"Independence"

Aloha!

I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July. I've been following Annie Leonard for a few years now and she's pretty amazing how she simplifies complex issues and tells engaging stories about waste, energy, citizenship, etc. Her latest and greatest is below and I thought what a cool thing to pass on for the 4th- our Independence day of celebration. I think many of us forget what exactly we're celebrating. I think it's important to remember that many people in the world do not have the freedoms we enjoy and that it is our responsibility to ensure we keep them because we've been losing a lot of them since the 60's and 70's when domestic policies began shifting to support big business and not our public: people, lands, waters, air, and other species. 

Whether you're a fan of fireworks or not, take a little time tomorrow to reflect why we have fireworks in the first place. As you listen to them, close your eyes a moment and listen to the sounds which can easily be mistaken for bombs- something people may be listening to at the exact moment you are. My mom said she has a tough time with fireworks because she was born during WWII in England when they were being bombed. 

Feel free to share the good work of Annie Leonard with folks you know. I usually share her videos with students when I sub along with environmental presentations that I conduct. Andy will usually show 1x year with his students as well. 

Happy 4th of July!

Aloha,

Diane

1. Inspiring e-mail sent to Maluhia Group. 

2. Annie Leonard 

http://www.storyofstuff.org/tag/annie-leonard/