High School Bike Bus
January 19, 2010 | by Dylan | 1 Comment
High School Bike Bus from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.
For far too long have the jocks with the nice cars been praised at High School. Whether it be the class of ‘69 jock pulling up in his black Camaro, the class of ‘84 cheerleader standing next to her red Mustang 5.0 or the or the class of ‘01 basket ball star rolling up to school in his Hummer; no longer do these symbols of class impress us. It was cool for a long time, but now? That’s why this story really made my day.
The student initiated bike club rides every morning and picks up its members, just like a school bus, so that they can all ride together. A teacher from their school adds, “This club is definitely ‘the thing’ to do at the school right now. The school is located in a district where a lot of people ride out of necessity, so I can’t say cycling was a cool thing before. I would say many people saw people riding and associated it with the poorest members of their community. The club is changing perceptions among the students for sure. Additionally, these kids understand that they are changing perceptions about Orlando as a cycling city and they are all over it.”
via(manivela delivery / streetsblog)
EAT DIRT
January 18, 2010 | by Maxwell | Comment
The “News” has been drenching us with coverage of the Earthquake in Haiti. Before the earthquake, there was little reporting on the dismantling of Haiti’s economy. However, CNN deserves accolades for highlighting SOIL, a non-profit organization who’s goal is to broaden the community of people concerned about development and social justice in Haiti by installing composting toilets.
Right now, donating money is popular. The founders of SOIL were motivated to make a difference long before it was as easy as sending a text message to Wyclef.
Read their first-person account here as they react to the disaster. SOIL has decided to devote 100% of all donations that come in the next month to disaster relief. Donate here
Pure Water Made Portable
December 7, 2009 | by Keegan | Comment
Now, we all know that buying new shit isn’t the answer to the world’s problems. Regardless, TMY is proud to present you with the opportunity to have clean water on the go and support a worthwhile set of organizations at UCSD. We’re peddling these radical water bottles with built-in filters that are suitable not only for everyday use with tap water, but camping, emergencies, and apocalypse preparedness as well! Dip it in a river or lake, snap the top back on and enjoy. Check the specs here.
The student organization responsible for this fundraiser, Aquaholics Anonymous, states that “All proceeds go towards developing a low-water irrigation system for the Urban Farm, Compost Site, Neighborhood Garden, and Native Plant Garden at UC San Diego.”
As a member of the Sustainable Food Project at UCSD, the push for an Urban Farm on campus is a project I’m currently working on. In the wacky world of student politics, I’ve learned that a little bit of dough has to stretch a long way, and that every opportunity to fund a sensible project is valuable. Our goal is to create a rich learning environment at the school where students have the opportunity to learn biointensive organic farming methods, and reconnect with the food cycle.
If purchasing one of these bottles and supporting a noble cause interests you, please contact me via email. We are selling these BPA-free bottles for $20 each (They’re up to $25 plus shipping online!) and have a life meant to last over 300 refillings. Max and myself will be offering free bicycle delivery of the bottles within San Diego City (Anywhere that falls South of the 8, North of the 94, and West of the 125). If you live elsewhere, delivery can be easily arranged.
keeganoneal@gmail.com
Tags: food > fundraiser > students > UCSD > water
Just in time for Christmas!
December 2, 2009 | by Maxwell | 1 Comment
The well-informed Annie Leonard simplifies the big ideas of today in her on-going video series. In this short, Annie gives a light and friendly presentation of the dark and terrifying blender that is, consumer culture. Find more of Annie’s short films here.
Adkill
December 1, 2009 | by Keegan | Comment
It’s no mystery that we’re bombarded on all fronts with advertising. Some can be funny or interesting, some an eyesore. On a recent internet prowl related to Buy Nothing Day 2009 [see previous post] I found a group called the Space Hijackers highlighted an initiative to remove some of the eyesores.
Teams of “obviously highly trained professional” (maybe…) Advert Removers took to the London Underground and flipped over advertisements to their blank side, effectively reclaiming public spaces back from corporate interests.
I stumbled upon this little nugget via Guerrilla Innovation, a wonderful collection of artistic and social projects from around the globe that get people to stop and think. Check them out and get inspired!