globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefi ts all.
GET INVOLVED: November 15 is America Recycles Day Look for local events by zip code at
AmericaRecyclesDay.org
Take a holiday from the holidays on November 26, the day after Thanks- giving, an occasion that traditionally signals one of the biggest national shopping sprees of the year. Instead, celebrate Buy Nothing Day to turn away from mindless shopping and tune
into life. Source:
BuyNothingDay.org
Pocket Parks Mini-Parks and Plazas Invite Passersby to Pause Awhile
Space for urban parks is increas- ingly popping up in unexpected, underused and under-appreci- ated places. Planters, public art and benches are transforming traffic lanes, parking lots, barren asphalt areas and street parking into parklets and plazas, offer- ing restful, green spaces. Such “shoehorn parks” also serve as inviting social spaces. The trend of such use of leftover space is sparking compelling discussion in Landscape Architecture. There, Peter Harnik, author of Urban Green and director of The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence, shows communities how to take another look at re-conceptualizing schoolyards, abandoned railroad tracks, com- munity gardens, buried streams, rooftops and cemeteries. U.S. cities are on an upward trajectory within this trend, Harnik writes, whether they are in their first growth cycle or in the midst of a revival. Parks have played, and will continue to play, a significant role in supporting a city’s fortunes. The key to success, he says, is to return to considerations that were forgotten or ignored in the din of suburbanization and sprawl: human scale, walkability, ef- ficiency and respect for ecological principles.
24 Collier/Lee Counties swfl
.naturalawakeningsmag.com
Sharing Site Borrowing Beats Buying
ShareSomeSugar.com is a new online community of people seeking to share or borrow items they occasionally need and would rather not buy, from ladders to carpet steamers and party chairs to kayaks. “There’s so much stuff we already own that’s sitting around in our garages collecting dust,” says founder Keara Schwartz. “It feels good to share.” She’s seen firsthand how trust and community ties are strengthened by neighbors helping neighbors. For those wary of letting just any-
one borrow, for example, their sewing machine or pressure washer, the website suggests how users can create sharing groups, based on Facebook friends or email addresses, to collaborate within their already established community. For others, getting to know new people can be part of the fun.
Economic Buffer Survey Equates Frugal Habits
with Healthier Lives
Ninety-four percent of middle-class Americans who have adopted sensible spending habits in response to the economic slowdown say that their newfound frugal behaviors are making them healthier, according to an index published by First Command Fi- nancial Services. Families have cut expenses by cooking more at home (45 percent), buying less junk food (30 percent), walking or bicycling to work (13 percent) and reducing their alcohol purchases (10 percent). Survey participants ranged in age from 25 to 70.
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