Creative problem solving has become a very valuable tool in my life. My husband and I regularly use it to address problems that come up in our business, relationship, and various life issues.

I also use creative problem solving regularly when it comes to environmental and human rights issues and the growing need to make changes to my lifestyle that can be difficult. Sometimes the difficulty arises because I am being a stubborn mule, other times it is because I have a major or minor need or want stands in opposition to a lifestyle change I feel I need to make. To keep from getting stuck or from just not doing anything at all I have to figure out a way to get enough of what I need/want without compromising the more important need.

There are times, like when the issue of buying fair trade coffee came up for me, that I needed to decide what I was going to do about it. I evaluated the situation, and my want (I don’t think that you can ever call coffee a need in any sort of seriousness) for coffee was never going to be more important than the well being of the person(s) that work on the coffee farms and therefore I made the decision to only support fair trade coffee. This means I have to ask if it is fair trade and do research on the local coffee shops. It also means that there are times when I don’t buy a cup of coffee even though it sounds like the perfect treat. Again, when the situation of switching to florescent light bulbs came up I wasn’t thrilled about the idea. Florescent light bulbs are depressing and sterile, which is the last thing I want my home to feel like when I am snuggling in to read a book at night. My solution was to have lampshades that are warm colors and therefore, soften the florescent light and allow my home to still feel warm and cozy.

There are times where I find myself picking the wrong battles to fight, or taking the wrong stance. I get resentful at times of life being hard and feel that I am entitled to not think of other people, or the world around me. Times where I feel I have earned the right to be selfish or not make one more sacrifice. However, part of life is making various sacrifices and it is best to come to terms with that. Some sacrifices are small (like the examples I listed above) and some are large and extremely difficult. Life is not about getting everything we want and getting it right now. Immediate satisfaction does not always equal long term satisfaction, pleasure, peace, happiness, or health. I have found that in many of the sacrifices I have made have ended up bringing me such a greater depth and joy to my life.

I want to encourage you all to use creative problem solving as much as possible. The more you do it, the better you get at it. At times solutions will easily surface and other times you will have to dig for them. Let’s not get stuck because an easy solution to what we want/need and what is best for other human beings and the Earth is not presented to us. Each of us has the ability to think and it can be such a wonderful thing when used.

photo from Flickr (SpooSpa)
My lovely friends Amy and Lee just got married this past weekend! They are in the process of opening gifts, which of course means a houseful of wrapping paper, boxes, and an assortment of packaging materials. The resourceful and very cool, D. Lee did some research and found two sites that help you figure out what to do with that (and any other) miscellaneous waste.

This one will only be directly helpful to those of you living in King County (Seattle, WA). However, it may serve as a reference to help the rest of you find a similar site or resource in your neighborhood.

Have you ever bought a new appliance and wondered how to get rid of your old one? Found stacks of old business periodicals you want to recycle? Upgraded your organization’s computers and ended up with a mountain of old electronic equipment? Every day, King County residents and businesses run across unwanted items that make them wonder: “What do I do with this?”

This site was designed to answer that question! The What do I do with…? directory is a database that contains listings of hundreds of businesses and organizations that accept unwanted items from residents and businesses in King County, Washington, for reuse, recycling or proper disposal.

The Plastic Loose Fill Council helps you find a place near you to bring all those packing peanuts.

The Plastic Loose Fill Council (PLFC) was founded in 1991 to develop, promote and implement the original use and subsequent recovery, reuse and recycling of polystyrene loose fill, commonly known as “packing peanuts.”

The Peanut Hotline, 800-828-2214 and loosefillpackaging.com, is the national reuse program for plastic packing peanuts. Consumers can drop off their leftover plastic packing peanuts at Peanut Hotline collection sites. There are over 1,500 collection sites in the US.

Earth 911 is also to good site to check out. It will help you find a local place where you can drop of anything from plastic bottles to electronics to hazardous waste to be reused, recycled, or properly disposed of.

Yahoo announced yesterday in a Yodel Anecdotal blog post, authored by David Filo, that it has just made a commitment to go carbon neutral this year….yahoooooooo!!!!!

Essentially, that means we’re going to invest in greenhouse gas reduction projects around the world to neutralize Yahoo!’s impact on the environment.

. . .

We know carbon neutrality isn’t without controversy. And it’s honestly deserved if companies and individuals don’t first make an effort to find direct ways to reduce their impact. We’ll continue to be vigilant about cutting ours, looking for creative ways to power our facilities, encourage even more employees to seek alternative commutes, and generally inspire Yahoos around the world to think differently about their energy use. (For example, in honor of Earth Day, we’re challenging Yahoos to decrease their consumption by 20% this week to help build lasting habits.) We’ll also be deliberate about investing in offset projects that can verifiably deliver their expected environmental benefits.

We think our offset program counts, but since this is a new and emerging market, we expect to learn as we go, and we’ll be transparent with you along the way. In fact, we’d like your help in all this — we want your inventive and creative ideas for potential offset projects. Please weigh in over at Yahoo! Answers. And read more about our overall approach here.

So, if you folks have ideas for Yahoo on changes that they can make, click on the link above and of course, let me know what you come up with!

This list is not revolutionary, but it does give us all manageable changes to make if we haven’t already made them.

• Replace at least 2 incandescent light bulbs in your house with compact fluorescents. (And remember to turn out the lights when you leave the room!)

• Make your drive 2 times as efficient by inviting another passenger (or several) to ride along (or, even better, buy a hybrid)!

• Write 2 letters—one to your local newspaper and another to your employer, letting them know that we can work to curb global warming by reducing carbon emissions by 2 percent a year.

• Talk 2 your mayor. If your city isn’t already a “Cool City,â€? urge your mayor to sign on. If it is, offer to help cut your city’s emissions. (Find out more.)

• Take 2 minutes to sign our online petition.

• And then ask your 2 friends to sign it, too!

• Hang your clothes out 2 dry instead of using the dryer.

• Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees.

• Walk or bike 2 work as often as you can.

• Get on the horn and call your power company.

• Ask them to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources by 2 percent each year for the next 40 years—at least!

• Try 2 eat locally grown food and shop at a local farmer’s market.

• Food travels an average of 1,500 miles from field to plate, so you can make a difference by buying local.

• Check your tire pressure every 2 months and inflate as necessary for better mileage.

• Copy or download this fact sheet and pass it on to 2 friends.

• Check 2 make sure you have adequate insulation.

• Get 2 your governor. States need to take action because the federal government is dragging its feet. Ask your governor to commit to cutting the state’s carbon emissions 2 percent a year for the next 40.

• Check 2 see how you’re doing. You can find a carbon calculator to add (and subtract) your emissions.

• Make your own 2 do list….

You can also take a look at 2 other lists that they have made:

Five Ways Individuals and Companies Can Fight Global Warming

Five Ways Cities and States Can Fight Global Warming

I just read about Step It Up in a TerraPass e-mail. Step It Up is a protest that is taking place all over the country on April 14th, The National Day of Climate Action. There are over 1200 actions all ready organized, making it the “largest day of citizen action focusing on global warming in our nation’s history”. The goal of the protest is to move Congress to make a commitment to cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

The actions range from a rally of thousands in New York City, to a handful of scuba divers off the coast of Key West, to a community of senior citizens in Ohio holding a global warming awareness day.

Find/Join an Action.
If you are really ambitious you can Start an Action.

If you do participate in some way please let me know. I would love to hear about it and how you felt that it went.

Similarly, The Sierra Club has started the Be Part of the 2% Solution campaign to fight Global Warming. The idea is that if we cut carbon emissions by 2% a year over the next 40 years we will have met the goal of 80% by 2050.

The world’s scientists agree: Global warming is real, here, and happening faster than anyone predicted. But scientists also say we can curb global warming and its consequences—if we take bold, comprehensive actions now that add up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050. That’s a do-able 2 percent cut a year for each of the next 40 years.
To reach our goal, to build a cleaner, smarter, and safer energy and economic future and rise to the most urgent challenge of our generation, we must all be part of the solution. You, me, businesses, and government—we all have a role to play. To cut carbon emissions 2 percent a year for each of the next 40 years means we must start right now to make different, better decisions about the energy we use at home, at work, and as a nation.

You can Be part of the 2% solution by:

Signing the letter written by the Sierra Club to President Bush asking him to take action to curb Global Warming. This is so easy and there is really no reason to not do this. You not bothering to click on the link I provided you with is not a good excuse.

Checking out their great list of things YOU can do to help cut carbon emission by 2% per year for the next 40% years. I think I may post the list tomorrow if you don’t get a chance to look at it.

Co-op America put together a list of 10 things you should never buy again, with some facts and alternatives choices. I thought this would be perfect for you one/changers so here it is with a few added links:

1. Styrofoam cups
Styrofoam is forever. It\’s not biodegradable.
Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups.
Best option: Invest in some [if possible used] reusable mugs that you can take with you.

2. Paper towels
Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money.
Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pagesâ„¢ for recycled paper products.
Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.

3. Bleached coffee filters
Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.
Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.
Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.

4. Overpackaged foods and other products
Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.
Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.
Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.

5. Teak and mahogany
Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.
Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.
Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.

Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office »

6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides
American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children.
Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.
Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.

7. Conventional household cleaners
Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home.
Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners.
Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap [click here for some easy recipes].

Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green Pages™»

8. Higher octane gas than you need
Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car.
Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner\’s manual
Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.

Learn more about green transportation »

9. Toys made with PVC plastic
70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.
Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC� or “#3.� Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.
Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.

Find safe toys in the National Green Pages™ »

10. Plastic forks and spoons
Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.
Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.
Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.

I learned about this list via The Worsted Witch.

TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is a conference that brings together leaders and innovators in technology, entertainment and science.

The TED prize is used

[e]ach year [to] honor a maximum of three individuals who have shown that they can, in some way, positively impact life on this planet.

We are looking for inventors and entrepreneurs, designers and artists, visionaries and mavericks, protectors and persuaders. Our goal is to honor and empower these people by connecting them to the formidable resources of the TED community. Our prize-winners may be very different, but they will have this in common: They will be doing something that has extraordinary potential. Something whose positive influence could spread, transcending borders. Something that can contribute to the future of life on earth.

(Read more about what the TED prize is and how they make it happen.)

This year Bill Clinton won the TED prize and gave a great talk on his acceptance.

It is 25 minutes long. There were a couple of times where I nearly stopped it because I didn’t think I had the time, but I am so glad that I watched the whole thing and I would highly recommend that you do the same (you can skip the BMW ad at the end). This video gave me hope, chills, and made me teary. There is a lot that needs to be done in this world and a lot that we can do about it.

This is a very short summary of what Clinton says and does not come close to capturing all that he says or the spirit in which he says it.

Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, Bill Clinton says he’s trying to build a better world to hand to his daughter. Unequal, unstable and unsustainable, our world must correct its course, and private citizens (”like me”) can be powerful forces for change. His Clinton Foundation, fresh from its success negotiating down pharmaceutical prices in the developing world, is now running a pilot health care system in Rwanda, based on the work of Dr. Paul Farmer in Haiti. In 18 months, it has shown potential as a model for the entire developing world. Clinton’s TED wish: Help him build this system in Rwanda, to bring world-class health care to a people who have overcome deadly hatred to rebuild their nation.