It’s that time to start holiday shopping, yes – it’s early for some of us, but I honestly know people were were more than half way done with their shopping in October!  Crazy!  Awhile back I mentioned The Andean Collection and suggested you keep it in mind for your holiday shopping.  I recently received an email from them highlighting some great gift items…

Andean Collection Holiday Gift Guide

Their pieces are gorgeous and affordable AND fair trade!

According to studies by The World Bank discussed on Global Issues:

• Almost half the world (over 3 billion people) lives on less than $2.50 a day.
• At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.
• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• Based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers.

It really makes you appreciate what you have when you think about people that have so very little and have virtually no opportunities to make their life any better.

Acai Wrap Bracelet $21

I continued reading after those statistics and learned about The Andean Collection – a very cool company that makes some gorgeous jewelry!  They use natural materials (like acai seeds and huayruro seeds – very creative!) and embrace fair trade principles with their employees in Ecuador.  They even pay for the education of their employees children and if their adult employees want to go school they cover that as well!  It is small companies like The Andean Collection who will help to change those awful statistics above!  I’ll be keeping them on my shopping list at Christmas for sure!

I just came across a super cool organization.  Clean The World take donations of partially used soap bars – mostly from hotels but also from individuals – sanitizes it, melts it and remolds it and then gives it to people in impoverished countries around the world and domestic homeless shelters.  This organization is not only keep unused soap out of waterways and landfills but they’re providing a much needed item to those who need it the most.

Check out all these great hotels who are currently participating in the program!

Do you want to donate your old soap pieces to help others?

Send them to…

Clean the World
8026 Sunport Drive, Suite #306
Orlando, FL 32809

World Wildlife Fund is proud to announce Earth Hour 2010 will take place Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 pm. National Monuments including Mount Rushmore, the Empire State Building, the Las Vegas Strip, and the Golden Gate Bridge have already pledged to participate but what we really need is for you to participate again.

Standing nearly one billion people strong, we made last year’s Earth Hour the single largest mass action in human history. This year we need you to grow it.

We have worked tirelessly to bring the international community, governments around the world and corporate leaders to the brink of breakthrough action on climate change in 2010. That’s why it’s so important we make our voice heard again.

Please join millions of people around the world in turning off the lights for Earth Hour to raise awareness and demand action to fight climate change. Grow the movement by sharing this message with your friends and family. Working together, we can overcome one of the greatest challenges facing our planet.

Visit our new site at EarthHour.org to access to videos and toolkits to help grow the movement as well as fantastic ideas on how to make Earth Hour a special event in your home, community or business.

VISIT EARTHHOUR.ORG

Some eco-problems Al Gore may never make a movie about (but should)

Definitely read the entire article but here’s a preview of the five things:

1. Nuclear Waste

2. Factory Farming

3. Deforestation

4. Overfishing

5. The Use of Pesticides

In light of the ongoing Humanitarian disaster in Haiti, Josie Maran Cosmetics will donate half of all the sales made at JosieMaranCosmetics.com from now to the end of January to the American Red Cross.

If you didn’t already know, circuses may have appeared sweet and fun on the outside when you were young but behind the scenes they’re cruel and painful.  Animals are severely abused – how do you think they get wild animals to act so docile and do tricks?!  I just read in TIME that Bolivia is the first country to ban circuses.  I’m so happy to hear that and can’t wait for other countries to do the same – I wish the US would do the same now!

Read the TIME article By Jean Friedman-Rudovsky / La Paz from Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009