February 14, 2010 by traveler.

See…not everyone hates the snow! Shanti, the snow leopard in the Akron Zoo, looks like she’s having a great time. A fresh snowfall brings such pure joy (until it gets all slushy and gray).

Check out the video of Shanti playing.

Wish I could enjoy the snow- instead I am nursing a sunburn after spending a little too much time under the Saudi sun. Not quite the same.

Posted in Video, Environment | No Comments »

June 22, 2008 by traveler.

I’ve always liked the street art/graffiti aesthetic. From stenciling to characters to lettering, graffiti/street art encompasses some of the most energetic and inspiring works in the art world. Too bad many people don’t consider graffiti part of the art world. If you played word association with 100 random people, I bet at least half would immediately say “vandalism.” A new form of street art emerged which may break that association.

Clean Graffiti, or Reverse Graffiti, creates art by cleaning dirty surfaces. How does this work? Check it out…

Pretty clever. And the Reverse Graffiti Project is sponsored by Green Works (from Clorox)? Wow. Who would’ve thought a cleaning company would help produce a graffiti project? Keep an eye out to see if this is a sales gimmick or future art trend.

Posted in Art, Doing Good, Video, Design, Environment | No Comments »

May 18, 2008 by traveler.

Reduce Reuse Recycle. Words for any environmentalist to live by. When I think reduce, I don’t envision purchasing overpriced silicone wristbands. Yet that is one of the many ‘green’ products being sold these days.

I am all for true ‘green’ products, but I define them as products you would generally use that have a reduced enviromental impact. Buying junk you don’t need and will probably end up throwing out isn’t on my ‘green’ list. Seeing environmental awareness wristbands for sale was the last straw.

First off, I am not one for these wristbands to begin with. They seem to be marketed to someone who puts more effort into projecting that they care about [insert cause here] than actually supporting that cause. On top of that, how ‘green’ are these products exactly? The ones I’ve seen list all the profits that will go to whatever charity, but they don’t explain how the manufacturing of the silicone/plastic wristband itself actually has a positive environmental impact.

Check out these various wristbands for sale:
Earth Day Everyday
Wildlife Warrior
Save Our Earth
Save Your Rainforest

These wristbands all seem to support good causes. I suppose we can’t fault these organizations for developing a popular fundraising tool. However, be a smart consumer. If you want to support these organizations, make a donation. You will still be supporting their cause without consuming another trinket that will end up in a landfill. If you really want to contribute, donate something even more precious- your time.

Posted in Environment | 2 Comments »

April 22, 2008 by traveler.

So what am I doing for Earth Day?  Trying to conserve resources by teaching my puppy to (finally) water the trees outside instead of the carpet inside.  He’s bound to learn one of these days.  The environment deserves more than some annual lip-service, though.  I should do something good everyday.  Tomorrow I’ll put a recycling bumper sticker on my Hummer.  

Hmm…  For some better ideas, check out this page: 
http://www.wikihow.com/Save-the-Environment-at-Home 

Posted in Environment | No Comments »