internet. They chop wood from the forest outside to burn for heat and cooking. They use water from a nearby stream for drinking and bathing. They walk or bike to town to go to the library or to use the Internet. That’s a pretty simple life by most definitions — but when I talk about leading a simple life, I don’t mean you need to live in a log cabin in the woods — I certainly don’t.

I’ve also seen photos of pretty expensive houses, decorated in a very minimalist fashion, spartan in their simplicity, but also decorated with expensive furniture. These houses are gorgeous, and their minimalist interiors are extremely attractive … but it takes a lot of money to get to that point. This is one kind of simplicity, but it’s not for everyone.

I’ve also read about people who live extremely frugally, rarely buying new items, making things last as long as possible, re-using plastic bags and bottles, growing food in a garden, buying things second-hand in thrift shops when necessary. This kind of frugality is one kind of simplicity, and to some extent I use many of these ideas myself. But it’s not the kind of simplicity for everyone.

So what’s my idea of a simple life? Again, this isn’t what you need to shoot for, and it’s not even what you need to agree with. We can each have our own vision. My idea is that I make room in my life for the essentials — the things I love to do and the people I love to be with. I remove the non-essentials as much as possible, and leave a life that isn’t overwhelmed with tasks and projects and errands, but has space … space for what I want to do, and space between things. So that I can live a peaceful life, move slowly, work happily, and spend time with the people I care most about.

This might mean that I live frugally (so that I can work less, or save for what’s important), or it might mean that I sometimes splurge, because life is too short not to enjoy things while you can. I find ways to enjoy myself without spending money, but at the same time I am not afraid to treat myself and my family now and then.

What’s your idea of a simple life? It’s almost certainly different than mine. And that’s good — we don’t want cookie-cutter approaches here. We want something that makes sense to each individual person, that fits their personalities and dreams and life situations.

Think about what your idea of a simple life is, so that you can find your path to get there.

The Many Paths to Simplicity

So with each person pursuing a different destination to a simpler life, how can we find the paths to those destinations? There isn’t one answer.

We must each find our own path, obviously, but we can still learn from others. I’ve learned from many people along the way, and in fact I still learn from all of you each day. I think I learn more from the comments of my posts than you learn from the posts themselves, but that’s what makes this conversation a wonderful thing.

“The simplest things are often the truest.” - Richard Bach

My best overall advice is to think about where you want to go, and then figure out a path to get there. And then take the first step. Once you’ve done that, you can worry about the next step. You will probably take a different path than the one you first envisioned, and in fact you may get to a different destination than you first imagined. Just take it one step at a time, and see where you get.

That said, I’d like to offer some ideas that may help you find your path. These are not to be adopted wholesale, and in fact some of them contradict each other. That’s because they represent different paths — and again, there is no one right path. Take inspiration from them, try some out if you like, but don’t take this list as a prescription to anything.

• Take it slowly. There is no need to rush to a simpler life. Take deep breaths, and take things one step at a time. Baby steps. Enjoy the process.
• Do a major rehaul. Sometimes it can be revitalizing to do a rehaul of your entire life. Wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Now, that might mean moving to a new house and only bringing the possessions that mean the most to you. Or it might mean getting a new job that you love and setting your own schedule around the things you love doing. Or it might mean doing a major cleansing of your house, getting rid of most of your junk. It could mean just dropping all commitments except the things you love most.
• Remember what’s important. Why are you trying to simplify? Is it to make room for the things you love? Then be sure to identify those things, and keep those things in mind during this process. Is it simply to reduce your stress and live a more peaceful life? Then remember that on your path to simplicity.
• Adopt changes gradually. As one commenter pointed out, and as I have said in the past, if you adopt one small change at a time, you can make major changes over the long-term without the changes seeming very big at all. Make one small change, and soon that becomes the norm for you. Then make another, and that becomes the norm. Each step seems small, but they can add up to really big progress over months and years.
• Try different types of simplicity. You don’t have to pick one way. You can try frugality, then minimalism, then cabin-in-the-woods simplicity, then chuck all your responsibilities and hang out on a beach all day. See what works for you.
• Join a community. There are online communities and maybe even groups within your neighborhood that are going for a common goal. That might be frugality, or decluttering, or living with a minimal impact on the environment.
• Take assessment. I’m a big fan of stepping back and taking a look at my life in general, reflecting on what I want my life to be like, on what kind of progress I’ve made, on what needs to be done. It’s good to do this at the beginning of your path to simplicity, and every now and then along the way.

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” - Henry David Thoreau

What’s your path to simplicity? What have you learned along the way? Share in the comments!

By Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Visit Leo at www.zenhabits.net
Photo courtesy of alicepopkorn

In a sleepy lagoon off the coast of Japan was once a shocking secret. A secret that a few desperate men made sure would be no longer kept hidden from the world: thousands of dolphins were, and still are, being captured and sold to many of the world’s theme parks. Those who don’t make the cut are horrifically tortured and slaughtered—their mercury-laden meat sold under the guise of being “acceptable” flesh for consumption to an unsuspecting Japanese public. It’s a real life horror story—one that is now well and truly public.

The men who risked their lives to tell the world about this atrocity include Louise Psihoyos, a director with a cause who has not only caught the world’s attention, but also the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, with his film, The Cove, which is up for best documentary at the Awards this weekend (March 7).

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the five dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.” But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day — led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realise that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again.

It wasn’t until years after this realisation that Ric met Louie and the idea for The Cove was born, and more importantly, put into action.

With Jim Clark, Louie also created The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), in 2005. The non-profit organization provides an exclusive lens for the public and media to observe the beauty as well as the destruction of the oceans, while motivating change.

We recently caught up with Louie to talk about what it took to plan, shoot and promote the eco-thriller film. Stay tuned for an interview with Ric O’Barry in the coming days.

Firstly Louie, congratulations in such an incredible documentary. How long did it take to make from idea to final print?

The film took about three and a half years to make, but Laurie David, who produced An Inconvenient Truth told me a year ago that when you’re done making a documentary you’re only halfway there. The film came out a year ago this week and I’m still out promoting the movie. But fortunately most of the traveling is going to film festivals around the world that are in amazing beautiful places meeting great people who are passionate about films so I’m learning a lot at the same time, and not just talking about our film. And at the film festivals the film has been received very well, mostly standing ovations. Even at the Tokyo Film Festival the response was amazing – we had as much media coverage as Avatar.

How did the idea evolve?

I had just started a non-profit organization called The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) with the help of my dive friend, Jim Clark who is an extraordinary visionary. When president John F. Kennedy called for Americans to put a man on the moon back in 1961, it was Jim, at age 26 created and sped the computers to make that possible. Jim is now an inventor and a venture capitalists, kind of a serial entrepreneur. He founded Silicon Graphics, which was the Apple Computer of it’s day, the chip Jim built allowed objects to be constructed in 3-D which allowed movies like Jurassic Park to be made. The day he quit that business he started Netscape, the first commercial Internet browser which was the first avenue that many of us got on the so-called information super highway. The third billion-dollar company he created he joked that he started to prove that the first two were not just luck, but I used information from that medical website to save my mother’s life last year. When Jim funded OPS to make films and create still images to try to create awareness about ocean issues, I reminded him that saving the oceans wasn’t going to be a billion dollar industry and he told me, “I’m not worried about making money, just make a difference.”

There is much responsibility in being entrusted with funds from a friend and a man I regard so highly with so many personal accomplishments but making a difference is the driving motivation for OPS to do everything we do. I always told the film crew that we’re not making a movie, we’re starting a movement to save the oceans. This higher goal informs all of our decisions.

How did you come to meet Ric O’Barry?

Two months after starting OPS I was at a marine mammal conference in San Diego and Ric O’Barry was supposed to be the keynote speaker at the event of mostly PhD speakers. I was looking forward to hearing someone from popular culture speak after a week of quite a few fairly boring talks. But at the last moment, the sponsor of the event, SeaWorld, cut him from the program. I was curious why so I called Ric and he said that they wouldn’t let him talk because he was going to speak about the captive dolphin industry and the world’s largest slaughter of dolphins on the planet.

I had never heard about the captive dolphin industry nor killing of dolphins so I asked him who was doing anything about it and he said right now it was just him and he was going next week, would I like to come to Taiji with him. Driving into Taiji was like driving into a ready made horror film set. On the surface they appear to love dolphins and whales, there’s even a sign coming into town with Anime-style drawings of dolphins that says in English, “We love dolphins.” However right in the center of town lies the Cove. This is in a Japanese National Park, where even Japanese people can’t get into because of the steel gates, keep-out signs, barbed wire, dogs and guards. This is the cove where these crimes against nature and humanity occur – right in the middle of a nature preserve!

What did you learn, personally and professionally, from the whole process?

Ric is the one that taught me to appreciate dolphins from the moment we visited him in Taiji. He opened my eyes. And whales I learned from the grandfather of modern cetacean research, Roger Payne just a few months later. Roger led an OPS expedition to record humpback whale song at the Silver Banks Marine Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic. I’m a lot more sensitive about animal rights now. Once you learn that these animals sing, in fact just about all animals sing, it turns out that we just have not been listening, it’s difficult for me to imagine killing them.

After photographing a slaughter house 25 years ago, I have not eaten animals that walk. I’m transition now to non-leather shoes and suitcases and eating far less fish and certainly no large long-lived fish like tuna, swordfish, marlin shark or large sea bass. I’m not militant about others not eating animals, my wife and kids eat meat, but I have vegan friends that I’m trying to emulate because I think if the planet is going to survive with humans on it we’re all going to have to stop eating animals not just because it’s inhumane but because the planet can’t survive with all the destruction.

Has the public response to The Cove been as you expected or greater?

We have seen footage this year of the dolphin hunters releasing bottlenose dolphins after taking some for dolphin parks. So, some show dolphins have been saved from the cove but they are still killing many others like pilot whales and Rissos dolphins which are true dolphins and some of the most toxic. Unfortunately we may not be able to shut down the killing cove this year but we hope to have a Japanese distributor soon that can help us get the word out.

Because of the film a health agency was assigned to assess how poisoned the people of Taiji are and they discovered a massive epidemic of mercury poisoning, some with extremely high Minamata levels of mercury in their blood.

Also, for the first time the Japanese media is covering the issue. Ric is followed around by the media like a celebrity now. When I went to Tokyo for the Tokyo Film Festival last October, there were about 90 news media outlets covering the film.

If you win the Oscar you’ll be given a platform to speak directly to millions in Japan and the rest of the world. What do you think you’d say?

Mark Twain said it best, “I would have written a shorter letter but I didn’t have enough time.” Two weeks seems like a reasonable time to distill a few noble thoughts down to 45 seconds of profound essence. Here’s the deal though, I’m not in the movie business as much as I’m in the save the world business — you are too. I’m thanking you all now here, thank you all! But if you had 45 seconds to talk to the world — What would YOU say?

The Cove director Louie Psihoyos

If there was a pump failure or major blockage in the city’s sewer system, it’s not be hard to imagine what could happen. All of the pipes would back up when an immovable material came through, creating a gigantic crisis that would threaten the health of all who lived in the city.

Many of the devastating plagues and diseases that literally wiped out entire cities and communities arose from open sewers and improper waste disposal. If the sewer ever backs up, dangerous health problems occur!

Similarly in the human body, big health problems can stem from major blockages and toxic build up that occur over time in the digestive system.  Think again of the analogy of your digestive tract being the “River of Life” or “River of Death” depending on what you choose to float down the river (for the most part of your life).

The digestive system can shut down if it becomes clogged with toxic residue because of nutritionally deficient “food-less foods” and “life-less drinks” ingested regularly over time.  The build up of toxic materials within the bowel can cause a condition known as autointoxication as the poisons in the bowel are absorbed into the blood stream, which ends up toxicating the entire body.

Why does this happen? It’s no secret that the foremost reasons are improper eating and exercise habits.  Modern civilization, especially the industrialized nations, have the greatest bowel disturbances.  It’s why there is a major “war” being waged on bowel cancer.  We’re told that it’s a mystery where bowel cancer comes from and yet native peoples living close to the land and nature do not experience bowel problems, and such diseases as diverticulitis and colitis are virtually unknown.

Colonic hygiene is central to the overall ongoing maintentance of health and vitality in the human body.  That’s why fasting every once in a while (giving the “house a rest” from the digestion of foods) is so critical for maintaining optimal health and remaining disease-free.  It’s why colonic irrigation therapy is a brilliant ancient wisdom that more and more people today are using to assist with “house cleaning”.  And it’s precisely why clean water and a diet predominating in whole plant foods is so critical for maintaing a happy, healthy, clean digestive system.

The further we stray from natural foods and the more we depend upon unnatural and artificial foodstuffs, the more certain it becomes that sickness and disease increase in frequency and intensity. The way we grow, harvest, process and market our food is at the root of much disease in our population.

I don’t need to elaborate on the economic factors that today play havoc with the supply of food to the masses.  But again, it’s why being self-care aware is so important.  It’s why we need to THINK about what we put into our bodies and to take personal responsibility for that.

The beautiful thing is that despite the overwhelming influences of today’s commercially driven society, we also have access to so many great life-enhancing things.  It simply gets down to the choices that you make for yourself.

The Importance of Cleaning House by Don Tolman

Don Tolman International publishes the popular P.O.W.E.R. (Pearls of Wisdom, Enlightenment and Results) weekly eZine with over 10,000 subscribers from all over the globe.

If you’re ready to discover the wisdom and power of Self-Care and Self-Education and receive *F.R.E.E.* tips and EVENT news from Don Tolman International, join our online community today and you’ll immediately be emailed a F.REE eBook entitled “WHAT MAKES A BALANCED DIET”. Subscribe to: P.O.W.E.R. now!

If you own an eco-conscious business, getting your target audience’s attention is only part of the pathway to success. Keeping it takes time and dedication and know-how, says Shannon Dunn of Conscious Life Media Limited (CLM)—a company that helps green and eco-conscious businesses to maximize their potential and customer reach.

“Running a website and starting a Facebook fan page, hoping customers will find you, is unfortunately not going to take any business from a start-up to a super success,” she says. “It takes detailed knowledge and experience to connect with customers through various mediums.”

The media spotlight, Shannon says, is of course where every business wants to get noticed. However, in a world where first impressions count, ensuring your business is a tight-running, well-branded ship is the first port of call before trying to entice a journalist to sing your eco praises. Then, being able to deliver above and beyond what you promise is paramount.

After 15 years in the media and publicity industries, Shannon saw that eco conscious businesses needed professional support and a helping hand to promote their green services and wares.

“Running an eco-conscious business is no longer a lonely journey, but it also means the customer has thousands of options to choose from, whether it be which eco baby bottle to buy or what website to get their trusted information from,” Shannon says. “It’s learning how to stand out from the eco crowd that can mean the difference between green boom or bomb.”

A Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Award winner, Shannon launched CLM to support businesses who are contributing to ensure a better world, while bringing content with a conscience to the masses.

“We provide specialized editorial content, targeted publicity campaigns, copy editing, graphic design, magazine inserts, advertorials, corporate newsletter compilation, small business website and blog design as well as advertising and marketing solutions,” she says.

“We service a global client base, focusing on the Australasian, as well as the ever-popular US and UK markets.”

To find out more about how to give your eco-conscious businesses specialized exposure, head to www.consciouslifemedia.com or email info@conscioiuslifemedia.com

Buying something new requires the extraction and destruction of a lot of resources, not to mention the destruction of our environment in extracting, hauling, manufacturing, packaging and shipping the item.

So if we want to avoid buying new things, what should we do if we need something? After all, there are always times when we feel we need something — not just want or desire, but need it for a real purpose. We might need new clothes, or books, or a bike so we can cut back on using a car.

One woman decided to buy nothing new, which is an interesting solution, but probably not for most people. But while you might not want to put such a drastic moratorium on yourself, here are 7 things you can do before even considering buying a new item.

1. Reconsider your need. Do you really really need it? Or is it a want? Or can you change things so you don’t need it? This should always be the first thing you do.
2. Borrow. You might only need it temporarily. Borrow books from friends or the library. Borrow a dress for a special occasion. Borrow a tool for a short-term project. Be sure to lend things in return, when you can.
3. Ask friends and family. Sometimes people you know might have the item you need, but not need it any longer. Instead of loaning it to you, they might be glad to give it to you. You only need to ask. I’ll often send out an email (or tweet) if I need something that others might have.
4. Freecycle. Same idea, but using a wider network. There are Freecycle networks in many areas — people who want to give something away, or who need something, post to the list and very often exchanges are made — for free.
5. Buy used. It’s infinitely better than buying new, because when you buy used you’re not having new resources taken from the earth and manufactured, but rather extending the life of resources that have already been used. Try thrift shops, charity stores, yard or garage sales, Craigslist or Ebay.
6. Make your own. This won’t work in every case (if I had to make my own clothes people would laugh at me more than they already do), but sometimes you can make something that’s just as good as buying, with inexpensive materials or materials you already have. This works if you’re good with crafts or carpentry especially. It can also be fun to get the family involved.
7. Go without. I know this seems the same as the first item on the list, but actually it’s a bit different: say you decide you really do need something, but can’t find it anywhere or make it. Should you buy new? Well, maybe you can go without it for awhile, until you do find a used version. Maybe you need it but don’t need it right now. Often things will turn up when you keep your eyes open — someone will happen to mention they have the item, or you’ll see it on Freecycle or Craigslist after a week or two. And sometimes, the need for the item will go away, and you’ll be glad you waited.

Sometimes you might have to buy a new item, even after exhausting all these options. But if you can run through this list first, often you’ll find you didn’t need it new.

7 WAYS … TO AVOID BUYING NEW STUFF by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Visit Leo at www.zenhabits.net

Photo courtesy: Brave New Films

A girlfriend of mine pleasantly surprised me with an unexpected visit last week. She was on her way to Mexico for a conference and during a layover found out it had been cancelled due to swine flu. She rerouted her trip to the next warmest place, LA.

She’s a psychologist, considers herself a hardcore scientist with “complete faith in mainstream science. If it hasn’t been proven, it isn’t true.” Need I mention she’s also an atheist? I’m none of those things. I enjoy an easy-to-digest book on quantum physics as much as the next layman, but I’m as skeptical of science as she is of spirituality. And I believe in a power greater than myself—a source of love. I call that God.

Nevertheless, my gorgeous friend and I do share plenty of common ground. For one, we’ve both been vegetarians for twenty years. She told me that one day she knew in her twelve year-old little heart it wasn’t right to eat animals and stopped. We also share a yen for hot weather, sunshine and swimming pools, so we hopped in the car and headed to Palm Springs. As the warm desert air breezed through the open windows and Kansas panted in the back seat, we got on the topic of spirituality, namely how “unspiritual” she is. I told her it didn’t matter whether she was spiritual or not. It only mattered if she felt something was missing.

She confided that one of her favorite childhood past times was trying to communicate with animals—squirrels, cats, dogs, and birds—but they never communicated back. I suggested that she can never really know they weren’t communicating. We laughed at the idea that perhaps it was the animals that told her not to eat them. I said, “To me, the definition of spirituality is really simple. It’s oneness.” She thought about it and replied, “That’s an interesting way of defining it.” I said, “And you exemplify that. I think you’re much more “spiritual” than you think.” She said, “Well, I do view the world as one interconnected organism.” Spoken like a true scientist.

Truth is true. As I understand it, all minds are joined. As she sees it, the world is an interconnected organism. The only thing true is that we are one. Nowhere does my energy end and yours begins. Einstein said separation is an “optical delusion of consciousness.” Well, here, I’ll just find his whole quote.

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”

Everything is moving towards oneness though it may not always appear that way. This is true in our own lives as well as in the collective consciousness. There could be no Obama without Bush. Oneness doesn’t require that we perceive it in order for it to be true. As Einstein said, it’s very difficult to be aware of it. But this doesn’t mean it isn’t happening or that it’s a free pass to sit around. On the contrary, we all have a unique and active role in the unfolding of that creation. Each of us has a special part to play in the “task” of healing. In fact that’s kind of what I was trying to say in the previous post.

My friend arrived at the understanding of connectedness through science. I came to it through more spiritual means of study. Someone else may learn it through worldly travel and another through volunteer work. Or golf. It doesn’t matter. We will all end up in the same place. My friend and I were brought together by the swine flu, and even that—swine flu—can be a means for shaking the sleep of separation from our eyes. Anything can be used to help us understand our oneness if we choose to see it that way.

We must change our worldview, as Einstein said, not only for the healing of the world but also for our “inner security.” The cruelty inflicted on a pig in a cage kills us as well. The child neglected by his or her parents and let down by a broken foster care system hurts us too. The question then isn’t how you reach that conclusion. The more important question is how you begin to experience everyone and everything as yourself. For quantum physics attests they are literally a part of you, only your “optical delusion” blocks that awareness. The answer lies in widening your circle of compassion. Within that is the liberation we all seek and the knowingness that there really is only one of us here.

Widening the Circle by Cynthia Morgan

An accredited and sought-after Los Angeles-based board certified hypnotherapist, Cynthia Morgan is known as a spiritual teacher by her extensive clientele. Not only has Morgan improved the lives of her clients, but her unique philosophy that “we don’t need to do anything to heal—rather we need to undo the thoughts that stand in the way of healing” applies to issues with weight, addictions, illness, pain, phobias, depression, and whatever else one deems as a “problem”. Her philosophy and techniques have proven to be highly successful, establishing her as true leader in her field.

Find out more about Cynthia here: www.cynthiamorgan.us
Read Cynthia’s blog here: www.theoverwoman.com

When Jessica Rodriguez stepped up to address the audience in Washington, D.C. along side of Hillary Clinton at the first Pathways to Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs Conference in October, it was a step that few would have imagined her taking just one decade ago–least of all, perhaps Jessica herself.

But the journey that led her to be chosen as an honored guest at the U.S. State Department’s Pathways to Prosperity Program, recognizing woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world, was one that Jessica set in motion many years ago, with the support of Indigenous Designs, a fair trade and organic fashion company, based outside of San Francisco, CA.

Jessica’s story begins in a small, remote community in the Andes of southern Peru, where she was inspired to make a difference in women’s lives.  Jessica’s artisan community was experiencing crushing poverty and hope for prosperity was as scarce as the jobs that never seemed to materialize. That is, until Jessica created a foundation to train women for job opportunities and connect the artisan knitters in her community to the U.S based organic fashion company, Indigenous Designs. Jessica committed herself fully to creating not only sustainable jobs, but a community connected by family, tradition, and commitment to mutual support and success.

Although there was no viable industry to speak of in Jessica’s isolated Andean community, it did possess a generations-old tradition of artisan textiles.  Among those plying this knitting trade were Mario and Maria Huisa. In their one-room, 8′x8′ house that doubled as a knitting space, the Huisas worked on a single knitting loom to create handmade works of wearable art. The income stream was small, but it was honest work, and it honored their heritage.  When Jessica met the Huisas, she saw a spark in them that deeply inspired her. “They had passion,” she explained, “and they wanted to make a difference within their village and family, but because of their distant location, the opportunity for work was scarce.”

Each night the cold high desert air would sweep through that room, leaving the Huisas concerned for their children’s health.

“Children are dying in the highlands during the winter months and it is a big problem,” Jessica said.  “It is not their fault that they were born in a poor area with no opportunity for work and such desolate conditions.  I met these people and I just wanted to do my part to bring them work and opportunity.”

One day in 1998, Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds, two young social entrepreneurs and co-founders of Indigenous Designs, walked into the lives of the Huisa’s. They came with a unique, sustainable, fair-trade business model that respected both people and the environment. Jessica’s efforts to employ the women of the region appealed deeply to the young entrepreneurs, and the Huisa’s artful skill and determination was a catalyst for expansion.  Soon Scott and Matt made plans with Jessica to oversee the Indigenous Designs fair trade production model in the south of Peru so that she could hire more artisan knitters and in turn, pay them better wages.

Jessica is now responsible for over 700 families, with each family earning good, fair living wages through Indigenous Designs’ production.  The Huisas are still producing for Jessica and Indigenous.  Through their hard work and initiative they have built a bigger, warmer home, and their workshop has grown to have ten hand powered knitting machines, providing work for more than 35 artisan knitters in their local community.  The commitment and vision shared by the Huisas, Jessica, and Indigenous Designs has led to their joint success. “We shared a fundamental belief that with opportunity and sustainable planning, positive change would happen,” Scott Leonard said.

It was precisely this belief that the State Department sought to recognize when they invited Jessica to speak and tour as part of its Pathways to Prosperity for Women Entrepreneurs. The program recognizes woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world that provide an example of entrepreneurship and empowerment that can help lead communities out of poverty and into shared prosperity.

During the conference, Secretary Clinton discussed how empowering women was integral to progress, prosperity, and peace in every country, and praised women like Jessica Rodriguez for having the courage and commitment to work for a better future.

Fifteen years ago Indigenous embarked on a journey that required creating a unique, one of a kind foundation with community and the environment as corner stones.  Sustainability, patience, passion and love define the seeds that took root to form Indigenous.  It was these seeds that forged the Indigenous path in remote cottage industry communities throughout Peru and Ecuador.

“Working one step at a time, the growth we have helped accomplish within our cottage industry communities has been transformative, empowering and uplifting. Today, we provide work to over 1,500 artisan families throughout South America,” Matt Reynolds said.

Indigenous has won awards for its ability to form networks that provide education, fair trade and organic certification, opportunities for advancement, and other vital forms of assistance to help elevate these talented artisans onto the world stage.  The company takes a sustainable approach to fashion, focusing on attention to style, detail, and luxurious eco fibers, while embracing fair trade principals and the time honored skills of artisans.

Indigenous provides shoppers with alternatives to conventional fashion by offering organic, eco-friendly creations and novel designs that result in a cohesive collection of go-to favorites for the modern woman, without submitting to a unethical manufacturing processes that are short-sighted and harm the environment.

“We design and produce fashion that honors both people and the planet,” says Leonard, “Our designs appeal to both the fashionistas and sophisticated consumers. Our customer is looking for premium quality ethical fashion with ‘go anywhere, always-appropriate’ styling.”  That’s what we do, and we are proud to bring our designs to the world through empowering production partners like Jessica Rodriguez.

In Green Tea Living: A Japan-inspired guide to eco-friendly habits, health, and happiness, author Toshimi A. Kayaki shares timeless wisdom from her native Japanese culture through useful tips and anecdotes.

She recently shared a few with The Green Dove…

1 Create smoother, younger-looking skin with a green tea face pack. Grind up used green tea leaves into a powder, then mix with water and flour until it forms a paste. Wash your face, and then apply the pack for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and follow up with your favorite lotion.

2 Drink green tea to lose weight. Drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn up to 80 extra calories!

3 Use wet green tea leaves to clean your house. Green tea is not only an eco-friendly cleaning option, but will leave your rooms sparkling and smelling fresh! Squeeze most of the water out of wet tea leaves, and then place on dirty floors or dusty surfaces. Brush the leaves back and forth in small strokes, allowing the tea leaves to pick up dust and dirt. Sweep everything into a dustpan when finished.

4 Use vinegar for even the most heavy-duty cleaning! Vinegar will shine up sinks and counters, as well as kill bacteria. Scrub the slime out of your bathtub, disinfect cutting boards; even combine 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash your floors. Simple, cheap and most importantly, not harmful to the environment.

5 Mix your own vinegar conditioner for soft, shiny hair. In an empty plastic bottle combine 16 oz water, 4 tbsps white or rice vinegar, and 3 or 4 pieces of fresh rosemary or sage. Just as effective as expensive conditioner, but far more economical.

6 Make your sweaters look like new. Rub a sweater with the rough edge of a dry sponge to easily get rid of pilling fabric.

7 Repair dry or damaged skin with a soothing green tea bath. Steep one green tea bag in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pour the tea water into your bathwater. The vitamins and catechins in green tea will kill bacteria on your skin and smooth away imperfections, not to mention contribute to a relaxing bath!

8 Mix homemade sake lotion. This simple lotion and moisturizer only requires two ingredients and some time in the fridge. Mix 7 oz cold sake and 1-½ pints water, then allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few days. Dab onto skin with a cotton ball. (Make sure to test this out on your hands before applying it elsewhere!)

9 Drink vinegar and water for better health.  Just sipping a little vinegar every day can improve your digestion and skin complexion. Combine 1 part rice or apple cider vinegar with 7 parts water.