Glass Dharma's 1000 FREE Glass Straws for Earth Day

It's only been a year since I started sipping my drinks again.  You see, I went several years saying "no thank you" to disposable plastic straws.  After finding so many littered on the beach, I just can't force myself to use them.  I still refuse plastic straws, but thanks to Glass Dharma reaching out to me last Earth Day, I have grown very fond of glass straws. :)

Some people say that Christmas is the season for giving, but if you know Glass Dharma... their season for giving is happening right now!  Each year for the past 4 years, Glass Dharma marks Earth Day by giving away FREE (yup, I said it: FREE) glass straws!!  AND... this year they want to go BIG!  Glass Dharma wants to give away 1000 FREE glass straws!!

It's super easy to participate!  Glass Dharma is asking YOU to share why you love glass straws OR why you would love a glass straw!  I'm super stoked that Glass Dharma has asked me to take an active role in helping them give away 1000 glass straws that I had to make a submission of my own to share!



Yup, I love sipping my drinks... slurping up the end of my smoothies... and taking my kids to get fun things like root beer floats.... all while encouraging others to kick their plastic straw habit.  :)

How about you?  What do you LOVE (or what would you love) about glass straws??

To participate in the 1000 FREE Glass Straws for Earth Day, be sure to follow all of the directions below! If you have questions, let me know!

Entrants - please include:
1. 100 to 200 word essay in an attached document (or) a link to a 1 to 3 minute YouTube Video
2. Your name, email address and mailing address. (In the body of your email)
3. Email your request for a free glass straw to: EarthDay@GlassDharma.com 
4. One entry per person (If multiple people are using the same email address, please note in the body of the email.)

Glass Straws and how they relate to a better world is the suggested inspiration point of submissions for this contest. Content ideas might include: Beauty, Joy, Taste & Planet Care (Environmental). Creativity is encouraged as you write or shoot your video!

Video and Essay submission instructions – simply include the link to your “YouTube Video” or attach your essay to your email (Word format (.doc) or basic text (.txt) format please)  

Electronic (email) submissions are preferred to snail mail as an optimum eco-choice. All entries must be received by Earth Day, April 22. We will begin shipping the straws after April 1^st and the 2 grand prize winners will be posted (and contacted) by May 5^th.

The first 1000 essay/video contest entries received by the Earth Day deadline will receive a free Glass Straw from GlassDharma!Please note that GlassDharma will pay shipping charges for each free glass straw up to $3.00 (free shipping for USA deliveries)

A judging panel consisting of three passionate Environmental Bloggers and three members of the GlassDharma staff is ready to select 10 finalists, five for the video category, and five for the essay category.  One Grand Prize Winner for each category will be selected by popular vote amongst the judges. Grand Prize Winners will receive a $100.00 electronic GlassDharma Gift Code by email.

Music in video by Joel P. West.

More blogposts about the 1000 Free Glass Straws:

Good Girl Gone Green: No Straw, Please

Our Daily Ocean: Day 124

Yesterday, I had big plans to go out to Wrightsville Beach to do a 20 minute beach clean up.  BUT...  with the public hearing being the previous evening and an overcast dismal day... I just couldn't find the motivation to go.  UNTIL... I picked up the phone and called my friend Tracy.  Thanks to Tracy offering to meet me at the beach... I made it to Wrightsville Beach to do our 124th beach clean up!!

SO... big plans? You ask.  (right)  Not long ago, as I saw my friend Sara who writes The Daily Ocean blog-- aka my inspiration for "Our Daily Ocean"-- was coming up on her 100 clean up countdown to her 365 non-consecutive day goal of collecting, weighing and documenting beach trash in Santa Monica... I thought "wouldn't it be cool if we did a joint clean up on her 265th?"  A way to kick off the countdown and pay homage to the work she's done-- over 970 lbs of trash removed from her beach-- and the community she's grown through her Daily Ocean efforts. 

Part of her community efforts are getting people involved in cleaning up our world by asking them to contribute to her Community Collection.  Take 20 minutes and report what you find to Sara.  It's easy and a great lesson in what we can do when we work together collectively.  My contribution to Sara's community collection is a whopping 240 lbs of trash removed from Wrightsville Beach!!  

Before heading out to Wrightsville Beach, I was talking to Sara about a number of things including the recent voting down of proposed ordinance to ban smoking on Wrightsville Beach.  As our conversation ended, I asked Sara if she would do me a favor and count the cigarette butts she finds during her 20 minute clean up.  Santa Monica being a smoke-free beach was tugging at me.  I've done two cleanups with Sara and I never recall picking up any cigarette butts.  I needed to have my curiosities settled..   

Last night, I went to Wrightsville Beach with my friend Tracy.  On an overcast day with cool winds and a light drizzle, we picked up 458 cigarette butts in 20 minutes.  Are you ready??  Sara picked up 10.  TEN!!!!  10 cigarette butts in 20 minutes!!  Our average is 17 PER minute!!  What do you think that means??  My daughter has an opinion. (...and I'm going to have to agree with her.)

So as the outcome of the WB public hearing has given me renewed focus on this issue and a clear sense of direction... Sara will also start a new chapter of The Daily Ocean.  She writes:

But here's what Danielle and I came up with after talking yesterday. We're stepping up our collaboration. I wish we'd thought of this earlier, but I'm thrilled about the idea going forward. 

I will count how many butts I collect on my 20 min. cleanups and keep the tally for my last 100. 

So far, the difference is just staggering. 

I collected 10 cigarette butts in 20 min. last night.

Danielle collected 458. 

How about a re-vote B.O.A.? Cause I can tell you, that after 100 of these comparisons, if you have a heart, you'll be ashamed of yourself for turning away from the action neccesary to enact a ban. 

There was a time when I thought to myself, "There are so many people out there trying to make a difference in our world and what would that be like if we could come together.  What kind of difference could we make together versus being one person?"  (if you recall, I had that thought and I contacted Sara... I think it's obvious what is going to happen now.)

20 minutes on March 9, 2012 at Access 17

Litter by weight: 11.8 oz

Cigarette butts: 458

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 124 days:

41,710

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Step forward... lean...step back... tilt... repeat...there's an art to the whole process of admiring and understanding art.  Meant to stir something in us... we all connect to masterpieces of art differently... and for different reasons.  Recently, my family and I went to see my friend Bonnie's art exhibit at UNCW... and just like all the great works of art that I am drawn to... I could spend hours admiring the brilliance of simplicities and complexities found in what Bonnie has created...

Using plastic she's collected, Bonnie morphed the 19th century painting "Great Wave of Kanagowa" into 5 distinctly different waves that represent the 5 ocean gyres.... it's beautiful and disturbing all at the same time.  Bonnie often talks to me about the time Charlie Moore told her that if we don't get this problem [of plastic pollution] under control... that we would eventually be swimming in it.  As the majority of litter we pick up on Wrightsville Beach is plastic, I understand it and can see how it is a possibility for our future.  BUT... during a research trip to Bermuda, Bonnie saw what most of us don't even want to imagine.... she watched plastic wash in as children swam in the ocean.

....in some places, eventually is happening right now.

In an attempt to share Bonnie's art exhibit with people that can't make it to Wilmington, I took a short video.  BUT... I offer you this thought.  What if Bonnie could bring her exhibit to where you live??  I, personally, think that "What Goes Around, Comes Around" needs to travel... everyone needs to see it in person.... what do you think??

"The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life." 

 ~William Faulkner

P.S.  You can contact Bonnie here :)

Our Daily Ocean: Day 87

Have you ever stopped to think about your connection to things?  Ever since I started documenting these 20 minute clean ups... I can't help but connect myself to the litter we find on Wrightsville Beach.

Besides the cigarettes, I can honestly say that I've used most everything that we found on the beach last night.  Bottled water? Yup. Straws. Who hasn't! Juice pouches, fruit snacks, granola bars, plastic spoons, sandwich bags... they've all passed through my hands.  

What's great about having realized our personal connection is that it has given us the opportunity to make positive changes.  Every time I would connect to something we found at the beach, I suddenly felt accountable for the products I used.  And rightfully, I should... even if I never littered a day in my life.  (But who am I kidding even with the best of intentions... accidents happen.)

 I connect myself to this... do you?  How are you connected?

20 minutes on August 17, 2011 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 1 lb 11.4 oz

Cigarette butts: 370

This was my two sons' bucket.  Together they collected 173 cigarette butts.

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 87 days:

26,715

Our Daily Ocean: Day 81

As I knelt down to pick up a grouping of cigarette butts, my daughter said, "You might want to just stay on your knees... it'll probably be easier."  She did have a point... we had barely made it past the changing area at Access 16 and we had already come across several areas that were highly littered with cigarette butts.

Then by the time we made it to the pier-- along with a lot of plastic litter-- we had picked up SO many cigarette butts that my husband asked:

"Was there a RJ Reynolds convention here today??"  (hmmm)  

Not one to normally watch TV, last night my husband turned it on for a split second before watching a movie and there in front of us was this commercial about imagining a world without cigarettes. It made me smile for so many reasons... 

I love imaging a world without cigarettes for so many reasons including the fact that a world without cigarettes would be a world without littered cigarette butts.  Considering  4.5 trillion are littered every year...and the fact that I've counted thousands.... a world without cigarettes sure would be nice....  

... smiling???  I am.  :)

20 minutes on July 21, 2011 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 3 lbs 1.9 oz
Cigarette butts: 487

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 81 days:

24,558

Our Daily Ocean: Day 61

After a long (and super fun) Mother's Day biking around Greenfield Lake, my husband asked me if I wanted to go to the beach to do a 20 minute clean up (and then get some ice cream)!  Yes please!  So after we ate dinner (at home... Mother's Day is too crazy to eat out!! ;) )... my husband grabbed his SUP, my kids grabbed their boogie boards, and I grabbed my buckets... and we hit the beach.

Since it was Mother's Day, I knew exactly where I wanted needed to go.  Access 36... Oceanic Restaurant.  The weather was absolutely perfect... that meant lots of people on the Oceanic dining pier.  "Oceanic is the only restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, NC situated on the beach overlooking the pristine Atlantic Ocean."  As I walked up to the pier, I started noticing straws.  Though I wasn't at all surprised.... I still couldn't stop shaking my head as I picked up straw after straw after plastic straw.

 I picked up 36 straws in 20 minutes!!!  AND... 28 of those 36 straws-- some clear, some black-- came from Oceanic.  78% of the straws that I picked up from Access 36 were there because of Oceanic's beach front dining.  *sigh*  There's something wrong with that.  Something NEEDS to change. 

I've written Oceanic suggesting some changes they could make such as: not using straws on the pier, switching to paper straws and the possibility of offering glass straws as an upgrade.  Hmmm.... it's my opinion (and it's a strong one!) that a restaurant such as Oceanic should take extra care in selecting the products they use.  It only makes sense that they help keep the main reason people dine at their restaurant... yeah... that's the location!... beautiful.  What do you think?  Contact Oceanic

Every time we do a 20 minute clean up, I share a photo of what we removed from Wrightsville Beach with Two Hands Project.  Two Hands Project is a simple concept that is spreading all over our world.  What's so great about sharing with Two Hands, is that there is such a great community of people taking little bits of time and making a big impact on our world.

Anyone can do it.  Anyone can inspire change.  Yes, even you. ;)  Thirty minutes, Two Hands. Clean up yOUR world anytime-- anywhere.  

20 minutes on May 8, 2011 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 10.1 oz

Cigarette butts: 183

Two Hands. 20 minutes.

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 61 days: 

17,240

Our Daily Ocean: Day 60

On Monday-- not 5 minutes into our 20 minute clean up at Access 43-- we found the ultimate example of irresponsibility.  A broken beach chair, left for someone else to carry off the beach.  And one thing is blatantly obvious: whoever left it knew that they left it.  Unlike many things left on the beach... leaving a beach chair takes thought...  there is an exact moment when someone makes the conscious decision to pass off their responsibility and walk away.  (Oh how I wish I would've taken a picture of my daughter carrying the broken chair off the beach)

And I'm not going to lie... it's true that it can get a little disheartening going to the beach and seeing how people treat one of my most favorite places in the whole world.  BUT... as much as it's disheartening....I don't feel helpless...

Every time I take a photo, share what we find, exchange knowledge and personal experiences... I feel empowered.  Because everyday is an opportunity to help create awareness.

Awareness creates consciousness that helps to form change.

Something to think about:  We've picked up over 17,000 cigarette butts in 60 days.... making our average about 284 cigarette butts every 20 minutes.  Could you imagine if we picked up 284 water bottles every 20 minutes??  In my opinion, 284 of anything in 20 minutes is absolutely ridiculous.  I have a feeling that the people involved in creating this short video would also agree.

Last week, my Aunt and my cousin were on a 4th grade class field trip to the Mississippi River.  While dipping nets into the Mississippi to explore life in the river, one net came up with a cigarette butt.

With nothing to see, the students were to empty the net back into the river... BUT...a young girl questioned whether or not they should put a cigarette butt back in the river.  Having learned from what we've been doing, my Aunt quickly chimed in and let the teachers know that cigarette filters are made from a type of plastic.  (They had no idea!!)  Later that day, my Aunt forwarded the teachers my Brita FilterForGood film .... and the next day my cousin's 4th grade class-- in a small Iowa town-- watched my film in class. :)  YAY!!  I am so appreciative of my Aunt for saying something... and have so much gratitude for my cousin's teacher taking the time to teach students something that isn't in school books.

Here's what I'm thinking... err... feeling, right now: There are so many people in this world on this same mission to create change... and no matter how big a person's reach is-- whether to one person or thousands of people-- ripple effects are powerful and far reaching.  I have no doubts that change is going to come.

20 minutes on May 2, 2011 at Access 43

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 2.2 oz plus a broken beach chair
Cigarette butts: 151

The beach chair is broken... the aluminum frame is snapped. :( In an effort to keep it out of the trash, I'm going to be dropping it off at Re-Eco to be (hopefully) repurposed!! :)

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 60 days:

17,057

Our Daily Ocean: Day 42

I often feel when we do beach clean ups that there's a lesson to be learned with what we find.  Yesterday, while doing a 20 minute clean up at Access 43... I came across a plastic bag... it was half buried in the sand and as I got closer and went to grab it... I realized that it was starting to degrade.  No longer was the plastic bag from Wal-Mart one single piece of plastic... it was breaking down into smaller pieces that had to be scooped up with the sand...

Last weekend when we met Bonnie at Wrightsville Beach... we talked about plastic bags.  Through talking she started telling me about a photo she saw of a mother sea otter trying to remove a plastic bag from her pup... and when I finally saw the photo this morning... I thought... EVERYONE needs to see this photo...

Seriously, makes my heart heavy.  For me that photo is another reason to always say "No Thank You" to plastic bags and to support all of the plastic bag bans that are popping up all over our country (and world)... and don't let the plastics industry fool you... recycling is NOT the answer.  Did you know that about 60,000 plastic bags are used every 5 seconds???  Seriously, with billions of plastic bags used every single year... recycling is NOT the answer.  The answer is to REFUSE...

Yesterday's clean up at Access 43 was our fourth clean up there.  Our first was on August 9-- also our first 20 minute clean-up-- where we collected 346 cigarette butts.  We went back on October 29-- the final day of voting for my Brita FilterForGood Film Project-- where we collected 265 cigarette butts.  Then we made it back to Access 43 on Christmas Day where we collected 720 cigarette butts.  Thankfully the numbers have dropped off and yesterday we picked up 92 cigarette butts off of Wrightsville Beach.  I say thankfully with hesitation because obviously 92 cigarette butts in 20 minutes is still too many...

because when it comes to finding cigarette butts... there's always other smoking related litter that comes along with the butts... from the plastic wrap that surrounds a cigarette carton to something like this...

20 minutes on February 12, 2010

Litter by weight: 12.5 oz
Cigarette butts: 92

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 42 days:

14,216

Our Daily Ocean: Day 24

On Sunday, my family and I went to the beach.  It was really a gorgeous day... the sun was shining bright and the sky was as blue as blue could be... BUT... it was a very windy and cold day at the beach...

That's the Oceanic Pier at Access 36.  Access 36 has become a regular spot for us to do our 20 minute clean ups.  It's one of those accesses that even in off-season... litter still abounds.  Liz, who writes the Litter Sucks blog, joined us at Access 36.  Liz does clean ups at Carolina and Kure Beaches... where she often loses track of time while picking up litter.  The butt counts for CB and KB in the Community Butt Count come from her efforts :)  Go Liz!!!

Sorry for the uber dark photo... the sun was strong!!

Whenever we hit Access 36, my husband and I always make a right... heading south to the Oceanic Pier.  It never fails that we find a good portion of our butt count under the pier... especially in the Oceanic Restaurant's employee break area.  I know I bring this up A LOT....BUT... when I... and I alone... am able to pick up 42 fairly "fresh" cigarette butts in one area.... I think that's a problem.  A problem not only because of the obvious... but also because if those people can casually put their butts in the sand under the pier... it means that they're casually putting their butts out everywhere else.  That's a HUGE problem and such a bummer.

Of course, I always take photos of the litter that we find during our 20-minute clean ups... I feel like I'm always taking the same photos... cigarette butt here... plastic something there... with the most beautiful backdrop.  Over the weekend I took some of the photos that I've taken during our 20 minute cleanups and made this video....

20 minutes on November 28, 2010

Litter by weight: 13.5 oz

Cigarette Butts: 434

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 24 days:

10,398

Our Daily Ocean: Day 22

This afternoon my kids and I headed to Wrightsville Beach... once again it was an absolutely beautiful day!!  This is the November that I LOVE and the reason I moved here!!!

I know we've been going to Access 16 a lot lately... but today I had a reason-- easy to find and convenient location!!  My purpose for heading to WB today was not only to do a 20 minute clean up, but to also meet Zak Keith of Oceana North Carolina!

Zak is in Wilmington working as a field organizer for Oceana's climate and energy campaign to stop the expansion of offshore drilling along the Atlantic Coast.  YAY!!  Now that's a campaign that I will happily support and encourage everyone else to support as well!!  Please visit Oceana and/or Oceana North Carolina to sign the petition to President Obama in support of clean energy and against offshore drilling!

So as we picked up butts (and other litter),  Zak got me up to speed on the issues of off-shore drilling.  I've always been one to say that--of course--I'm against offshore drilling for the obvious reasons.  Some other reasons are purely aesthetics.  I don't want to look out from Wrighstville Beach (or any other beach for that matter) and see a offshore drilling platform.  But as Zak informed me... even if we couldn't see it from our beach there would always be reminders that it's out there... reminders coming in the form of tarballs that could wash up on our East Coast beaches.  YUCK!!

It's been 7 months since the Deep Water Horizon disaster and it's important that people don't forget....The only way to prevent another oil spill is by stopping offshore drilling and investing in clean energy.

A clean, safer energy future is possible... and it's up to US to demand it!!  

Check out this video of dolphins and a whale filmed (today) off the coast of Wrightsville Beach by fellow local litter sweeper.... "we live in paradise"... let's protect it....

We NEED change.

20 minutes on November 22, 2010

Total amount of litter by weight: 1 lb 1 oz

Cigarette Butts: 545

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 22 days:

9,798

Watch It: Tedx Great Pacific Garbage Patch Event LIVE

Please join me here on It Starts With Me on Saturday, November 6  at 8:30 am PST... that's 9:30 Mnt., 10:30 Central and 11:30 for all you East coasters ;)....  for an 

 unprecedented worldwide web event on plastic pollution-- 

the Tedx GreatPacificGarbagePatch event!!!

The conference takes place Saturday, Nov 6 from 8:30am to 6pm Pacific Time. There is an absolutely AMAZING and INSPIRING lineup of speakers, including Dr. Sylvia Earle, David de Rothschild, Ed Begley Jr, Captain Charles Moore, Anna Cummins & Marcus Ericsen, Chris Jordan, Beth Terry and many many others guaranteed to educate and inspire us for this one day information marathon covering topics from plastic in the ocean to plastic in our bodies, AND solutions from personal actions to global initiatives and getting businesses on board. Check out the complete agenda and plan on joining this global event!!!!  Seriously, you don't want to miss it... whatever time you have to watch... seize it!!! :)

The Livestream will be up November 6 at 8:30 am PST.   If for any reason the player isn't working, please click to view at www.TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch.com.

tedxgp2 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

              With Knowledge and Inspiration...

                leading us to ACTION...

         Together we can CHANGE the world

      :)

(Please) Make A Difference Day

Today, October 23, is National Make a Difference Day.  

Now's the time to make a difference...making a difference is easy... get inspired by watching this video... please (and thank you) ;)

Ban the Bag

Do you live in California?  (if not... watch the video and keep reading ;) )  Call Your California State Senator and urge them to support AB 1998, the bill to ban plastic carryout bags in California.
    

Of course, I don't live in Cali... BUT... I know people who do.  So I'm helping spread the word about this bill because it could be HUGE.... not just for California but for all states.  Remember when California banned smoking in bars and restaurants???  I never imagined with that ban so many other states would follow suit.  Even here in North Carolina-- tobacco country... and home of R.J. Reynolds-- there is a smoking ban.  YAY!!

SO... if you live in Cali... call and write your state senators.  If you don't live in Cali... spread the word... chances are you know someone who knows someone who.... can help make this happen ;)

Rise Above Plastics

Take the Rise Above Plastics Pledge

Inside a Baby Albatross

Years ago, I stopped drinking bottled water, juices, sodas.... you name it... and this is one reason why:

When we stop buying products that have a negative effect on our environment, we stop supporting the production of those products and decrease the demand for them to be made.

Every time we buy something we VOTE.

(I vote that there is never another albatross-- or any other bird or animal-- filled with plastics.)

Join Hands with the World

Over 4 months ago, as a part of statewide action Floridians gathered on their beaches for Hands Across the Sand to protest plans for drilling off the Gulf Coast of Florida. It was then that a movement started....

On June 26-- my daughter's 6th birthday-- the world will join hands for the protection of ALL coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industries.

Join the WORLD as we peacefully protest off-shore oil drilling and champion clean energy and renewables.

Wherever you are.... beach or no beach... join hands.

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." --Anatole France

Believe that together we can change the future.

(and act on it ;) )

Choices...

The FUTURE IS MADE by the choices we make.... TOGETHER our choices can change the world.

Ending Mountaintop Removal: Video

I have sat down numerous times in the past couple of weeks to write about my garden, my CSA, my rain barrels, water conservation... you name it... and then I read or see something and I get completely side-tracked. SO... today is no exception!! As I was getting ready to sit down to write about our most recent camping trip to George Washington National Park in Virginia... I open my email to this video that goes along with a post that I wrote at the beginning of the month: Flip 'Em Off

Check out the short video (0k... it's really an advertisement) and then visit www.iLoveMountains.org to find out how you can help :)