karmatrekkerstv

To Consume or Not Consume

We talk a lot in the media about the rise of consumerism in China and how that will affect our planet, but as this Info Graphic shows, we in the West are still the largest consumers and we don't seem to be changing our habits.

VisuaLoop

Making Climate Change Relevant

I love this video. It was put together by a group of Climate Change Scientists to rebuke non-scientist media pundits who deny the existence of climate change, as well as to make the subject relevant. It is fun, very catchy and serves to remind us all that the need to protect our environment is real. We should fall for the BS of the denyers.

 

Through the Eye of the Storm | A TV Special in Support Of Japanese Relief

On March 26th Karma Trekkers will take part in a CNBC World TV special called Through the Eye of the Storm, a celebration of Japan. The program is in support of the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts of GlobalGiving, The Salvation Army and The Red Cross. This is a call to action for all to pitch in and help Japan move through the eye of the storm. The show will air nationally in the US on CNBC World Saturday 3/26: 2000 to 2100 and 2300 to 2400 and Sunday 3/27: 0900 to 1000. Sunday will also be simulcast in Canada. Then it will be offered free of charge to broadcasters around the world.

Damon encourages the Karma Trekkers community to help, please visit:

http://www.globalgiving.org/japan-earthquake

Text "JAPAN" to 50555 to give $10

 

http://www.salvationarmy.ca/Japan

Text "QUAKE" to 45678

Or call toll-free number: 1-800-SAL-ARMY

http://www.redcross.org Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to donate $10

Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. Msg & Data rates may apply. Reply STOP to 90999 to STOP. Reply HELP to 90999 for HELP. Full terms and privacy policy http://www.redcross.org/m

An update to Brazil's Uncontacted Tribes

Back in June 2008 we brought you a story about the Brazilian government's efforts to preserve uncontacted tribes deep in the Amazon (http://karmatrekkerstv.typepad.com/weblog/2008/06/do-not-touch-th.html). Now we have an update and video. Recently the government officials charged with protecting these peoples allowed a BBC film crew to accompany them on a flyover of the tribe's lands. The video is stunning.

There are 7 Billion Reasons this World is Unique

Karma Trekkers is about unlocking the common thread in all of us. It is about finding what unites us as people, not what separates us as individuals. We all inhabit this tiny planet, all breathe the same air and all share the same resources. How many of us are there? Well this fascinating video will remind you how small this world is and how interconnected we really are.

 

The story of water

Recently the same team that produces Karma Trekkers spent a month traveling across Africa filming a new series called WHAT THE FUTURE or WTF!  The trek took the team through Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. In many of the urban and rural settings we visited, the concept of water security emerged as a dominate theme. In wide swaths of Africa there simply isn't enough fresh water available. And yet it doesn't have to be this way.

And so we thought we'd bring you Annie Leonard's excellent video on how businesses manufacture the need for bottled water and why it is frankly a con. Having recently been in a part of the world where there isn't tap water I can tell you, clean water from a tap is a gift not to be squandered.

The Story of Cap & Trade

With so much talk about climate change in the wake of Copenhagen, we thought it would be an interesting subject to explore from a Karma Trekkers' point of view. This video by Annie Leonard does a really good job of explaining the concept  and misconceptions around Cap & Trade, a much touted but perhaps misguided solution.  Let us know what you think.

The power of the poor

Later this month the Karma Trekkers' team will be interviewing Peruvian Economist Hernando de Soto on his ideas about the informal economy and the importance of business and property rights for the world's poor. That interview is for  a new series called What The Future. WTF will debut in the second quarter of 2010, here's link to the show's blog which will track the program's evolution What The Future.

In the meantime we feel there's a lot to learn from Hernando de Soto.

One dollar can be worth a million

History is always fascinating.  It can be foreign and unfamiliar or it can be recognizable and hit close to your heart.  During my recent trip around Europe, I learned about so many historical accounts from a plethora of different cultures.  However, nothing compared to the history I learned about my family in Germany. It is unbelievably satisfying to learn about the origins of your family and find out what preceded your own existence in order to give you the life you have today.

My family is from a small town in Germany called Lohr am Main.  Geographically it is outside of the huge metropolis, Frankfurt, and near the smaller city, Wurzburg.  Lohr, as it is often called, is to be the origin of the famous Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale Snow White.  It is also the origin of my family, the Schneebacher’s.

When visiting Lohr, I learned about the traditions and stories of my family.  I’ve seen photos, read letters and heard stories about them growing up.  However, nothing compared to actually being in Lohr to see these places and hear about these people in the environment they lived in.

Since the late 1800’s, my family owned a clothing store in Lohr.  It still exists today and I am so lucky to have gotten a chance to visit it.  The Schneebacher Store has survived through two World Wars and still exists in the same place it was originally built.

While the store was prosperous in Germany, my Great Grandfather immigrated to the United States to begin a new life.  His twin brother stayed in Germany.  He worked hard to fulfill his American dream, and was so proud of the first American dollar he earned.

He took so much pride in it, that he sent his first American earned dollar back to his mother in Germany.  Just a few years ago, that first American dollar that he earned was found in the apartment my family owns above the Schneebacher store.

I was actually fortunate enough to hold that silver dollar in my hand.  Amid seeing the photographs, hearing the stories, and seeing the Schneebacher store in person, holding my Great Grandfather’s first American dollar was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

That light silver coin held more significance than any amount of money in the world. 

About Laura Schneebacher,

Marketing & PR Assistant EAST Tours

Laura has various experiences in the media and communications industry, such as MTV Networks and WWOR News. She was also an anchor for Rutgers Campus TV news. Her major in college was Journalism and Media Studies with a minor in Art History and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Communication and Information studies.

She loves to travel and has a passion for modern art. Hence, as you can imagine, museums are the "must visits" in her recent trip across Europe - D'Orsay in Paris and The Salvador Dali Museum in London are amongst her favorites.

Yet, Barcelona is her true love thus far. She enjoys this romantic yet "non cliche romance" destination. The easy-going atmosphere mixed with the historic richness and gorgeous Mediterranean makes it special. In fact, you can almost see the same traits in Laura, a pretty young lady that is calm, but with real depth.

Other than museums, Laura likes nature exploration and enjoys everything outdoors from the beach to hiking.

 

The joy of nothingness

There are a lot of sayings about the virtue of silence and the wisdom and calm of nothingness.  Since the first homo sapiens decided it was cool to bang two rocks together, philosophers, monks and writers have championed the cause of peace and quiet. In a modern world where noise is defined as progress we have seemed to have forgotten the joy of tranquility.

Once a year the predominantly Hindu Island of Bali creates a not-so-gentle reminder with Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence. Nyepi is a Balinese holiday that marks the island’s Lunar New Year (March 26, 2009). It is a day of quiet contemplation, fasting, and meditation. The goal is to provide an island-wide break from the activities of daily life to allow people to relax and focus on the eternal truths that so often get swept aside by more mundane pursuits. It’s a chance for the Balinese to focus on the balance between gods, mankind and nature.

During Nyepi everything on the island closes.  And I mean everything as the people take this day very seriously.  The Denpasar Airport is shuttered, all traffic and commercial activities come to a halt and even the resort island’s renowned beaches are off limits to foreign and domestic tourists. In order to observe the four rules of Nyepi, there are no lights, no activities, no travel and no entertainment as 4 million Balinese gather in their homes to meditate and pray.

So as I sit here on a grey spring morning watching traffic pass by my window, the honking and clatter of people and cars makes me long for solitude and wish I was back in Bali. I like the concept of being freed from the tyranny of sound and not just for some aural aesthetic purpose but for a much more deep and personal reason; it’s easier to think and contemplate surrounded by calm and silence then to create and contribute when you’re caught up in the midst of chaos and commotion. So here’s to a day for the rest of the world to maintain silence and to help us all to reconnect with what matters most. Here’s to the joy of nothingness.