Category : Uncategorized
What do we get out of the ‘Great Recession’?
We know that outdoor participation has been on the rise during the last few years which, in my opinion, is one the many terrific side effects of the ‘great recession.’ Coupled with the harmonious timing of environmental initiatives moving to the forefront, we see that people are redefining their priorities. We are, en masse, steering our lives into a more healthy, organic and sustainable direction. Families are spending more time together outdoors, enjoying parks and camping while buying fewer frivolities for their children. Organic dining is becoming common fare on restaurant menus and we see an increase in organic food stores and private gardens creeping up. The distinctive ‘geo-traveler’ has upped the ante in sustainable vacation destinations investing their hard earned dollars in quality merchandise created by like-minded sustainable and community outreach companies.
And with the pursuit for life’s organic balance comes new statistics that show people who earn less money are happier. For those of you working 70 hours per week to earn that $80-100K + paycheck, here’s a tidbit for you. Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won’t buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but “above that it’s a flat line,” he said.
Spending time with people we like and doing the things that bring us joy was often forgotten or a secondary requisite in place of our need to make money. We were pushed to mindlessly consume with an ease to do it and a social acceptability of living beyond our means.
I hope you too are enjoying the mass shift in thought and attention to what is right for us as individuals and families- through conservation, smarter consumption and increased outdoor participation. We can delight as we unite in the observation that the ‘great recession’ has helped to steer us to organic roots, literally.
Outdoor Participation Trends:
| Outdoor Activity | 2007 Participants | 2008 Participants | 1 Year Change |
| Downhill Telemarking | 1,173,000 | 1,435,000 | 22% |
| Snowshoeing | 2,400,000 | 2,922,000 | 22% |
| Backpacking | 6,637,000 | 7,867,000 | 19% |
Most Popular Outdoor Activities Nationwide:
- Fishing - Freshwater, Saltwater and Fly Fishing
- Camping-Car, Backyard, RV
- Running-Running, Trail Running, Jogging
- Biking-Road, Mountain, BMX
- Hiking
Quote of the day.
Money can’t buy happiness, but neither can poverty.
It’s our one and only post about Haiti relief.
We all know how saturated our communities are with initiatives to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. It’s been a wonderful experience to be part of communities banding together for the sake of a united goal. And while attentions may be dwindling and wallets closing as we turn inward towards our own socioeconomic wellbeing, we need your help in the final two weeks of our campaign for Haiti. We’re not asking for a hand out…
Here’s what we’re doing.
We have allocated 5000 bottles of which 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Haiti via UNICEF. We, Hydro Flask, will match every bottle sold and hand-deliver them to the UNICEF Haiti relief center on the Dominican border in early March. If you already have a Hydro Flask, make it a set and get your limited edition Haiti Relief Hydro Flask right now. They’re $25 and $30 bucks, they last a hundred years and each bottle you buy will put a reusable Hydro Flask bottle containing clean drinking water in the hands of a displaced or orphaned Haitian child.
| h$T4NMi@@Y(R |
Polar Bear to Receive Habitat Protection
Great news…Washington D.C. (October 22, 2009) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to designate over 200,000 square miles of coastal lands and waters along the north coast of Alaska as a habitat for the polar bear. This proposal is a response to a partial settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Greenpeace.
The habitat proposal, required under the Endangered Species Act, comes the same week that another Interior Department agency, the Minerals Management Service, approved oil-company plans for exploratory drilling in the polar bear’s habitat in the Beaufort Sea. Interior is considering a similar drilling proposal in the Chukchi Sea.
We all know that polar bears are in serious long-term trouble. Today’s designation of critical habitat is an essential step toward saving this increasingly imperiled species. But we have to do much more if we are to save the polar bear from extinction, said Andrew Wetzler, director of NRDC’s Wildlife Conservation Project. Controlling carbon pollution, reducing commercial hunting in Canada, and stemming the tide of toxic chemicals in their habitat are all necessary to ensure this magnificent animal’s future.â€
To read more of this article, click HERE
Concerned about BPA: Check your receipts
Hydro Flask
check out this article…
While working at Polaroid Corp. for more than a decade, John C. Warner learned about the chemistry behind some carbonless copy papers (now used for most credit card receipts) and the thermal imaging papers that are spit out by most modern cash registers. Both relied on bisphenol-A.
Manufacturers would coat a powdery layer of this BPA onto one side of a piece of paper together with an invisible ink, he says. Later, when you applied pressure or heat, they would merge together and you’d get color.
At the time, back in the 90s, he thought little about the technology other than it was clever. But when BPA exploded into the news, about a decade ago, Warner began to develop some doubts.
for more of this article, click HERE
