Monday, July 28, 2008

The greening of law


Interesting article in the Plain Dealer about law firms going green. From the story: "A recent survey of law firms found that each attorney generates up to 100,000 sheets a year. Assuming a 2,000-hour work year, that's 50 pages an hour. Almost a sheet a minute. Enough paper laid end-to-end to wrap around the U.S. Supreme Court Building 66 times. No wonder some green-minded lawyers are saying no mas."

How much is 100,000 sheets of paper?
A single lawyer can use up to 100,000 sheets of paper every year, a survey found. That's enough to:
• Make up 12 40-foot trees.
• Line Interstate 90 from Dead Man's Curve to Lake County.
• Balance the scales of justice with 50 medium-sized pumpkins.
• Publish 271 copies of John Grisham's "The Partner."
• Stack as high as LeBron James . . . on stilts.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"We wage, in our way, a revolution based on love. We seek to replace an old, oppressive order, not so much politically or socially, but within our minds where it lives and works. We try to hate no one, for we recognize that hatred itself is the enemy. We hope to change the world into a place of grace and love. The first shots have rung out in this revolution, and they were not shots. They were bursts of light, streaming silently yet dramatically through the hearts and minds of millions. This historic unfoldment has already begun, and it is playing out on inner planes." -- Marianne Williamson

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Burning River Fest 2008


Don't miss Burning River Fest 2008, Saturday, August 9th at the Nautica Entertainment Complex. This one day family-friendly festival celebrates our local:


Environmental Organizations
Green Companies
Musicians
Artisans
Sustainable Farmers and Restaurants
Historic Coast Guard Station and
Waterways!


The Nautica Entertainment Complex location provides a scenic view of Cleveland’s riverfront and serves as a living exhibit of the river’s environmental and economic impact on our community. Celebrate and support the crown jewels of our region! Environmental Awareness"Green" organizations, companies and sponsors will delight attendees of all ages with inspiring, interactive and eco-friendly exhibits and demonstrations.


Current exhibitors include:
American Institute of Architects Cleveland
Audubon Ohio
Biodiversity Alliance
bluewaterohio
Chas E. Phipps Company
City of Cleveland - Division of Water
City of Cleveland - Office of Sustainability
Clean Air Conservancy
Cleveland Waterfront Coalition
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Chris Dunmore - Green Stockbroker (FBW)
Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee
Dovetail Solar and Wind
Earth Day Coalition
EarthWatch Ohio
Ecologia LLC
EcoVillage Cleveland
Environmental Health Watch
Fox Natural Building - Straw Bale Building
Friends of the Crooked River
Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Great Lakes Bioneers/Cleveland
Great Lakes Brewing Company's "Pint Size Farm"
Green Clean, Inc.
Green Energy Ohio
Hale Farm & Village (property of the Western Reserve Historical Society)
Holden Arboretum
Leeners/LD Carlson
LilyRox Pet Treats
Load My Groceries
Karma Yoga
Mercy for Animals
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Ohio Concrete - Pervious Surface "Waterpark"
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
PURE FUEL LLC
Royal Oaks Recycling
Royalten Supply Landscape Center
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
Stonyfield Farm (represented by Music Matters)
Stop Beer Warming
Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners
West Creek Preservation Committee
Western Reserve Land Conservancy

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Office Depot goes green


According to LOHAS Online, Office Depot celebrated the grand opening of its first “Green” store, located at 2620 W. Anderson Lane in Austin, Texas. Office Depot’s “Green” store, which is pre-certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards by the U.S. Green Building Council, will use less energy and water in its daily operations, increase recycling and leave a much smaller overall environmental footprint than the typical store of its size. “The City of Austin is the birthplace of the USGBC and a leader in our nations fight against climate change,” said City of Austin Mayor Will Wynn. “We are proud that Office Depot chose to select Austin as the site of its green retail prototype. We think what they are doing shows real leadership and paves the path for more retailers to invest in green building.” Now let's get one in Cleveland.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"It comes down to the age-old choice of separation or unity. Do you want to be fragmented, conflicted, torn between the eternal forces of darkness and light? Or do you want to step out of separation into wholeness? You are a creature who acts, thinks, and feels. Spirituality fuses these three into a single reality. Thinking doesn’t lord it over feeling; feeling doesn’t stubbornly resist the higher brain; doing occurs when both thought and feeling say, "This is right." The one reality can be recognized because once you are there, you experience the flow of life without obstacles or resistance." -- Deepak Chopra

Friday, July 18, 2008

Repowering America


Al Gore delivered an incredible speech titled, "A Generational Challenge to Repower America," at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. It starts like this: "There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more — if more should be required — the future of human civilization is at stake." Read the speech here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Green patriotism


I read the below post over at GreenCityBlueLake, written by Marc Lefkowitz. Very interesting and very applicable:

During the Second World War, conservation at home was more than a virtue, it was a crucial act that every American man, woman and child was asked to make in their daily lives. Saving every last scrap of metal, paper, even grease from frying pans for the good of the troops abroad was embedded in every move you made.

A brilliant series of posters sold the American public on quickly mobilizing around actions like “Plant a Victory Garden”, “Is your trip necessary?” or, emblazoned above an image of a war-weary soldier, “Have you really tried to save gas by getting into a car club?”

The fight against manmade global warming demands a similar mobilization campaign. On July 4th, 40 busses hit the streets of Cleveland with banners designed by Michael Bierut. They are asking people to enlist as a Green Patriot by using mass transit, advocating for green jobs, and changing their daily habits–right now–to improve our chances for survival. The Cleveland posters are a pilot for a nationwide Green Patriot campaign.

This Thursday at 10:30 a.m., join a local group of Green Patriots mustering at Public Square to ride RTA buses and spread the message while building support. You can also go online, sign a petition to fight global warming and create green jobs, figure out ways to tweak your actions to be more green, and view the WWII-era posters that inspired Green Patriots.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Spiritual growth is not an easy escape from the painful circumstances of your life. It begins with an eyes-open exploration of them and their cause. You are the cause. Every insight that brings you to this realization is a new beginning." -- Gary Zukav

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Spirituality in healthcare


One third of American medical schools have decided to bring spirituality back into healthcare and many of them require courses on spirituality and health, reported Dr. David Larson at the recent Spirituality and Healing in Medicine symposium, sponsored by Harvard Medical School's department of continuing education.

The question of spirituality becomes very important when facing serious illness or chronic illness, especially where "there is not much we can do as doctors," according to Larson, president of the National Institute for Healthcare Research and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He added that, "When people have an illness in the United States, God becomes a very important part of who they are."

Physicians are not well equipped to deal with patients with terminal illnesses, according to Larson. "There is much less fear of dying and (our skills) can be much more effective when we begin to address and support this, especially in their last year of life," he said.

The National Institute for Healthcare Research is collaborating with the John Templeton Faith and Medicine Curricular Award Program to help train medical students on how to address the spiritual needs of their patients. Many of the courses include looking at death and dying from different faith traditions.

"What we've found is, when we simply show them what to do, how to ask the questions, how to begin to address the issues, there is a lot of receptivity. Many of these medical school courses work with chaplains. That's been unheard of. (Students) will (go on rounds) with chaplains, and these are the most skilled group in dealing with death and dying," Larson told Reuters.

The rapid growth of spirituality in the medical school curriculum is demonstrated by one simple statistic: "Three years ago, only three US medical schools taught courses on religion and spiritual issues; there are now nearly 30," Larson noted.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Here is my advice as we begin the century that will lead to 2081. First, guard the freedom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And don't regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unhampered expression." ~ Gerard K. O'Neill, 2081

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Our July/August issue!


The July/August issue of Balanced Living hits the streets today. This month we are featuring three articles on the benefits of chiropractic; an article about removing the toxins from your home -- beginning with the bedroom; a piece on backyard ponds, a very cool article on integral golf; a little something on volunteering and a "one tank trips" piece written by Tim Zahn, with a little help from Neil Zurcher. And of course you'll find all of the great columns you've come to expect from Balanced Living. Enjoy!