Manic Media Monday: March 07, 2011 – The Joy Trip Project

Manic Media Monday: March 07, 2011 – The Joy Trip Project

 
There’s hardly a storage of news to be had in our worldwide 24/7 media cycle. What’s remarkable is the sheer volume of information out there that tends to clog the pipe and make it difficult to find those articles that truly help to shape our thoughts. For those of us engaged in an active sustainable lifestyle there are several stories worth following this week that can both inspire and encourage our personal efforts to make the world a better place.

Imagine That

The latest issue of Women’s Adventure Magazine is just out in print and now available online. In this issue The Joy Trip Project’s own James Edward Mills shares a profile of Shannon Wilson, the founder of Imagine 1 Day. This Vancouver-based non governmental organization is redefining traditional models of foreign aid though the building of schools in some of the most remote regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Working in Tigray, Ethiopia Wilson rallies ordinary people to raise funds and awareness to help the less fortunate by making creative contributions of their personal talents. With a sidebar by writer and climber Majka Burhardt this feature article details the path any can take toward “Creatibution.”
http://issuu.com/womensadventuremagazine/docs/wamspring2011

Federal jury in Utah convicts Tim DeChristopher


photo by Ravell Call


Last week a U.S. federal court found environmental activist Tim DeChristopher guilty of interfering in public auction of Bureau of Land Management Land in 2008. Facing fins up to $750,000 and 10 years in prison the Utah activist recognizes that protecting the natural world from the direct effects of climate change will require people to take a stand and make serious sacrifices. Set for sentencing on June 23rd, DeChristopher’s case may galvanize the conservation movement into action.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation_world/20110304_ap_federaljuryinutahconvictsenvironmentalist.html

Surfboards made from ocean trash


Kevin Cunningham was distressed by the trash washing up on the beaches where he surfs. He didn’t just decide to do something about the debris, he decided to do something with the debris. So was born Spirare Sustainable Surf Craft– Cunningham’s project to take back the ocean by making surfboards out of the debris that pollutes it.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/surfboards-made-from-ocean-trash-incluing-plastic-bags-bottles-and-glass.php
 

Grassroots cartography


The notion that aerial imagery is only for the rich and powerful is being turned on its ear by an inspired group of DIY cartographers who have pioneered the field of grassroots mapping. The concept is simple: for about $100 in materials you can shoot aerial imagery that is higher resolution than any standard public satellite imagery. Using incredibly simple balloon and kite contraptions, you can capture the images on demand whenever you want, as often as you want.
http://www.good.is/post/grassroots-mapping-how-you-can-create-aerial-cartography-for-under-100-and-use-it-to-do-good/
 

Give 150 orphans in Africa HIV/AIDS Education

It’s a transition time for the Maseru Street League. Kick4Life is currently applying for more sources of funding to continue running the monthly football tournament that combines HIV testing with innovative life skills activities. The group recently submitted a proposal to the “Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit”, also known as G.I.Z. These guys have been the major source of fundraising for the past year and a half, so hopefully it’s just a matter of time before they approve another 8 months of funding for the Street League.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/kick4life-streetleague/updates/
 
If you have an interesting story to share post your comment or drop a note to possibly include it in next week’s digest. Write to info@joytripproject.com