Tread Earth Lightly

Smart Talk - Dr. Sylvia Earle

"A celebrity-based spoken word series, SMART TALK brings the most intriguing and influential women of the day face-to-face with audiences in an intimate theatrical setting. More often than not, the speaker reveals a private side not often seen in public, creating an emotional connection with the audience. SMART TALK shares the stories of incredible women who follow their own paths - undeterred by conventional thinking - to spectacular results empowering all those around her."
- from Smart Talk website.

Tread Earth Lightly will be at the following event. Come join us!!!



Marine biologist Sylvia Earle, named Time magazine’s first “hero for the planet”, is a famed explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and advised several presidents on our marine environment. A record-holding diver who has led more than 60 expeditions, logging over 6,000 hours underwater, Dr. Earle will engage your awareness of what we put into our oceans and what we take out of them, demonstrating the interdependence of land and sea.

This May 11th 2009 Smart Talk will be hosting
Dr. Sylvia Earle - Blue is the New Green
at the

State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Tickets are still on sale for this event, as well as for the rest of the 2009 Smart Talk series.

To purchase tickets you can email tickets@smarttalkmedia.com with the code stmnj1 in the subject line or you can call the theater box office directly at 877-STATE-11

Big Sugar - The truth & history of sugar.

    Sugar and I don't mix, literally! Myself a Type 1 Diabetic, for the past 10 years now, I continually try to stay away from eating too much of it. However, I have a sweet tooth, or two, the size of Texas. If I don't get a sugar fix at least once a day I get cranky (just ask my husband). Though I try to eat homemade, organic, and mostly vegan sweets it is all still too much. After seeing this documentary below I have found another reason why sugar is not so good. And that reason is morality! The ethical and moral treatment of others and land. In this documentary the history of sugar and it's relationship with slavery, poverty, obesity, money, and politics are explained.

    Unfortunately it is a hard truth to swallow, but it one that must be eaten (No pun intended). I do believe that, even considering the predicament we as a human race are in, we can change and free ourselves from 'Big Sugar.' It starts with us as consumers and as parents and mentors. We can begin to stop buying the unethical sugar companies' products and make an effort to buy more responsibly farmed/manufactured sugar. Also, we can teach our future generations about the truth when it comes to sugar consumption and health. It is up to us! The dollar goes a long way especially when we use it in the right direction. Enjoy the film and please share your thoughts.

Part 1

Part 2

SoulPancake

I have recently become more involved with Twitter and started following SoulPancake and the actor Rainn Wilson (one of the creators of SoulPancake) and have found that this one is going in my favorites. It is a community, a website, a blog all in one with a strong emphasis on community and sharing. Here is a video about SoulPancake and what it is. It's a great site and definitely one to visit regularly.

Dr. Vandana Shiva Interview

Maybe it's because I am of Italian decent, or that I am diabetic and have to be very conscious about what I eat, but when I hear about issues dealing with our food I get all fired up. Here is an amazing interview with Dr. Vandana Shiva from Cooking Up A Story, in which she discusses genetically modified food/seeds, organic farming, and world hunger. Please visit Cooking Up a Story for more details on this interview and much, much more! It is one of my favorite sites!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You Are Never Too Old for Yoga!!

This is just down right amazing!! Wow!! She is my new hero!!

Her name is Bette Calman (notice the word "calm" already in her name) is an 83 year old grandmother who has been teaching Yoga for over 40 years now. And she still teaches 11 classes per week! Amazing!

Click on this pic to read the full article & more pics.

John Kabat-Zinn on Mindfulness

Mr. Jalopy on Studio 360

Mister Jalopy is definitely going in right direction of "green." Instead of buying the hot new "green" product, he purchases the old and makes it new. With the recession looming over our heads more and more people are starting to buy second hand instead of new products. With his love for Saturday morning garage sales, Mister Jalopy was at the fore front of this movement way before the recession hit. Not only does he buy second hand he reuses and recycles those items to make awesome new things. From refurbishing old cars to making the World's Largest Ipod (yes there is still room in his life for new technologies) he takes creating to a whole new level. In this interview with Studio 360 Mister Jalopy remembers a time when everyone had a workbench in their house, and most communities had the neighbors whose hobby it was to repair radios, cars, etc. for fellow neighbors. In turn saving money, the planet, and creating stronger communities. So what happened to this ideal way of life? There are many factors causing this change, but a major one is the idea of making everything seem disposable without having any consequences. Though, maybe the recession can be seen as a good thing. Causing this disposable attitude to shift towards a more creative and thrifty way of life. Hopefully, with pioneers like Mister Jalopy, we can all have workbenches again, and join fellow neighbors at early morning garage sales. Below is the interview clip from Studio 360. Enjoy!!