I’ve recently changed my Facebook settings and gone under the radar. I don’t accept a lot of new friend requests in other words. But the other day I got one from Annie Leonard.
The name was vaguely familiar but didn’t summon instant recall. Then I Googled her. Booyah. This is the woman behind The Story of Stuff! And most recently, the Story of Cap and Trade. You gotta check both these little movies out if you haven’t already.
I think she sought me out on Facebook because I have a link to her sites on Just B (but I’m really, really small potatoes in the great Internet ocean). On the link to Story of Stuff I say the movie is the reason I got rid of my car and that I now live in a box. OK, slight exaggeration. I don’t live in box, I live in an 868 sq. foot loft in Old Town, downsized from a four-bedroom house. And I did donate my Isuzu Trooper to the VOA after downsizing from three vehicles to one.
I felt like environmental activist celebrity had reached out to me. The only thing better would have been Al Gore himself.
Of course I accepted the invite!
So now I want to maximize this opportunity. What to ask her? What to engage in conversation with her about?
A few ideas that I’m playing with and I’d love some of your own:
1) I want to have a watch party for Story of Stuff and Story of Cap and Trade, kind of a double feature. I think I should do it to raise awareness this weekend for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and what we need to do next. Inevitably we aren’t going to have any binding agreements so maybe by watching these movies folks could walk away energized to push our leaders to the next level.
I could hold it informally at my place with a small gathering or hold it at the yoga studio but I couldn’t do it this weekend.
Should we use it to raise money for something? If so, what? Something local in Lansing. Anyone building a wind turbine, solar-powered something that needs money?
2) Local models for Less stuff and Less carbon. I’ve been toying with ideas on how to create a local community model here in Lansing that encourages less stuff, local and organic consumption and non- or less driving. This was born after I calculated my decreased carbon footprint in my Boot n’ Scoot blog post, “How about Smog Out Day?” And while I know I can’t save the world by getting rid of my car, living local and generating less garbage by myself – collectively, we all could. So how do I multiply my footprint? A network of sorts, a cooperative of sorts. Like an intentional community without creating an ecovillage – intentional carbon-free, organic and local sustainability network. Not exactly a catchy moniker I know. Measure our progress and successes: garbage output, recycling, composting, carbon footprints, locavore produce purchased and decrease in transportation of good from outside the area.
Ah yes, I said I’m toying. But I’m excited.
So I need some help brainstorming. Help me out you guys.
And let’s see if Annie Leonard answers any posts on her wall or messages.