2008 Woodie Awards
How to change the world from your chair
Jessica Corey-Butler
Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Kermit the frog said, "it's not easy being green." As Earth Day approaches, pondering the meaning of that statement becomes timely. Dictionary.com defines green as being "a supporter of a social and political movement that espouses global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility and nonviolence."
It is a weighty concept, an important concept and one that we can all follow, at least in part. And it does not have to be as tough as Kermit makes it out to be. Here are three easy ways we can all be activists from the comfort of our homes.
Be a conscious consumer.
Think about what you are buying, where it is coming from. Think about the route that object took in getting into your hands. Were pesticides, hormones or biological engineering involved in the making of that product? Were unfair labor practices employed in developing and selling that product? Is that product necessary to your well-being?
It's not necessary for every object consumed to be a matter of life and death, but when most of the items you wear, eat or enjoy involve the exploitation of someone or something, then it is time to reconsider your consumption practices.
Antidotes: when you do buy, buy local. Buy small. Buy from responsible companies.
View smart.
You don't need to kill your television, just practice tough love. Consider media literacy. In nutshell, media literacy involves thinking about what you're seeing, thinking about what you're not seeing and thinking about who's trying to tell you what to believe.
Subtle messages from the media can begin to wear away logical defenses, which can create a false insulation. For instance, we can think a petroleum company couldn't possibly be bad, because they're helping to clean up that oily little bird. But we have to remember who was responsible for the oil getting on the bird, in the first place.
Antidotes: Think, question and think some more. Turn off the TV and listen to some music. Engage in some art. Talk to another human about the things you are thinking.
Create Community.
True, today we're busier than we were, and that has repercussions. We rarely know our neighbors, our involvement in civic organizations is down and we're fostering an individualism that's counter to social progress.
Antidotes: Becoming part of an active community can be as easy as setting up an online community group, or volunteering at a local school for an hour.
Granted, there are some activities that require getting up out of your Barcalounger, but think of the greater good you will be a part of.
It is a weighty concept, an important concept and one that we can all follow, at least in part. And it does not have to be as tough as Kermit makes it out to be. Here are three easy ways we can all be activists from the comfort of our homes.
Be a conscious consumer.
Think about what you are buying, where it is coming from. Think about the route that object took in getting into your hands. Were pesticides, hormones or biological engineering involved in the making of that product? Were unfair labor practices employed in developing and selling that product? Is that product necessary to your well-being?
It's not necessary for every object consumed to be a matter of life and death, but when most of the items you wear, eat or enjoy involve the exploitation of someone or something, then it is time to reconsider your consumption practices.
Antidotes: when you do buy, buy local. Buy small. Buy from responsible companies.
View smart.
You don't need to kill your television, just practice tough love. Consider media literacy. In nutshell, media literacy involves thinking about what you're seeing, thinking about what you're not seeing and thinking about who's trying to tell you what to believe.
Subtle messages from the media can begin to wear away logical defenses, which can create a false insulation. For instance, we can think a petroleum company couldn't possibly be bad, because they're helping to clean up that oily little bird. But we have to remember who was responsible for the oil getting on the bird, in the first place.
Antidotes: Think, question and think some more. Turn off the TV and listen to some music. Engage in some art. Talk to another human about the things you are thinking.
Create Community.
True, today we're busier than we were, and that has repercussions. We rarely know our neighbors, our involvement in civic organizations is down and we're fostering an individualism that's counter to social progress.
Antidotes: Becoming part of an active community can be as easy as setting up an online community group, or volunteering at a local school for an hour.
Granted, there are some activities that require getting up out of your Barcalounger, but think of the greater good you will be a part of.
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