It's also a pretty big world, which makes it hard to start somewhere. That's what this blog is all about. Visit every day for a new way to easily take action, learn about issues affecting your world, and find resources to help you do so.
It's a lot easier than you think.
Do you use sport for chairty? I remember all of those middle school walk-a-thons (I actually met my hubby at one, go figure–it was for St. Jude’s hospital, a very worthy organization). But besides raising money, how else can sports be used for good? A few ideas that I’ve had include mentoring teams, organizing underprivileged areas into places of fun and friendship, and definitely combatting obesity. But what else could be done? Any ideas? Post them at Play City, the new project from YouthNoise and Nike, and inspire other activists to do something.
Here are several other actions to take this week:
Tell your rep to pass legislation that protects consumers
Al Gore has recently challenged the United States to have 100% of our electricity come from renewable resources within the next ten years. The idea is grand; the question is, can we do it?
I think so. Oil and coal companies are already in protest, saying that the plan is impossible, crazy, blah blah blah. But we don’t have to listen to them. Hell, if we just sat around listening to their BS we’d all be doomed. It’s bad enough that it’s taken this long to get people onto the green train.
So let’s band together in endorsing Gore’s revolutionary idea. You can sign a petition here to back the plan, and your signature will be delivered to McCain, Obama, and your local representative and senators.
Here are a couple of other action alerts you may be interested in…
I can’t believe the FBI is planning on making racial profiling an actual POLICY . This policy would give them the authority to investigate anybody who is an American citizen and fits a certain “terrorist” profile, including race, ethnicity–and traveling to anywhere that’s been known for terrorist activity! Um, hello, so are New York, Oklahoma City, and Washington DC on the list?
Rendition , anyone? Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t buy it. At least in the end. And neither do I.
I’m so sick of everything being done in the name of terrorism.
What the FBI should really do is say this: “Hey, we’re really into racism. And fear. And using any means to get anyone we want. So we’re going to do this to y’all. Have a great day.”
What WE should do is write to the Attorney General in protest of this plan. And you can do that with me here .
Forget performance, sponsors, multicolor energy drinks; go for the gold by playing for issues you care about. Nike and YouthNoise have teamed up to help us play and make an impact.
So get inspired by athlete activists, play online in the Play City community and offline at a Let Me Play Training Camp, and be sure to sign up for the Human Race, the world’s largest running event.
Who ever said making a difference couldn’t be fun?
Have you seen the July 21 cover of the New Yorker yet? If not, brace yourself; you may get just a little pissed off.
Satire? Yes. Humor? Well… I like dark, sarcastic, snarky, and even what many deem “inappropriate” humor more than most people I know. Sure, I watch South Park . I still am one of the late, great George Carlin’s biggest fans and always will be. But this does make me see red.
We’ve got enough racial, sexist, religion, etc. cards being flung around in this election like a really bad game of War as it is. Could we not at least add a bit of text to this cover clarifying its satire? Just one contextual blurb to put it in perspective?
Please join with me in taking this action at the Feminist Majority website if you think it’s inappropriate as well. My thing is, if they just add one little line of context to the cover–maybe even in a voice bubble or something?–I’d be cool with it.
What would you suggest for this blurb or line? Post your responses below.
Since I’m a bit behind on my actions, I’m posting a bunch of quick ones today. So grab some time this week and sit down with your latte or tea or what have you, put on some tunes and take some action!
”Our oceans are in deep trouble. Fisheries are collapsing, runoff pollution is creating vast dead zones, and global warming is causing the death of corals. Now the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) — the very federal agency charged with managing and protecting our oceans — is proposing a new approach that would allow increased depletion of ocean resources without adequate analysis of the consequences. And in so doing, NMFS seeks to avoid the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our landmark environmental protection law.”
Take action today and tell the National Marine Fisheries Service to respect environmental laws!
Sweatshops are places of work where people don’t get paid much or at all, work in very dangerous conditions, and have little to no rights or benefits. One such sweatshop is the TOS Dominicana factory in the Dominican Republic. These workers have been trying to organize and form a union to get some rights, but Hanes isn’t letting them.
Our action today is to ask Jennifer Love Hewitt, who has fought for women’s rights in the past, to now fight for worker rights and to stop being a spokesperson for this company. Please email her from the United Students Against Sweatshops website and ask her to follow her conscience and be a caring consumer–and spokesperson–by not working with this company anymore until they allow their workers to form unions.
