Mountain Song
I grew up in a very health conscious house. My mother was quite the pioneer. She was an activist for the environment on all fronts. She also indirectly taught me that with your voice (pre-singing years), you can make a difference. Many times I found myself at Town Hall speaking on behalf of younger kids to voice my concern about what I saw being wrongfully done to our planet, even on a local level.
That is all we are. A bunch of locals. Like a bunch of stars are a galaxy, there is no belittling of what we are together. I know it seems like we can hardly see the microphone to be heard these days, let alone speak into one, but we can because it is ours. It is probably the only thing that has not been sponsored by McDonalds or Coke yet and as long as we choose to speak, it never will be.
This Earth Day, Earth Week, or whatever Al Gore will call it these days, just remember that nobody is better than anyone. Nobody has power over anyone. Nobody has power over this Earth. You can’t own a tree and you can’t own the air. You can pretend to own water if you put a refreshing-looking plastic bottle around it, but pretending is all it is.
When I was a kid, my mom showed me not to let people who think they have power convince us they do and all I am doing today is reminding us all, including myself, of this. LOVE
Share your favorite links that take action below
May 6th, 2008 at 7:24 am
This site here http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915 gives great tips on how you can do your part. Then there is this one, which I just heard about a few days ago http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx to calculate your “carbon footprint”, which is very interesting.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Funny, I was just talking last night with my Mom about the environment and some things I’ve been doing to lessen my impact on it. It’s true that everybody can do something important , not just the so-called “powerful” people. We have to take care, something that’s definitely been on my mind since I have 2 young daughters.
http://www.edf.org
Environmental Defense
Environmental Defense Fund is dedicated to protecting the environmental rights of all people, including future generations. Among these rights are clean air, clean water, healthy, nourishing food, and a flourishing ecosystem.
http://www.earthforce.org
Youth concerned and taking action for the environment.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Everybody needs to do their part.
REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE
Pretty good start!
May 6th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I don’t have a website to put up, but I just wanted to say that everybody would be amazed at how much energy you save just by turning off your lights, fans, computers, etc. when you are not using them. It’s an easy thing to do, that can really make a difference!
On a side note, Ryan, your mother is a very intelligent woman who has taught you well. I hope I can raise my kids the same way when I have them.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
We are all cells to a higher scalar being. I’m happy to be metabolizing for it. For I make it up. We all are dreaming…. creating. Is that so bad?
Maybe we all reside, side-by-side, in the knee of that next scale-up? Let’s all remember that the intent of it ALL is, and always was, LOVE. With love comes free-will. To have free-will, sometimes, shit just happens =) Like skinning your knee. Shit just happens.
Lets all remember, recognize our disconnection, face it, love it, and heal our wounds. LOVE cures cancer. LOVE is where we must operate from. Love is everything there is.
Thanks Ryan, for once again vibrating the DNA of the whole. We’re under the same sun.
LOVE is the only thing authentic in this world… in the Universe =)
“…and I will introduce myself to strangers”
- “SHAMEN” Stage
May 6th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
http://www.surfrider.org
for the surfer in all of us.
One thing I have been taking action on is people who don’t put cigarette butts in proper places…Oceans, roadways, and lawns are not ashtrays.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Question…
What is the video link of? It won’t let me watch it here in Canada
May 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Congrats to you and your family, R.Star.
Thanks to your voice, the chain keeps on raising, and many people get to learn the importance of having mutual respect to the nature.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
We’re mostly just recycling and trying to make our footprint smaller as a family. Trying to send my family off in the morning with waste-free lunches and eliminating disposable grocery bags from our lives are two steps we take. Also, never underestimate the power of a good vegetable garden.
You already posted my link of choice (nrdc.org). Also, I’m fighting the trend toward turning corn into biofuel because it does more harm than good to the world as a whole.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:05 am
http://www.surfrider.org
Protecting the beach, oceans, water ways, beach access for all.
Going to the beach this summer? Take an extra trash bag; spend 10 minutes picking up trash. It’s contagious, not only will you feel good but you’ll inspire others. I’ve had people come up to me and thank me. Better yet, take a few bags and ask people to join you.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I have been participating in Pitt’s (University of Pittsburgh) Day of Caring. It’s something I can do locally and feel like I’m making a difference. http://www.oaklandplanning.org/community/neighborhood-cleanliness.html Everybody has to do their own part. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs, recycle, stop using those horrid plastic bags from grocery stores (PLEASE!), stop drinking bottled water all.the.time. (love the Brita).
Thank you, Ryan. Have I told you lately how amazing you are?
May 7th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Please check out one of my favorites…. I believe in all the great work, KIVA
does to End Global Poverty.
Empower the working poor.
Help start business.
Change lives.
Check out this site. We are indeed all one.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=68794907&MyToken=70684704-ccda-4c82-aa47-96ca1757d34e
Reach out with a helping hand……… Yolanda
May 7th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Thanks Ryan. Part of my personal philosophy has been we can complain about stuff, or do something about it. Honestly I do both. There is that frequent frustration of riding down the street wanting to catch the stray plastic bag blowing by (not a good idea to try when your driving btw). The displeasure at seeing litter all around. The pleasure of stepping up to do something about it. Even though it is not always perceived as cool to do so I have been know to pick up litter in public before. I have a theory that if we all do that a little bit then the consciousness level will be raised and more people will think twice about littering to begin with. Hopefully seeing others taking action on a daily basis, in the regular course of their day, might inspire others to follow and we will all live in a cleaner place. I am not trying to slight organized group clean up efforts, those a great help too, but perhaps inspire more action more frequently. If it helps anyone to know I am kind of a germ a phoebe, so I take action cautiously. Who says you can’t tell the kid that just dropped the candy wrapper to pick it up? Not many parents will cuss you out for reminding their kid politely. We need to remember the little things add up too.
P~
May 7th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I don’t have a link for you but an interesting tidbit. Over the weekend I met up with Velva at the hotel she was staying at and there was a solar convention. There were a couple of musicians playing and their amps and guitars were powered by solar panels. I thought that was pretty cool.
At home, I personally like the fact that my recycle can is always overflowing and my trash can is not.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
what great mom to teach you that.
the only website I have is for shaklee. They are the first company to reduce co2 emissions. They also plant trees for every cleaning product you buy.
We really need to start cleaning up the earth and it’s never to late to start.
peace and protect the planet
May 8th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I look to, in my opinion, the world’s greatest authority on being green…Dr. David Suzuki. I encourage others to do the same. In short, the guy knows his &$%@.
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
May 8th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Being a seinor at Post University under the Environmental Sciences program, I could write a 10 page essay on how to be more eco-friendly. I had to do a eight page report on how to keep biodiversity sustainable.
For anyone interested,here is somethings that you can do that you can do to help the environment and save money.
Buy CFL’s. The price of buying them will offset the carbon emissions by the power plants.
Reduce your waste. Put some of your biodegradeable garbage in a composter if available, or build one yourself. Take a few blocks of wood and presto, you have a compost. In turn, this will help create good soil, not dirt, soil, dirt is what is the fingernails. The soil can be used to provide good planting soil to your flowers or garden. What do you think is in Micarle grow?
Recycle those water bottles that you buy. It takes an average of two (2) galions of oil to make those water bottles. The more that are thrown away and not recycled are just a waste of oil. It is bad enough that there are people that want to drill in Alaska. Wrong answer. It is so breath taking that drilling would not only destroy asthetic pleasure, but the wildlife and biodiversity would be destroyed. It is also not a good site to tap for oil becuase there is only enough oil to supply the world for only two and a half years at our current rate of consumption.
Recycling the alumninum cans will save an average of over half the energy to make new cans from virgin ores. Sames goes for glass. Beer anyone?
In some states, recycling is law espically in Connecticut.
Consider buying a hybrid or a “green” automoble. Gas conseration and lower emissions will help battle global warming.
Speaking of global warming, when you hear on the news that the earth has only gotten 1* warmer. That is in C not F.
Buy office supplies from staples. They use alot of post consumer products that are made into alot of everyday use items. Espically their paper. Recycling paper will save about 20% of trees. One full new york times daily paper recycled can save about 20% of a tree.
Push our U.S. Government and Automakers to bring back the EV-1. The hybrids that are out now are doing wonders currently, however, they are not the “long term” answer. The EV-1 was the 1st electric car that people were driving but somebody decided to pull them off the road for some reason. There is only one left at a museum.
Push our U.S. Government to raise the CAFE Stardnard. This is a long processes to understand, but the short of it is that with lower average m.p.g. that is required by the EPA that automakers must obtain. It really low and must be raised. Currently, the set goal is about 22.8 m.p.g. Anyone want to tell me what is wrong with this picture? Trucks are in worse shape woith about 20.2 M.P.G.
It is not too late to save the world. If we can put a man on the moon, we can do anything and anything means that we can save our planet. Please do your part no matter how small and we can push ourselves to help the world. If anyone would like more information from a scientist perspective or disagree with any of these truthful statements, Guitarmike04@aol.com is my email and i will be happy to explain in full detail this information and then some.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Im lucky to have one of those jobs where taking care of the environment is a duty. I get to teach young kids especially, about their surroundings and how they impact everything by their actions. Minneapolis Parks and Rec is working to create positive interactions with our lakes and parks (and natural places). Today we talked about the Mississippi River during a hike and the fact that it used to have 120 original species of fish and now has about 30. Knowledge is powerful, it opens our eyes and helps us see what we can do locally. If you want to help your area check out your local Parks and Rec, its their job to inform you and help empower you to take action and have a positive lasting impact on your area (which ultimately affects my area, and Ryan’s area, and on and on).
May 9th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Three days ago I was walking back from visiting one of my clients and their lying on the side walk was what appeared to be a day old, baby bird who had fell out of a nest. I stood for a few minutes pondering will the mother come back for it? should I leave it? should I take it and care for it? Being a giant animal lover there was no way my heart could allow just to leave this poor helpless bird to be eaten by cats or squirrels. I took the bird home and cared for it. it was a miracle it made it through the night and the next day I brought it to the local wildlife center. http://www.alleypond.com/ They stated they would care for the bird until it was old enough and they would then set it free near the wildlife center with the other birds and waterfowl. The point of the story is that even one individual can help the enviornment even in a small way. Whether its, saving an animal, not throwing garbage out your window or in lakes or oceans, recycling or just using energy saving bulbs. Each little bit helps.
On the less serious side thanks Ryan for bringing awareness to the earth & enviornment, its a nice reminder that at least some things in life are free, lets not take them for granted.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
http://www.myspace.com/bandsforbenefitcolumbus
May 25th, 2008 at 11:22 am
hi,
i think your music is amazing. i just visited your site for the first time only to get a big shock; you really care about the environment. listening to you sing is great but reading your opinions is even better. due to poor water conditions where i am, i have been forced into buying bottled water. i have been very curious as to how they can charge money for the one thing we all need(water.) hope to hear more of your music and read more of your postings soon.
magwriter