Image: Climate Quilt Campaign

Climate Quilt Campaign was created by Habitat Heroes and the Green Schools Alliance and is an effort to tangibly connect children worldwide around the issue of Climate Change.

In recent weeks, the campaign has gained momentum with an even in New Jersey, a large celebration in Australia, and most recently children who created pledge patches were interviewed for Good Morning America. Students from three different schools in the Metro NY area were interviewed by meteorologist Sam Champion on the national morning show today.

Children in every country and city throughout the world can get involved through their schools or individually to have their pledge patch included by going to climatequilt.org.

Post from: Blisstree

Climate Quilt Campaign

Image: sxc.hu

Do we have the correct data or simply what politicians and those making money from the big industry of environmental and global warming wants us to know?  Are scientists, who present data that disproves the theory of global warming (and this group is growing), discredited and even lose their jobs because they’re not “politically correct” in their beliefs?

Holly Fretwell, a natural resources management expert, has a well researched and documented book out there, The Sky’s Not Falling! Why It’s OK to Chill About Global Warming, that presents a common sense view, with facts, on this topic, without the scare tactics the politicians and environmental businesses are using.  She also includes “fun facts” for the youngsters reading the book.

(Holly’s most recent book – Who is Minding the Federal Estate?: Political Management of America’s Public Lands.)

Post from: Blisstree

Are We Teaching Kids Global Warming Lies

If you’re talking about recycling and reusing fabric to make your quilts, then our ancestors of days ago were right in style as they reworked worn clothing, cutting up items they could no longer use for the original purpose.  They were into Earth Day projects and never knew it.

Image: flaivoloka

Today, quilts are made from recycled fabric and leftover scraps from other projects.  Also, quilters and fabric artists create items, such as tote bags and grocery totes with recycling and earth symbols.

Another project involves quilters each contributing a square toward an Earth Day quilt.  In this case, youngsters in grades 4-7, are entering an Earth Day quilt block into a contest.

Terri Power, at Morning Earth, has a fascinating way to create an Earth Quilt. This isn’t made of fabric, but of actual natural earth materials placed into like containers.  Then the containers are assembled into a quilt like pattern, as the youngsters learn about earth and its components.

Norma Bradley, a multi media artist, creates both fabric quilts and earth quilts.  Both of these involve nature and natural images.  Fascinating!.

Do you have any Earth Day quilting and fabric art projects under way?

Post from: Blisstree

Earth Day Quilting/Fabric Art Projects

1. How would you describe Unplugged Living in one sentence?
   Unplugged living is about alternative energy, conservation, recycling,
   and other things that could help offload mother nature.
2. Do you ever wish that kids or spouses had a plug that you could pull when necessary?
   Oh definitely. I have a son and when he was around 2 to 3 years old,
   you just wish there’s a plug or an off button so you can turn him
   off. I think they call this age, the terrible twos where they climb,
   write on the walls and do stuff that you told them not to do.
   Now that my son is 4 years old, I need that plug for another reason.
   Whenever we go to the mall and he sees the toy section, he will force
   his way to that area and find a toy that he wants and won’t let go.
   If I only have a remote where I can type “shutdown now” just like what
   I do when I shutdown my linux machine, that would be very very
   helpful.
3. I see that you have a lot of solar posts on your blog. Would you say that the sun is the best kept secret in energy sources, or the most ignored?
   I think it is. It is an open secret if you can say that because a lot
   of people know that solar technology exists but they don’t find ways
   to use it. The sun has the capacity to power the entire planet
   several times over.
4. Recycling…I think that it is a good thing, but I am leery of recycled
    water. It just seems gross. What is your take on it?
   I give it to somebody who doesn’t complain. My lawn and my plants
5. Earth Day…The earth only deserves one day of recognition? Yet we abuse it
   everyday. Don’t you agree that it should be earth day, everyday?
   Yup. I agree. Everyday should be Earth Day.
6. What is the one conservation project that you are most proud to say that you
   take part in?
   I say it would be the continuous waste segregation. It is simple and
   yet is has one of the most impact in conservation. One doesn’t need
   any special devices, just the will to segregate your household waste.
   Our whole neighborhood is involved so it is great to see other
   people make simple contributions for conservation.
7. What is one plugged in item, in your house, that you couldn’t live without?
   I think that would be the refrigerator, otherwise all our food would
   spoil and we need to keep on going to the grocery every day. That
   would be a total waste of petrol.
8. What made you decide to blog about freeloading off of Mother Nature?
   It’s one of my passion. Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated with
   solar energy, wind energy and other renewable energy sources.
   One of my goals is to live entirely using power that I produce. It
   might take a lot of money to do that but that’s one of the things I
   really want to achieve.

Noel Bautista

Post from: Blisstree

Let’s Talk About Pulling The Plug

I was part of a group discussion on a parenting forum, not too long ago. We were all sharing tips and just generally gabbing for the sake of enlightenment. The subject of vehicles came up. I was asked what type of vehicle I drive. I knew that the question was a loaded one, but answered it anyway. Bracing myself for the verbal abuse I would surely receive from all of the eco friendly mamas, I answered, “A 15 passenger van.” Immediately, the rude backlash began. “Why?” “Do you really need that big of a van?” “Don’t you care about the environment?” The conversation sure does get ugly when politics, religion and Oprah are involved. Thank God I was smart enough to keep my opinions on Oprah in a quiet, inaccessible part of my mind. Otherwise, I might have been completely shredded by the pirana like chompers of the hybrid driving, Oprah loving women in the chat room.

After a long sigh, I decided to just try and laugh it off, then change the subject. I know from experience how fruitless these types of conversation can be. They are a no win situation. I wasn’t in the mood to call a draw, so I opted for the “Let’s change the subject” maneuver. One particularly opinionated hippie mom wasn’t biting. “I suppose you also buy your kids name brand clothes from Old Navy and The Gap!” She snottily chimed in. After I told her that the correct name of the store was just “Gap,” no “The” included, I asked her to elaborate. Now this lady had piqued my interest. She said that with as many little eco sucking leeches as I had, I should be trying to give back to the earth as much as possible. I should be dressing my kids in clothing made of recycled hemp. I should make them myself. I should only buy organic food, grown on farms who donate proceeds to worthy causes. I should have solar energy panels installed. I should only use recycled water outside. I should….yadda, yadda, yadda.

I heard every word that she preached, but after her reference to my spawn as “leeches,” I stopped caring. Maybe my kids do use the earth’s resources. Yes, they live off the fruits of the land. Yes, we drive a van that costs 98 dollars to fill up with fossil fuel. Yes, I shop at Old Navy and Gap. I do what I can for the environment and do not feel guilty that I am not an overzealous, tree hugging, picket organizer (no offense to all of you who are.) I barely have the time and energy to do the little things, like cooking, laundry, cleaning and nurturing my children, as it is. I’m lucky to be able to squeeze in a little tree hugging now and then, but when I do, it is done in love. This lady and her nasty name calling was just trying to piss me off and she succeeded beautifully.

“You know what?”  I asked, mounting my own pulpit. “Maybe we aren’t the most conservation minded folks, but we do what we can. The last thing I need to hear is criticism about how I’m not doing enough. Oh, and let me put this as nicely as possible…Your bitchy way of recruiting more soldiers for your cause is not a very good one. You suck at using people skills. Maybe you should spend less time with your arms wrapped around trees and a little more in charm school, you cow!” Her response was quick, “That was putting it nicely?” I laughed. “Yeah, I’m about as good at being nice as I am about saving the earth.” She was highly offended and I could care less. Let this be a lesson to all of us. When attempting to make your noble cause look worthy, refrain from likening people and their children to blood sucking invertebrates. It will never end well!

Post from: Blisstree

Love For The Earth = Hatred For Humans?