Take the Plunge!

It's that time of the year again!
You can get cold to keep winter cold for years to come!


Take the Polar Bear Plunge to fight global warming.



There is one planned for the Chesapeake Bay, MD area on January 23, 2010.
Go to http://www.keepwintercold.org to read more about this project, find a plunge near you, or to organize one!

If you organize or take part in a plunge, be sure to post here so others can join as well!

See the links below to read about EcoDeaf taking part in Polar Plunges of years past!

Plunges from 2007:
Into Icy Waters We Went
Brave EcoDeaf members jump into Chesapeake Bay

Information about 2009's Plunge:
Take Polar Bear Plunge

Vegetarian / Leather-free Shoes

Not all shoes are made equal.

In the image above, Natalie Portman is shown wearing a vegan shoes from her Natalie Portman Collection shoe line.
(image from http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/13/natalie-portman-vegan-shoes/)

Wearing your beliefs on your feet is quite a statement.

A reader submitted this About.com site that gives a list of where you can buy non-animal products footwear. There are vegan shoes for everyone in the family and not all vegan shoes are canvas-like.

http://shoes.about.com/od/vegancrueltyfreeshoes/Vegetarian_LeatherFree.htm

Deaf Breastfeeding Symbol Found in Various Places

Earlier, there was a post on EcoDeaf about Breast is Best, which shared that Matt Daigle, a Deaf man, designed the now international symbol for breastfeeding.

I read that post, and then the very next day, I went to a DC coffeeshop on H street Northeast, and saw a thick stack of postcards with Daigle's Breastfeeding symbol and some information about DC laws related to breast feeding! Here are the photos:

Where else have you seen Daigle's symbol?

Climategate??

Remember the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon from the White House seat during the 1970s? Now, due to the leak of e-mails from the University of East Anglia, some people are saying similar things about lies, frauds, and selfish motivations behind Global Warming. Is Global Warming real? Are certain scientists pushing the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) myth?

Read the articles:

1) Science, facts, fraud, and "Climategate" written by Edmond Jenks

and

2) Climategate? What Climategate? written by John Fund.

Edmond Jenks believes that certain affluent scientists, politicians, and people of interests are involved in the scandal by saying Global Warming is real while it is not at all. John Fund investigated there might be a worldwide conspiracy going on under our nose to exaggerate the effects of Global Warming. Countless of news articles on Climategate are emerging and the Climategate debate is not going away anytime soon.

The question is Global Warming real? Perhaps instead of debating about whether Global Warming is real or a stack of myths, shouldn't we all share responsibilities in reducing our environmental impacts as much as we can?

Share comments and discuss!

Breast is Best!

Did you know that the international breastfeeding symbol was designed by a deaf person? Matt Daigle created this icon which is now used worldwide.

Theres even a facebook group for deaf breastfeeding moms as well for information and support.  

"Going Green": How is it conveyed in ASL?

----> GOING GREEN  <----

Larry Gray posits an interesting question in his vlog, creating space to discuss how we convey the idea of "going green" in ASL.  

He writes: 

This particular vlog inquires about the sign, GREEN, which is generally understood for the color.  However, we have used it to also mean being environmentally-conscious.  I pose a question which I'm sure the Deaf community would like to discuss.

Let us know what you think! 

Freecycle Your Stuff!

OFFER stuff thats been sitting in your attic for too many years.  Post a WANTED ad for materials that you need for your art project.  RECEIVE or TAKE stuff off other people's hands.  Keep trash out of landfills, free up space in your storage area, and save $$.  It doesn't get better than FREECYCLE.  Check their website for freecycle listservs in your area.  www.freecycle.org

Just for Babies

I found this cool baby teether at Whole Foods the other day.. made of corn starch, biodegradable and best of all- no weird chemicals!

Yoga Classes in NYC... offered in ASL!

For those who live in or near the NYC area and are interested in Iyengar yoga, there are several Yoga classes offered in ASL. Jen Kagan, a certified Iyengar teacher, who teaches in ASL explains about the method that she teaches: "We learn most through visual access therefore all poses and actions are demonstrated and sequenced in such a way that students gain better understanding of themselves."

YOGA CLASSES are offered on:
Mondays 6-7:15
@ Three Jewels, Union Square

Wed 6-7:30
@ La Guardia Community College

There are some video descriptions of yoga and recent photos of ASL Yoga Retreat on her website (Click on the Yoga in ASL links).
Thanks to Jen Kagan for informing EcoDeaf about this!

http://www.jenkagan.net/


Photos from jenkagan.net.

Article: I Live Without Cash – And I Manage Just Fine.

"Armed with a caravan, solar laptop and toothpaste made from washed-up cuttlefish bones, Mark Boyle gave up using cash."
Read more here

Can you give up cash and live in the wild?

Read the article, share comments, and discuss!