Blue movement

I really like this idea of the "Blue" movement. It is a step up from the Green movement which only takes into account the environment. Blue adds people and animals - social justice plus personal health plus animal rights plus envirnomental responsibility. A guy named Adam Werbach is calling for this movement. Here, below is a snippet from a speech he made recently. (The link to the full text is above.)

In all of those places, I've seen people seeking something broader than a green or environmentalist solution to the myriad problems they face in their lives. Yes, they believe climate change is happening, but they also want to feel good about the way they look in the mirror and the way their kids look at them at the dinner table. They want to be part of something larger than themselves without having to sacrifice their identity. They want joy, not guilt, and a little money in their pocket so that they don't have to trade down on yet one more thing in their life.

Half the world's tropical and temperate forests are gone.
90 percent of the large predator fish are gone[3].
75 percent of marine fisheries are overfished or fished to capacity[4].
Species are disappearing at rate about a thousand times faster than normal[5].
A recently study found that there are 287 chemicals in the cord blood from babies in the U.S.[6].
America now has 2 million people in prison and about 960,000 farmers[7].
An estimated 35 percent of cancer deaths are directly attributable to diet[8].
CDC estimates that 50 percent of today's health care costs are attributable to health risks that can be modified by lifestyle behaviors[9].
The U.N. says 826 million people are hungry; however, a much larger number, roughly 1.6 billion, are overnourished and overweight[10].
Consider that fact for a moment. Twice as many people on the planet are dealing with the problems of too much food as are dealing with the problems of too little.

We can't diminish the need to make sure that everyone has enough to eat, but today's world requires that we have a solution for people who have too much as well.

Action Items from the speech:

Start by setting your own PSP (Personal sustainability plan) if you don't have one already. The process of personal improvement is never-ending, and if you already have a practice, recommit to it or begin another. Once you have your PSP, share it with a friend. The possibilities for PSPs are endless.

Start placing plants next to light switches, since people conserve more when they see nature. If you travel a lot, get your company to declare a no-fly week once a year. Start buying concentrated detergent and washing your laundry in cold water. Eat one less meat meal a week. Write a thank you letter to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Each individual personal sustainability practice does matter.

President Bush just sent out a $150 billion stimulus package to boost the American economy. How are you going to spend your $600?