Month: August 2007

Green Computing is Open Source

- Adam Clare

Using opensource technology is better for the environment. Yay for free stuff and protecting that thing I love!

Free software is often usable on older hardware, more secure, more easily customized, less expensive, and available in more languages. These are substantial benefits, but they are all a natural result of the most important considerations—freedom and independence. The celebrated power of the Internet as a tool for political action depends on the ability of ordinary people to have uncensored control over the tools they use to participate in society. If the tools used by activists are proprietary, they will be inherently limited in what they can challenge and change by those who make and exclusively own the tools.

ArtCamp Vancouver

- Adam Clare

Here in Vancouver they got themselves a pretty groovy idea called ArtCamp
based off of other “unconferences”. An unconference is a conference that is organized by the participants and this proves to be no exception (well, if we ignore the funding they’re getting).

From their wiki’s About page:

ArtCamp 07 follows on ArtCamp 06 ArtCamp06, the World’s First Un-Conference on Art, was a groundbreaking day-long event co-produced by New Forms Festival and Upgrade! Vancouver in September, 2006, which was attended by over a hundred artists, designers, programmers, critics, theorists, curators and practitioners from all fields who presented over 30 workshops, talks and hybrid events throughout a single inspiration-filled day.

By the way, I’m sorry about the irregular posting while I’m in Vancouver. If you’re in Vancouver you should come out to Manhunt Vancouver tonight to get inspired for ArtCamp!

Start the Action Habit

- Adam Clare

I’ve been told that some habits are hard to break when referring to bad habits. Let’s reverse that and make a good habit hard to break. Fortunately the people over at Pick the Brain have a great article on the seven ways to grow the action habit.

They encourage people to take action to conquer many aspects of their lives. It’s an inspiring read, and after reading it I’m sure you’ll want to never break the action habit.

4. Use action to cure fear – Have you ever noticed that the most difficult part of public speaking is waiting for your turn to speak? Even professional speakers and actors experience pre-performance anxiety. Once they get started the fear disappears. Action is the best cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will keep getting easier. Kill fear by taking action and build on that confidence.

Facebook for Justice

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

Wal-Mart, the king of conspicuous consumption, has tried to open a group on Facebook only to find that people are well aware of the bad things Wal-Mart does. The good part of this story is that Wal-Mart is getting told by people what they actually think, and Wal-Mart’s being encouraged to take the battering.

I like seeing people use a social networking tool to argue against a corporation with a poor track record on nearly everything.

Greenpeace Reveals Harsh Truths About the Boreal Rainforest

- Vanessa King

Now, you may think that ‘harsh truths’ doesn’t sound a lot like good news. But I beg to differ. I recently joined the Greenpeace e-mailing list, and by doing so I have been updated with some ‘harsh truths’ about our planet, but whats more this information is educating me on how to diminish my effect on the destruction of our planet and contribute to larger scale change. Which I feel is pretty good indeed.
My most recent e-mail was so very eye opening I felt the desire to share what detailed info I came across regarding Canada’s forests.
*Canada’s Boreal Forest is the largest ancient forest in North America and comprises 90% of the Countries remaining intact forest areas, providing habitat for endangered species like the woodland caribou, lynx, grizzly bear and wolverine. It also provides the largest storehouse of terrestrial carbon on the planet!
*The forest is home to nearly a million aboriginal peoples-many of these First Nations and Metis are currently in conflict with logging companies and governments over forestry in their traditional territories.
*Ancient forests are being detroyed at a rate of one football field every 2 seconds, and more than half of all forest destruction has taken place over the past 35 years.
*Consumers like us can make a difference by purchasing recycled paper products or FSC-certified products, refusing to buy from companies that use or sell products made from the destruction of the Boreal Rainforest and by taking action toward greener initiatives.
*In British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest many of these campaigns to stop deforestation, and the support of consumers and companies changing their ways, has led to the protection of great areas of the old growth forests totalling over 2 million hectares!!!!

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