Blog Action Day 2009 Climate Change
Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web.
One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.
As a parent, the future for my two small children is my primary concern. The damage has been done and the alarming effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, like the recent Swiss warning on the dangerous levels of (now banned, like dioxin and DDT) toxic chemicals from the 70s being released as the Alpine Glaciers melt.
Let’s focus on the good news about climate change. Is there any good news, other than the Dutch beaches on the North Sea will be sizzling like St. Topez? Yes, awareness is a bright spot.
Climate Change is an issue with skyrocketing momentum! Thanks to Al Gore and An Inconvenient Truth, the connection between our actions and the detrimental impact we have on our environment was seared into our global consciousness. Fan or not, the controversy of the film took the conversation mainstream. The level of awareness achieved in the past 3 years, relative to the previous 30 years is astounding!
The current generation of children growing up in the “Post Inconvenient Truth Era”, are well informed and the environmental issues are in the forefront, not an afterthought! For example, my students at New Business School Amsterdam aim to incorporate CSR into every project and business plan as a core component. Unlike some of the conservation messages of my youth, where pollution just caused things to be “less beautiful”, today the consequences are clear!
I thought it would be fun to share with you the most prolific voice from my childhood on the topic of conservation. Woodsy the Owl and his slogan “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” playfully promoted the role each of us plays in safeguarding the environment. The video below is a classic and demonstrates that Woodsy the Owl was ahead of his time advocating everyone’s favorite way to offset carbon emissions- tree planting!
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For Seth Godin, Mind Reading is as Simple as Riding a Bike
Today my husband and I took our 5 year old, Louie, to the park to teach him how to ride his bike. Here in the Netherlands, kids seem to master bike riding before taking their first steps, but the training wheels had come off Louie’s bike a few months ago and the bike had not moved since.
We rode in the grass to soften his fear of falling and I used the technique of running while holding him as he pedaled until he was stable enough not to notice when I let go. It was exhausting (for me), but surprisingly successful!
On the way home, we stopped by my office to drop off something and my husband commented on my recently rearranged bookshelves, now prominently spotlighting my Seth Godin collection and photo taken with Seth in London. “Come on, you are too old to be a Groupie,” my husband teased. “I am a Groupie; end of discussion,” I replied. It was surprising because I had written a post, The Guru and the Groupie, after meeting Seth, but my husband never reads my blog.
My colleague Lisa and I are often amazed by the uncanny timing of Seth Godin’s advice on the various topics we grapple with at the Women’s Buisness Initiative International. Our belief that Seth Godin is a mind reader and that he writes just for us is obviously shared by thousands of other Seth fans. A few hours later, I checked Seth’s blog and for the first time in 3000+ posts, he offers a parenting tip. You can guess the topic of his tip; How to teach your kid to ride a bike!
Today the coincidence was really too much. But even if I lived in a time zone that had enabled me to see the post before the bike riding lesson, I wouldn’t have followed Seth’s advice completely. Rollerblading, as Seth advised, instead of running to keep up with Louie, would’ve guaranteed that Seth’s post tomorrow would be all about a trip to the emergency room!
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The Guru and the Groupie- I saw Seth Godin in London!
My Pilates Trainer flashed a look of disapproval when I told her I was going to London to meet my Guru. No, I wouldn’t miss any workouts; she took offense to my use of the sacred term, Guru, in reference to someone in the Business World; even worse Marketing!
But in the sense that a Guru is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses these abilities to guide others; Seth Godin is my Guru.
He is the expert I turn to every day seeking enlightenment, and somehow he always manages to deliver. Every day(sometimes twice a day) he posts a thought provoking idea, concept or story on his blog. If this is starting to sound like hero worship, I am only getting started!
When Seth Godin announced that he would be in London, I instinctively knew I had to act fast. Immediately, I called my business partner and booked two tickets. Sure enough, the “London Session” was a sold out event , no advertising required. Luckily, the organizer invited us to a “Meet and Greet” with Seth, which resulted in a front row seat for the day.
Why were we so excited to see Seth Live? First of all, in Seth’s own words, “The real world still matters,”. Reading his blog, his 10 best selling books, and communicating via e-mail are not the same as looking someone in the eye, shaking their hand and seeing how they interact with people in real life. Throughout the day, Seth made himself completely accessible; no signs of ego or diva- like behavior. From the front row, I could imagine why a guy might want to shave his head and start acting like Seth; his character is worth emulating.
What would the other members of Seth’s tribe be like in person? I was curious to meet them too. The crowd of 400+ came from all walks of life; from a major music label to indie musicians, big companies like Shell, Microsoft and IBM to plenty of online marketing types. The non-profit sector was also represented, my favorite was a young Vicar in the Church of England, a testament to the fact that we are all in the business of trying to make our story heard!
More than anything, I wanted to see Seth think; and he did not disappoint. He has a very special gift for quickly turning individual questions into answers that interest and appeal to a broader audience. To illustrate how much Seth values authentic conversation over monologue, he spent 75% of his time with us answering questions and only 25% presenting. (This is an admirable goal for any speaker!)
The intensity of his stage presence combined with the never ending flow of provocative ideas, left us all with a headache. Mission accomplished, Seth! We were on our own in London to recover from Information Overload Hangovers. Luckily there is already a support group for people like us! Have you met your Guru lately?
Poverty- Where do we draw the line?
Today is Blog Action Day 2008 and the blogging world has united to take on poverty. Click here for a compilation of Heartbreaking statistics on poverty. As a mother of two kids under 5, seeing the statistics of the +10 million children under age five that are dying each year due to poverty is incomprehensible.
Here are three comments I’d like to add to the global discussion of Poverty;
1. The number of people existing on $10 or even $1 per day are always shocking. Equally shocking is the number of people living beyond their means (especially in North America) that can’t seem to get by on $1,000+ per week.
2. In the context of the ongoing financial crisis, many people are feeling poor or poorer lately that don’t meet the standard definition. Sadly, with job cuts and bank closures rates running neck and neck, many who were previously living comfortably face a dismal financial future.
3. Poverty exists in your own backyard. Even here in the Netherlands, the government sets targets for the financial independence of women and recently announced great news that more than 40% women are financially independent. Where did they draw the line? 10.030 euros!
I was determined to participate in this discussion, yet feel extremely guilty, as I rush through this post to jet off in a few hours to a Holiday in Crete…How do you reconcile your own role in the poverty gap? Do you know people that thrive while living below the line? What if we could all learn to not only survive but thrive with less?
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