Celebrating Earth Day 2007

Earth Day is not one of those holidays that you put on a party hat, blow a whistle and drink a mimosa brunch. Although my hubby would argue that sounds pretty darn good! Earth Day is a day to celebrate Mother Earth and reflect on what's our responsibility and what we can do to improve what we are already doing. I can't help but feeling that the things I do that have become second nature are now a stepping stone for bigger challenges. I'm not an environmentalist by trade, most of us aren't. But global warming issues have found their way into our lives alongside with our daily challenges, relationship matters, house chores and bill paying. On Earth Day, jot down 10 things you would like to accomplish this year that can help you reduce your footprint on Earth.

Ten Things you can start doing now

1. Take a break from meat, dairy and eggs for just one day and spare animal suffering
Trust me, it's not as hard as it sounds. I do it every day and I'm not that special ;-) Check out the super delicious tofu scramble recipe at The Post Punk Kitchen or check out my buddy Colleen's recipes at www.compassionatecooks.com for some kicking yum-yums!

2. Donate your time, money or talents
to an organization that helps those in need— especially those without a voice, like children and animals.

3. Get to know thy neighbor
Connecting with your community is a powerful way to engage in the world and highly underestimated. Hang out outside your house or apartment and greet those passing by, get to know what's happening, don't get alienated in your own world.

4. Put aerators in your faucets
These are very cheap (about $3 bucks) and will save water. You just screw them under your faucet. Go for 0.5 gpm to save the most.

5. Plant something
You don't need a big backyard. Heck, I do, but my everlasting bamboo grove makes it impossible to have a bucolic English garden with Disney characters leaping for joy. So if you have a window, like most people, go to your local nursery and get a planter, some dirt and some plants. Get your hands dirty. Feel the soil in your hands. Simple and gratifying experience.

6. When money's tight, make a point to buy at least 1-2 recycled products and/or 1-2 organic fruits+veggies
Organic produce and products that have less impact on the environment are competitively priced but still a bit more expensive than the conventional stuff. When hitting hard times, make a point to buy at least one package of recycled toilet paper or an organic bell pepper. Check out the products you use most on a company's website for coupons as well.

7. Shop at your local grocery store
I'm going to be one of those crazy old ladies that the store manager comes up to and says, "'Mam, you've been here for 10 hours. You have to go home now. Do you have a home?". My point is, your local grocer has locally grown produce, bulk items and, if you're lucky like I am, less mainstream brands that rock!

8. When buying something that you eat or drink everyday, opt for fair trade
I love coffee. I grew up on coffee. I shall die drinking coffee (I love tea too, but coffee was my first love). If it's something you ingest every day and its production engages in unfair workers' compensations, buy fair trade and you can rest assured that the workers that brought you that product are making a dignified living wage.

9. Be positive
Wait, that's not a sustainable advice! Sure it is. This one is going to make me sound like a total hippie, but if you can just envision the kind of world you want to create, then start working towards that. Everything in our lives emanates from our own doing, so have fun while building a more sustainable world.

10. Keep learning
Analyze every 6 months to 1 year what you have done to accomplish your environmental goals. Assess and correct what you would like to see change. Some decisions might cost money, some might cost nothing, but in the end, it's guaranteed you'll save money and resources.

Spotlight: East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse

The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse is a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting people to re-use discarded materials for educational or artistic purposes. They educate the public on waste reduction and recycling and offer an activity-based outreach program for elementary and middle schools. They are moving from the border of Oakland/Berkeley to Oakland and Designarchy is helping them with the promotional materials for the move. Although a new logo wasn't requested, it was very much needed as the existing trash can logo was a bit dated. We've incorporated the trash can in the new logo and now it's ready for the 21st century! Our intention was to use lots of white space because when most people think of trash, they think it's "dirty". White space, like in museums and galleries, helps to frame the artwork. In addition, we'll be working on the signage for the new store. That's going to be really fun because, as we're doing part of store signage typographically, we're also inviting school children to make art that will be incorporated in the signs. We are timing it so it happens on Earth Day. It will be great to get the community involved, get the kids to feel good about something they made and end up with a unique set of signs that showcases the usage of discarded materials. Check them out at: www.creativereuse.org (the new splash page will be up in a few days. Come back!)

Design Tip: Mind the Life Cycle

We are born, we live and then we die. Same with any life cycle. The life of a design is no different. When you think about your next project, talk to your printer to maximize the sheet size, or think about how that package can be discarded. Think about the end of the cycle while initiating its life.