Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity and Education

Sir Robinson does an excellent job entertaining and raising alarming questions about our education system. How wonderful to think of an educational system that addresses the whole being and rather than diagnosing children, helps them find their place and purpose. With education being a major driving force in the success of our country and a "close to the heart topic" for everyone, there is very little adult dialogue on the matter. Last night I had the opportunity to watch this video and discuss it with members of my community in Durango, Colorado. What a wonderful concept, for adults to sit down and discuss ideas. In order for changes to be made to our education system we need dialogue, open, adult dialogue about the purpose of education and methods that we use to educate our kids. Our educational system is broken and it is community involvement and voices of parents and citizens that will help create the paradigm shift that we so desperately need.

Go Green...Eat Your Local Veggies!

I'm not looking to convert all of you into vegetarians, but.... according to a 2006 report by the Livestock, Environment And Development Initiative, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide, and modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a "massive scale" to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. For more information about the impacts that "factory" farming have on our environment and our health and the conditions that large scale farm animals live and die under, check out the book "Diet for a New America".
Should all American's go "hippie" and completely cut out animal products? I'm not suggesting that (although many American's have), but could we all cut meat out of a meal a day, or even just a few meals a week, I think so. Cutting down on your meat intake can help the environment and help your health! But wait, what kind of effect does purchasing fruits and veggies from another country have? That's a lot of transportation and fossil fuel usage. So, "beef" up your meals with locally grown, organic veggies. Not only are you helping the environment, but you are helping to support local farms. Be conscience consumers and feel good about the food you eat : )