From her home in Australia, to the slums of Bangladesh, Amanda Ryan is an earth angel who is proving that age and experience mean little when it comes to making a big difference.

When you read Amanda’s resume, its hard to believe she was in high school just four years ago. The Bachhara company director, founder of JAAGO Australia and fair-trade fashion designer has never let her age or lack of formal experience stop her from achieving what most others could only dream of.

She left her hometown of Wollongong, Australia, at 16 to live and study in Japan. This led her to work for an international non-profit organization and later to travel through India volunteering for charitable organisations. Amanda discovered while the need and chaos of India overwhelmed many people, it balanced her out. So, she began searching for new opportunities to live and work in Asia – a quest which led her to the slums of Bangladesh and the people of JAAGO.

Describe yourself when you were young… did you always know you wanted to make a difference?
When I was young I guess you could say I was the class clown and constantly in trouble. But I was always extremely interested in international politics and what was going on in the world. In high school I would often attend events on human rights, making the long trek by myself on a train from Wollongong
to Sydney.

Ive always known I would do something along the lines of what I am doing now. My current path a been shaped and molded along the way as I have learnt more about myself, the world and what I can do in it. There was never really a point where I said “okay now Im going to be a charity worker or philanthropist”. Its more the fact that Im choosing to be a human being who sees all other human beings as my equal and they deserve my respect and as much assistance as I have within my power to give.

What is it about JAAGO and Bangladesh that speaks to you?
My first international volunteer stint was to India. As soon as I arrived in Delhi I felt like I had returned home. I think the chaos of countries like India and Bangladesh level out the chaos of my personality and I feel a real sense of peace being there.

After volunteering at a leprosy colony and girls orphanage in India I realized this is what I wanted to do with myself and I set about trying to research how I could open up and school that would allow children to have the basic right of being able to dream of a bright future. I was deeply saddened in India when I saw that the dreams I had as a child of being a teacher or a doctor or a dancer. Is not a luxury these children have. For me if I could not pursue my dreams I would not be me. Because I can pursue my dreams I am making a contribution to the advancement of our world. Just thinking about all the wasted potential of these beautiful children is heart breaking for them and unfortunate for the whole world.

When doing research about organizations that had a similar ideal to my own about non discriminative assistance, I came across Korvi Rakshand and the Jaago foundation. Two weeks after introducing myself to Jaago founder Korvi over email I quit my job was on a plane and arriving in Bangladesh with my life savings to volunteer for two months.

How has the work youve done so far made a difference?
I dont really know what we measure making a difference on. But I know that 320 children who never had a chance to go to school now have a chance to because of Jaago. This will grow to around 600 by next year with the development of two new schools being built. I think the real difference is the difference.

What is your day-to-day life like?
At the moment my day-to-day life is pretty crazy. A week feels like a day and a month feels like a week. Natalie (Bachhara business partner) and I are extremely passionate about our vision and live and breathe Bachhara constantly. On top of that I am also working on getting Jaago Australia the charity established and trying to help out a school for autistic children in Bangladesh. Im just extremely thankful I have an amazingly supportive partner and family surrounding me.

How can others help?
The thing I really love about Bachhara is that it is so easy to help. Since I have started my work in Bangladesh so many people have contacted me wanting to know how they can help and up until now I have not had an easy way to give people the “how” to help. Women especially always want to look beautiful and as Westerners we will always shop and consume. Bachhara gives you a chance to still do those things without the guilt. You know that youre supporting an intuitive cause that is providing €˜real change in the lives of so many disadvantaged people in Bangladesh.

When are you next off to Bangladesh?
Natalie and I will both be heading to Bangladesh in January to start production of our summer 2011 line. We both love being in Bangladesh very much. Our sewing centre is just off the Jaago Foundation school in the Rayer Bazar slum. We have become familiar faces in the slum area, much to the amusement of the locals. Two tall white women with kids hanging off us constantly provides quiet a show for the local slum dwellers.

How are you helping autistic kids in Bangladesh?
I assist at a school that autistic students. In Bangladesh, autism is something most people know nothing about. Most autistic children are given to an orphanage at birth or they spend their lives indoors in their family home to avoid public embarrassment. I came across a school that happened to keep receiving a large number of students who were autistic yet not diagnosed. I have been doing my best to introduce them to people who know more about autism and provide as much awareness and education on the disability they are dealing with.

Parents now have an alternative to the toxic plastic bottles, which research has shown leaches the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) into food and drink.

Jen Moore, founder of Pura Stainless, has developed an electro-polished stainless steel bottle thats BPA free, hygienic, lightweight and durable. Best of all, it wont leach chemicals into the drink inside.

The product is also the first and only infant and toddler bottle to be designed to work with wide neck nipples.

The Green Dove caught up with Jen to get the lowdown on her new award-winning bottles and to get her thoughts on why the public has only recently been told about the cancer-causing chemical, BPA.

What was the inspiration behind the product?

Pura Stainless was created with a simple vision: to make a difference by responsibly manufacturing a safe, durable, and cost-effective alternative to bottled water and the inadequate reusable bottles available to consumers. While our legacy product is a line of stainless steel adult bottles, we founded the company with a goal of producing the first adaptable and 100% plastic free bottle in the world.

As you know, the Pura Kiki bottle is the first and only infant and toddler bottle to be designed to work with wide neck nipples and spouts from a variety of manufacturers and comprise a stainless steel cap.

The Climate Quilt Campaign (www.climatequilt.org), an International initiative created to encourage youth worldwide to get involved with protecting the environment was recently on display at the UN Climate Conference and is now headed back to the US for Earth Day (April 22).

The quilt was on display at both the NGO reception and the Global Day of Conversation in Copenhagen. Students around the world have designed “pledge patches” from recycled materials with their individual promises to preserve the future of the planet.

In Australia, the quilt has already gotten the attention of their government officials. The Australian delegation carried a portion of the climate quilt with them to Copenhagen in an effort to show their support of the campaign and help spread the word globally. Senator Penny Wong has made a promise back to the children of her country that have committed themselves to the campaign with her pledge, “To remember your pledges when I am at Copenhagen”.

The Climate Quilt Campaign launched in September during New York Climate Week as an initiative of Habitat Heroes with only two schools and has grown expontentially ever since. Schools and organizations from states across the US including New York, Connecticut, Maine, Montana, and Arizona s have already sent in their quilt panels. To date, the campaign has pledge patches from students from around countries such as US, Australia, China, New Zealand, the UK, Phillipines, Africa and South Africa.

The quilt has appeared on such well known television shows as The Today Show, Good Morning America, News 12 and in such high profile websites as Greenrightnow, Treehugger and Blisstree.

Children in every country and city throughout the world can still get involved through their schools or individually to have their pledge patch included by going to www.climatequilt.org.

“This Climate Quilt creates an opportunity to give a voice to our children and is a symbol of their deep commitment to preserve our Earth’s great resources for all future generations,” said Peg Watson, Founder of the Green Schools Alliance.

The campaign is designed to empower youth, raise awareness and build global community. The quilt will ultimately be a representation of children’s hopes and dreams for the future of the Earth and their pledge to do their part to protect the environment.

Years ago I read that children should be kept at least two feet from the television because of harmful electronic emissions. Is this still relevant? Is there a difference regarding this between older and new flat-screen models? – Horst E. Mehring, Oconomowoc, WI

Luckily for many of us and our kids, sitting “too” close to the TV isnt known to cause any human health issues. This myth prevails because back in the 1960s General Electric sold some new-fangled color TV sets that emitted excessive amounts of radiation-as much as 100,000 times more than federal health officials considered safe. GE quickly recalled and repaired the faulty TVs, but the stigma lingers to this day.

But even though electronic emissions arent an issue with TVs made any time after 1968 (including todays LCD and plasma flat screens), what about causing harm to ones vision? Dr. Lee Duffner of the American Academy of Ophthalmology isnt concerned, maintaining that watching television screens-close-up or otherwise-”wont cause any physical damage to your eyes.” He adds, however, that a lot of TV watching can surely cause eye strain and fatigue, particularly for those sitting very close and/or watching from odd angles. But there is an easy cure for eye strain and fatigue: turning off the TV and getting some rest. With a good nights sleep, tired eyes should quickly return to normal.

Debra Ronca, a contributor to the How Stuff Works website, argues that some parents might be putting the cart before the horse in blaming close-up TV watching for their childs vision issues. “Sitting close to the television may not make a child nearsighted, but a child may sit close to the television because he or she is nearsighted and undiagnosed,” she reports. “If your child habitually sits too close to the television for comfort, get his or her eyes tested.”

Of course, excessive TV viewing by kids can cause health problems indirectly. According to the Nemours Foundations KidsHealth website, children who consistently watch TV more than four hours a day are more likely to be overweight, which in and of itself can bring about health problems later. Also, kids who watch a lot of TV are more likely to copy bad behavior they see on-screen and tend to “fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.” Nemours also finds that TV characters often depict risky behaviors (like smoking and drinking) and also tend to reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

There has also been much debate in recent years on the effects of TV viewing on infants. A 2007 Seattle Childrens Research Institute study found that for every hour per day infants spent watching baby DVDs and videos they learned six to eight fewer new vocabulary words than babies who never watched the videos. But a 2009 study by the Center on Media & Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston found no negative cognitive or other impacts whatsoever on those infants exposed to more television than less.

While it may be inevitable that your kids will watch TV, the key, experts say, is moderation. Limit kids exposure to screens of any kind, and monitor what they are allowed to watch. As KidsHealth points out, parents should teach their kids that the TV is “for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.”

CONTACTS: American Academy of Ophthalmology, www.aao.org; How Stuff Works, www.howstuffworks.com; KidsHealth, www.kidshealth.org; Seattle Children’s Research Institute, research.seattlechildrens.org; Center on Media & Child Health, www.cmch.tv.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.

Why its great: While The Looking Book is aimed at children, it’s also a great reminder for big kids too: take time to unplug yourself from your computer, television and iPod, and get back to nature. Take time for the simple stuff. Learn to breathe again and be at one with the world outside. With many children addicted to the modern technologies that fill our homes, this beautifully illustrated book (thanks to artist Patrice Barton) teaches there is a world of possibilities outside the front door. It just takes a little imagination to get Kenny and Mikey past the front step.

Whos reading it: Parents who want to show their children there’s more to playing than hooking up Nintendo or spending hours in front of a computer screen. The Looking Book is also a favorite among kids who love to explore and put their imagination into practice.

What youll learn: That it’s important to stop and smell the roses. That using your imagination may well be the key to helping your children use theirs.

Want to know more? Head to Amazon.com to order your copy or visit www.pkhallinan.com

As Christmas day nears, I’ve been thinking about jolly ol’ Santa and his love for milk and cookies … how his turning vegan could be the biggest gift to vegan activists everywhere.

Imagine the influence he’d have. Children worldwide would be begging their parents for freshly-made almond milk with a side of raw vegan truffle balls, forget the cows, thank you very much.

So, without further adieu, here is my letter to Santa this year-10 reasons he should go vegan. I just hope he gets it on time…

1. Your cholesterol levels, Santa, would be back to normal. No more need for those pesky GP visits and poisonous pharmaceuticals;

2. Your energy levels would skyrocket, especially if you adopt a mostly raw diet. Raw, live foods are packed with enzymes, which are the givers of life. Kids everywhere want to see you around for a long time to come. Eating raw and vegan is healthy for you, animals and the planet.

3. Santa, I know you love animals. What bigger gift could you give to them than not eating or wearing them?

4. I don’t mean to be rude, Santa, but being overweight is a serious risk to your health. Did you know tummy fat raises your risk for high blood cholesterol by about 50 percent? A healthy vegan diet will have you at your optimal weight in no time.

5. Most cookies are laden with butter and processed sugar. Many of the mass-produced kind are even worse, with ingredients made up of numbers and boasting names impossible to pronounce. Santa, do you know where your cookies came from?

6. Drinking cows milk has been linked to all sorts of dis-eases, including asthma, osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and more. Making milk from nuts is a cinch and doesn’t require harming animals or using massive amounts of the earth’s energy.

7. I hate to be the one to break it to you Santa, but that big fur collar that keeps you warm as you deliver your presents once belonged to real, live animals – defenseless creatures who were tortured and skinned without a second thought. I’ve also been told that fur has formaldehyde in it, which has been known to cause cancers. I don’t want you getting sick, Santa.

8. I know eating on the run must be tempting to a busy man like you, Santa. But I think you should know that fast food meats have thousands of additives that are addictive and fattening. Much of the meat on menus today are also full of pesticides and hormones.

9. Bacon and pork may be tempting, but did you know that pigs are more intelligent than dogs? Word has it they are intelligent as a three year old. I know you’d never eat a three year old, would you, Santa?

10. Those fancy leather seats in your sleigh may be comfy Santa, but did you know how many cows died to make them? If you compare your ride to the average Mercedes Benz, my guess is around seven.

So Santa, if you’re reading this, I urge you to take the pledge. Go vegan in 2010. Imagine the energy you’d have delivering presents next year. Those rosy cheeks would have a truly healthy glow, Mrs Claus could learn new culinary skills, whipping up raw vegan recipes to share with the elves. I’m certain Rudolph would be grateful too, knowing for certain he won’t be re-named venison when it’s time for retirement.

And to PETA, I think I’m onto something. I’ll let you take it from here.

10 Reasons Santa Should Go Vegan from Diary of a Vegan

Did you know that moving house can be one of the most stressful times in your life? Its right up there with losing your job, divorce or the death of a loved one, as one of the biggest causes of stress.

Ive been there. In 2007 my husband and I sold our house along with most of our belongings and moved from New Zealand to Panama with our three young kids. We ended up spending 18 months in Central America and lived in Costa Rica for over a year during which time we moved house three times.

Moving house was easier in Costa Rica, because by then wed got rid of most of our possessions and had less to cart around with us. We got good at giving things away, selling them or just chucking out all that rubbish that clutters up our lives.

Moving out of our home in New Zealand was the big one. I certainly felt the stress could come but managed to change that pressure into a buzz so I could enjoy the excitement of change and new beginnings. In the end moving house and countries was a fun way to declutter our lives.

Tips for a stress free move:

1. Get organized in advance. If you leave everything until the last minute it will be stressful. We sold our house five months before we left and then rented it back from the new owner. That way we could relax with the cash in our bank account and not worry about how we were going to finance the move.

2. Start selling non-essential items three months before you leave. Clutter and things you dont use much build up in any house, especially if you have kids. Youll find that there are plenty of things you can off-load two or three months before your move. Stuff like toys, tools, kitchen equipment, many clothes and everything thats broken, or that you never use but have been saving for a rainy day.

3. Organize your personal belongings and paperwork. Get a concertina folder for essential documents like passports, birth certificates, and other certificates and keep them all together. Sort out your personal photos – put them in albums and chuck out all the blurred and boring ones. Give all the kids a memory box – a shoe box will be about the right size for them to keep all their school reports, photos, pictures and keep sakes in. Keep the box small – they will fill it!

4. Maximize this opportunity to minimalize. Theres no point in keeping too much stuff if youre making a big move. Sending it overseas may cost more than replacing it and this is the ideal time to become more minimalist and get rid of all the possessions that are compromising your freedom. Make a list of everything you want to sell but need to keep until you leave: furniture and big electrical items such as the fridge, washing machine, stereo and dryer.

Write an email with title, description and price. Just sell everything for half what you bought it for. Remember, you want to get rid of it. Now email this to all friends and colleagues who live nearby. I predict a feeding frenzy. Print out the email, ask people to commit to buying something and add their name by the item. Ask them to swing by on moving day and pick it up. Simple yet effective and your friends will be delighted.

5. Have a huge garage sale for smaller items. Think of it as being paid to clean out your house and declutter your life. Again, remember to sell everything for a low price because your main aim is to get rid of stuff. If youre not comfortable making money from selling your old clothes, toys, crockery and books then mention in the garage sale ad that all proceeds will go to a worthy cause, like Guampedia or your favourite charity.

By now your house, cupboards and garage should be looking nice and empty which will make cleaning easier. Dont pack or store any breakables unless they have sentimental value or are not replaceable. Things like crockery and glasses can be picked up when you get there.

6. Packing. You can start packing up things youre taking early too. Buy a big roll of bubble wrap, masking tape, cardboard corners for pictures and some tea-chests from removal company then pack a few things each night or blitz the lot in one day.

Give the kids one small box each for toys they want to keep. This will focus them on not over-packing and on getting rid of everything they dont need any more. Tell them youll use some of the proceeds from selling their old stuff to fund a great family outing from your new home.

7. Moving day. When your friends come round to collect all the stuff they bought offer them all the crockery and glasses you needed until the last moment. If they dont want it ask them to drop it off at a charity shop for you. Theyll be so pleased with the great deals they got from you theyll be happy to oblige. Finally have a good clean up or use some of your garage sale money to hire a cleaner.

Boom! Youre out of there.

With less clutter tying you down, the world is your oyster. Just imagine if you were really good and got rid of it all, youd be free as a bird.

If youre like me youll enjoy the process of clearing out and moving house. Plus, its great knowing that your friends will think of you every time they open that beautiful old trunk you spent weeks restoring.

So you thought moving would be stressful? No way. Just adopt these zen habits before making a move and debunk the myth that moving house is stressful forever.

By Annabel Candy of Get In the Hot Spot. Read more from Annabel Candy at her blog, Get In the Hot Spot, a virtual treasure trove of inspiration, information and idiosyncrasies for people who want to live their dream. Or make her day and keep yourself updated on the latest articles, by subscribing to the free RSS feed.

With much green talk amongst industries and households, eco industry watchers are saying the world has officially entered an emerging green economy – a trend that will only continue to gain momentum, says eco-expert Kim Carlson.

“As the economy rebounds, more investment will pour into green start-ups of all kinds,” she says. “Businesses of all sizes will begin to go beyond greening their facilities and products focusing on greening their corporate cultures to insure that sustainability permeates every nook and cranny of their organization for lasting change.”

Kim says green products will expand into more consumer product categories hitting health and wellness first, including: baby and childrens clothing, personal care and toys, the pet category and home and garden.

“Despite the gloomy economy of the past year, green has been on an unprecedented upswing.”

Here, Kim shares some examples with The Green Dove:

Sustainable Business: The recession has seemed to help green rather than hurt it as businesses large and small are finding ways to do more with less during the recession. After all, wasted resources do have a hefty price tag and do-gooder corporate differentiation does have a revenue upside. According to a September McGraw Hill report 76% of firms in the U.S. have made significant commitments to sustainability. While 57% believe sustainability practices are either unaffected or aided by the down economy. Some big announcements from the biggest corporations on the planet: In March, Disney announced a company wide sustainability initiative that will cut their carbon emissions in half by 2012 and waste – much from construction – eventually to zero.

Green Tech: According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, nearly 40% of all tech investment in the U.S. went to green tech start ups in 2008. Even though venture capital dried up in early 2009, there are signs that money is flowing back into green tech start-ups once again as investors are placing big bets on the “next big thing” as governments work on legislation to clean up the environment. This category includes bio fuels, plant-based cleaning products, renewable energy technologies, transportation and green chemistry.

Green Food: On the green foodie scene, the farm-to-table movement has taken root all over the US. The reality is that the food is fresher and perhaps even more nutritious when it doesnt ride in a truck across the country. According to the National Restaurant Association, green is playing big with chefs and customers this year. There is a trend of reducing waste, energy and water use by restaurateurs and suppliers. Technology has now made it possible to convert used fryer oil into electricity for hot water or to keep the lights on. And maybe for the first time ever, the environment trumps service as chefs are feeling emboldened to say “no” to customers who want out of season produce or seafood that is over-fished. Editor’s Note: The best way for restaurateurs to reduce waste, energy and water is by limiting meat and dairy based on their menus, as meat and dairy production is the number one global polluter.

Green Lifestyles: Out of the 27.5% of the U.S. work force that telecommutes, the Millennials or Generation Y workers are the largest group influencing this work behavior trend. There are 14 million Millennials telecommuting in 2009 according to the Gartner Dataquest report. The reason is that Millennials are tech-savvy, multi-tasking, non-cube dwellers that dont want to be chained to a desk or spend time in an office. They have begun to change the way we live and work. As a result we are becoming more virtually than physically connected resulting in a lower carbon footprint. Millennials are not only changing the way that we work, they are also moving us toward green living with their eco-enthusiasm.

If you live in or are planning a trip to the UK this month, sign up for the Embercombe Sustainable Parenting Weekend, set for August 14 through 16.

A relaxing, fun family weekend away in a beautiful countryside setting, including access to experienced family facilitator Joanna Watters, who brings families together in a warm and supported space.

Embercombe is a social enterprise and charity near Dartmoor in Devon with a mission to inspire committed action for a sustainable world. The organization believes raising children is a key part of this.

Group sizes are limited to six families per program to ensure everyone gets as much time as they need.

“This isnt ‘family therapy’ or ‘crisis management’ but the time most parents need to stop and reflect on how it’s going for them, being a parent,” Joanna says.

For further details of Sustainable Parenting weekends at Embercombe visit www.embercombe.co.uk/parenting.

By Miss Psychette

This week Ive formed a pretty strong decision. I hate television. I hate the way people arrange the furniture in their houses in a circle around it, making it the dominant focus. I hate the fact that the average home has more television sets than people. I hate the way people get so used to watching advertisements, they forget theyre hearing unfounded, biased drivel. I hate the way parents use TV to baby-sit their children, and that children arent playing outside and using their imaginations as a direct result.

Theres so many damaging things that television is doing to you. TV addicts experience obesity, sleep deprivation, and stunted sensory development; children under the age of two who watch too much TV miss out on developing crucial neural links in their brains. Psycho-physiologist Thomas Mulholland found that after just 30 seconds of watching television the brain appears to slow to a halt and produces alpha waves – in other words, youre comatose and hypnotized.

Weve all heard that while a patient is supposedly €˜under (knocked out) during surgery, they can still hear the doctors conversation. These days, doctors know they must not talk about the person under anaesthetic in case their subconscious records it, and psychological damage ensues. But what about all the subliminal messages we feed our brains from those 4.5 hours of TV were watching on average every day? The majority of television shows fill our minds with sensationalist junk, and perpetuate a culture of fear (Swine Flu, Swine Flu, Swine Flu, Global Financial Crisis, Paris Hilton, Swine Flu, violent burglaries, oh and did we mention Swine Flu?)

If the idea of spending a month without a television set in your home is wayyy too challenging for you, then youre addicted. You believe that you need it. But you dont. No human being needed a TV set in the history of the world, up until about 50 years ago. Remember, TV teaches us WHAT to think… not HOW to think. I encourage all of you to switch off, snap out of your trances, and enjoy a real conversation with somebody. The more controversial, meaningful or creative, the better.

For the past decade, Miss Psychette Rebecca Dettman has worked as a journalist, fashion and beauty editor while also reading palms, tea leaves, and psychic energy forecasts for noted members of the media, business and entertainment industries. In Australia, Miss Psychette has conducted psychic work for Hamish & Andy, the Austereo Network and top-ranking corporate executives, and been published by NINEMSN, New Woman magazine and more.