What's the one cause you care about & are you doing anything about it?
I "care" about causes such as global climate change and bettering education and healthcare but not exactly taking any actions at the moment to contribute to the community. besides recycling...but that's baby steps I know.
Are you doing any volunteer work now?
Has anyone ever worked at children's hospital? This is the one that I'm looking at right now.
Need some motivation &would love to hear some inspiring stories.
Oh man. I wish i could say something inspiring, but I feel like a deer in the headlights where it comes to all the bigger issues. My main cause is making sure myself and immediate family are above water.
I guess what i tend do is come on forums like this and vent.
Right now there are a group of friends that are feeding and trying to keep the homeless warm, so I have been crocheting scarves and ear warmers for them.
Also my Dad passed away 2.5 years ago at our local hospice house and they put a crocheted Afghan on each bed to make it feel more like home. I've taken up the cause and I try to donate an Afghan to them each year. I'm in the process right now of making scarves and earwarmers and wrap them with a bow for each room at the hospice house for Christmas. Hoping it brings at least a small joy at such a sad time.
Right now there are a group of friends that are feeding and trying to keep the homeless warm, so I have been crocheting scarves and ear warmers for them.
Also my Dad passed away 2.5 years ago at our local hospice house and they put a crocheted Afghan on each bed to make it feel more like home. I've taken up the cause and I try to donate an Afghan to them each year. I'm in the process right now of making scarves and earwarmers and wrap them with a bow for each room at the hospice house for Christmas. Hoping it brings at least a small joy at such a sad time.
That’s awesome. And am participate with feeding the homeless once a month as part of a church group my friends formed. (Though i am not religious myself)
Right now there are a group of friends that are feeding and trying to keep the homeless warm, so I have been crocheting scarves and ear warmers for them.
Also my Dad passed away 2.5 years ago at our local hospice house and they put a crocheted Afghan on each bed to make it feel more like home. I've taken up the cause and I try to donate an Afghan to them each year. I'm in the process right now of making scarves and earwarmers and wrap them with a bow for each room at the hospice house for Christmas. Hoping it brings at least a small joy at such a sad time.
That’s awesome. And am participate with feeding the homeless once a month as part of a church group my friends formed. (Though i am not religious myself)
Yeah!
These friends had a little trouble last week, they brought hot soup to serve to the homeless and some bread and stuff. The City Health department came and poured bleach on the food and in the soup, said they didn't have a license. So that's put a damper on some things. Can't even help the homeless.
i've been very influenced by the utilitarian philosopher peter singer, & his writings ('the life you can save' and 'the ethics of what we eat' in particular) on animal suffering & the obligations of people in wealthy countries to help the poor have very much changed my outlook & how i live my life.
singer, along with scottish philospher will macaskill, are among the originators of the effective altruism movement, the principle being that people in first world nations have a moral obligation to use their wealth to help the truly needy, & that any giving needs to be done with applied reason, data & scientific literacy, & not just driven by warm feelings that you get from giving a donation to any charity that might happen to ask first. this can lead to some conclusions that may be a bit uncomfortable & controversial to some, but the logic they use by all accounts is impeccable, & it's informed how i live, how much money i spend on myself, where i donate, & what i have done with my will.
there are lots of sources of information on line for the effective altruism movement. i think the best starting points are peter singers' ted talk & will macaskill's interview with sam harris, & singers book 'the life you can save' & macaskill's book 'doing good better.'
Right now there are a group of friends that are feeding and trying to keep the homeless warm, so I have been crocheting scarves and ear warmers for them.
Also my Dad passed away 2.5 years ago at our local hospice house and they put a crocheted Afghan on each bed to make it feel more like home. I've taken up the cause and I try to donate an Afghan to them each year. I'm in the process right now of making scarves and earwarmers and wrap them with a bow for each room at the hospice house for Christmas. Hoping it brings at least a small joy at such a sad time.
That’s awesome. And am participate with feeding the homeless once a month as part of a church group my friends formed. (Though i am not religious myself)
Yeah!
These friends had a little trouble last week, they brought hot soup to serve to the homeless and some bread and stuff. The City Health department came and poured bleach on the food and in the soup, said they didn't have a license. So that's put a damper on some things. Can't even help the homeless.
Yeah bussiness do not like homeless near them and call the cops. We ended up holding them at their church instead
i advocate for the rights of people with disabilities..... i spent many years making music with people who were blind... had cerebral palsy.... on the austism spectrum... just to give some examples
but MOST IMPORTANTLY... i come to the org and correct people when they're wrong... they seem to get cranky, but deep down, i know they know it's for their own good
I wish I could do more for Vanguard STEM beyond donating. I do make myself available to work in various church outreach programs like homeless relief gather supplies or distribution of disaster relief or lending a hand in veteran services, random stuff.
These friends had a little trouble last week, they brought hot soup to serve to the homeless and some bread and stuff. The City Health department came and poured bleach on the food and in the soup, said they didn't have a license. So that's put a damper on some things. Can't even help the homeless.
That is SO disturbing! Good on you for doing good works Penny, and everyone.
"if you can't clap on the one, then don't clap at all"
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
I tend to sound too negative even when i hear myself thinking it, but it’s really too late to save the current environment. We are creating a new human specific one (on land at least). So many animals and species that existed in the 1900 century are absolutely 100% going away and never coming back. The wildlife in Africa for example is living in an artificial unsustainable zoo.
We have changed the ecosystem in ways that we cannot quantify as to where it is going and is irreversible unless a pandemic wipes humanity out.
Kids born today are going to live in unexplored environmental territory. We’ll all learn together how this all works out. [Edited 11/20/18 12:28pm]
I wish I could do more for Vanguard STEM beyond donating. I do make myself available to work in various church outreach programs like homeless relief gather supplies or distribution of disaster relief or lending a hand in veteran services, random stuff.
There used to be another member here that was interested in the very same thing..........
Right now there are a group of friends that are feeding and trying to keep the homeless warm, so I have been crocheting scarves and ear warmers for them.
Also my Dad passed away 2.5 years ago at our local hospice house and they put a crocheted Afghan on each bed to make it feel more like home. I've taken up the cause and I try to donate an Afghan to them each year. I'm in the process right now of making scarves and earwarmers and wrap them with a bow for each room at the hospice house for Christmas. Hoping it brings at least a small joy at such a sad time.
Hey now, that's amazing good for you. I've given money and food to the homeless but frankly most of them scare me and seem in need of care of mental health..
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
I tend to sound too negative even when i hear myself thinking it, but it’s really too late to save the current environment. We are creating a new human specific one (on land at least). So many animals and species that existed in the 1900 century are absolutely 100% going away and never coming back. The wildlife in Africa for example is living in an artificial unsustainable zoo. We have changed the ecosystem in ways that we cannot quantify as to where it is going and is irreversible unless a pandemic wipes humanity out. Kids born today are going to live in unexplored environmental territory. We’ll all learn together how this all works out. [Edited 11/20/18 12:28pm]
Not to sound like a naive one but can't agree with that. Sure I think 'saving' is a bit of a stretch but even slowing down the worsening progress is a big step forward. Besides the climate and the environment have always been changing as long as the Earth has existed, causing species' evolution or extinction in one way or another, I'm rather hopeful that the new generation will find a way to survive. The manmade changes are going to be at least "dealable" down the road.
i advocate for the rights of people with disabilities..... i spent many years making music with people who were blind... had cerebral palsy.... on the austism spectrum... just to give some examples
but MOST IMPORTANTLY... i come to the org and correct people when they're wrong... they seem to get cranky, but deep down, i know they know it's for their own good
[Edited 11/19/18 15:03pm]
That's pretty awesome what you do. I personally found working with either physically disabled or mentally challenged people (suffering from dimentia) very challenging...volunteered at an institution when I was in college for 3 months and I was done after filling up the minimum hours...,but I'd realy like to give it another try. The bolded part is a waste of time tho
I wish I could do more for Vanguard STEM beyond donating. I do make myself available to work in various church outreach programs like homeless relief gather supplies or distribution of disaster relief or lending a hand in veteran services, random stuff.
That's very cool, but to me that's been the problem. I can't commit to a cause, I too tend to do things randomly when I have downtime and for me it's worse because I do that once a year or so. Trying to be more proactive and incorporate volunteer work in my weekly schedule...thanks for sharing!
i've been very influenced by the utilitarian philosopher peter singer, & his writings ('the life you can save' and 'the ethics of what we eat' in particular) on animal suffering & the obligations of people in wealthy countries to help the poor have very much changed my outlook & how i live my life.
singer, along with scottish philospher will macaskill, are among the originators of the effective altruism movement, the principle being that people in first world nations have a moral obligation to use their wealth to help the truly needy, & that any giving needs to be done with applied reason, data & scientific literacy, & not just driven by warm feelings that you get from giving a donation to any charity that might happen to ask first. this can lead to some conclusions that may be a bit uncomfortable & controversial to some, but the logic they use by all accounts is impeccable, & it's informed how i live, how much money i spend on myself, where i donate, & what i have done with my will.
there are lots of sources of information on line for the effective altruism movement. i think the best starting points are peter singers' ted talk & will macaskill's interview with sam harris, & singers book 'the life you can save' & macaskill's book 'doing good better.'
I've seen that TED video on FB before, very inspiring indeed although like you said it's not so comforting to hear. I too still have a long way to go because I still see volunteer work as an achievement rather than an obligation. Will watch the second video later, thanks for the links.
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
I tend to sound too negative even when i hear myself thinking it, but it’s really too late to save the current environment. We are creating a new human specific one (on land at least). So many animals and species that existed in the 1900 century are absolutely 100% going away and never coming back. The wildlife in Africa for example is living in an artificial unsustainable zoo. We have changed the ecosystem in ways that we cannot quantify as to where it is going and is irreversible unless a pandemic wipes humanity out. Kids born today are going to live in unexplored environmental territory. We’ll all learn together how this all works out. [Edited 11/20/18 12:28pm]
Sadly you could well be right ... and as much as I still continue to make the effort, I'm getting more pessimistic as I grow older and more p*ssed off with other people's lack of effort and care ... and I think 'f*ck it, its their kids that will inherit a dead planet, and I'll be long in the ground so why should I care'
Animal rights, specifically dogs. I signed up to a website newsletter of a dog lovers group - haven't got anything from them yet. I fed a couple of strays couple of times some time back - will do so again, but really, this kind of thing requires *organised* effort - that's why waiting for said group.
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
Since you mention the environment - did you know that Google searches are bad for the planet? There was an article in the paper about this some time back - each search uses 1kJ of energy, so.....do it as less as possible, yeah? I've already tried to incorporate this slightly strange behaviour into my day to day internetting myself The article itself is probably online somewhere,......Hang On, don't Google for it!
DaveT said: I tend to sound too negative even when i hear myself thinking it, but it’s really too late to save the current environment. We are creating a new human specific one (on land at least). So many animals and species that existed in the 1900 century are absolutely 100% going away and never coming back. The wildlife in Africa for example is living in an artificial unsustainable zoo. We have changed the ecosystem in ways that we cannot quantify as to where it is going and is irreversible unless a pandemic wipes humanity out. Kids born today are going to live in unexplored environmental territory. We’ll all learn together how this all works out. [Edited 11/20/18 12:28pm]
Sadly you could well be right ... and as much as I still continue to make the effort, I'm getting more pessimistic as I grow older and more p*ssed off with other people's lack of effort and care ... and I think 'f*ck it, its their kids that will inherit a dead planet, and I'll be long in the ground so why should I care'
I agree and disagree at the same time. While I do believe human beings have a great impact on the enviroment and a great responsiblity to the environment. Life on this planet has survived 5 major extinction events where up to 96% of all life was wiped out, that's just the major ones. Life is adaptable, so I don't understand the whole doom and gloom attitude. Yes things will change, but not completely cease to exist.
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
Since you mention the environment - did you know that Google searches are bad for the planet? There was an article in the paper about this some time back - each search uses 1kJ of energy, so.....do it as less as possible, yeah? I've already tried to incorporate this slightly strange behaviour into my day to day internetting myself The article itself is probably online somewhere,......Hang On, don't Google for it!
Really? That's a very interesting factoid! I'll be limiting myself as much as I can.
I resisted getting a smart phone for the longest time (mostly because I can't stand touchscreen keyboards and how often you end up pressing the wrong button!) ... but once I got one I fell in to that trap of scrolling through rubbish on my phone all the time ... pointless Google searches, social media rubbish, etc. Started off I'd pick up my phone during advert breaks, then during TV shows that lost my attention, then movies, then before I went to sleep. Total lightbulb moment though when I noticed how much I was on the thing and how little substance all the stuff I was looking at actually had.
Now I limit myself. My phone isn't near me if I'm watching TV or a film, and I'll pick up a book before bed rather than my phone. More environmentally friendly to as I'm charging my phone alot less.
The whole phone thing is getting out of hand, even here in India. In Silicon Valley, apparently parents' anxiety over their babies' screen time has reached panic levels - to the point where they're asking their babysitters to sign contracts stating that they will not use a screen near their child. Read this in the paper, too! Just stop it (using your phone) except when absolutely necessary.
I was born in 1980 so that late-eighties drive to be more pro-environment had a big impact on me ... CFCs, the hole in the ozone layer, putting an end to animal extinction, etc. I still care passionately about it now and do what I can to help with the environment around me, recycling, travelling via 'sustainable' methods, etc.
One of the big elephant-in-the-room issues that bothers me is population control. My partner and I have decided not to have kids, partly for selfish reasons but also because adding more pressure on the planet is something we don't want to do.
I find it strange that people I know that do have kids that will go on to inherit the planet don't seem to care much about environmental issues as I do. I guess they have other concerns, but I still find it odd.
Since you mention the environment - did you know that Google searches are bad for the planet? There was an article in the paper about this some time back - each search uses 1kJ of energy, so.....do it as less as possible, yeah? I've already tried to incorporate this slightly strange behaviour into my day to day internetting myself The article itself is probably online somewhere,.....Hang On, don't Google for it!
Really? That's a very interesting factoid! I'll be limiting myself as much as I can.
I resisted getting a smart phone for the longest time (mostly because I can't stand touchscreen keyboards and how often you end up pressing the wrong button!) ... but once I got one I fell in to that trap of scrolling through rubbish on my phone all the time ... pointless Google searches, social media rubbish, etc. Started off I'd pick up my phone during advert breaks, then during TV shows that lost my attention, then movies, then before I went to sleep. Total lightbulb moment though when I noticed how much I was on the thing and how little substance all the stuff I was looking at actually had.
Now I limit myself. My phone isn't near me if I'm watching TV or a film, and I'll pick up a book before bed rather than my phone. More environmentally friendly to as I'm charging my phone alot less.
Fun FACT. The word "factoid" doesn't mean something that is true. It just means that it's been reported to be true but might not necessarily actually be true. So saying something is an "interesting factoid" is basically saying that the you don't really believe it. Although in the case of Google searches being bad for the planet, I think "factoid" is the correct term.
Although in the case of Google searches being bad for the planet, I think "factoid" is the correct term.
..Why is that? I Read What I Did...?
I don't doubt that you read it. I read a story online about Michael Jackson plotting a big comeback next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Off The Wall but reading something online (or in the paper) doesn't mean that it's true.
Really? That's a very interesting factoid! I'll be limiting myself as much as I can.
I resisted getting a smart phone for the longest time (mostly because I can't stand touchscreen keyboards and how often you end up pressing the wrong button!) ... but once I got one I fell in to that trap of scrolling through rubbish on my phone all the time ... pointless Google searches, social media rubbish, etc. Started off I'd pick up my phone during advert breaks, then during TV shows that lost my attention, then movies, then before I went to sleep. Total lightbulb moment though when I noticed how much I was on the thing and how little substance all the stuff I was looking at actually had.
Now I limit myself. My phone isn't near me if I'm watching TV or a film, and I'll pick up a book before bed rather than my phone. More environmentally friendly to as I'm charging my phone alot less.
Fun FACT. The word "factoid" doesn't mean something that is true. It just means that it's been reported to be true but might not necessarily actually be true. So saying something is an "interesting factoid" is basically saying that the you don't really believe it. Although in the case of Google searches being bad for the planet, I think "factoid" is the correct term.
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The article itself is probably online somewhere,......Hang On, don't Google for it! 