Do You Have an Idea to Change the World?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

We all know the Gandhi quote and never has it rung more true than the today, as we see the butterfly effect of a single action having repercussions far and wide. What better time than the present, when the internet has given lightening speed to our ideas and the greatest minds of our time can be easily accessed through a few key strokes, to use our technology for the greater good–as a participatory exchange of ideas?

While pondering this, I discovered the “Why Not?” Innovation Experience (sponsored by Care2 advertiser Toyota), in which they are asking all of us to contribute our best ideas for water conservation, air purification, land preservation, community involvement and alternative energy development. Reading through some of the entries I became inspired that maybe, from tiny seedlings of ideas like these, larger movements are born. Here are some of the submissions:

Water
“Let’s invent an easy way to collect gray water from homes with septic tanks (i.e. clothes and dish washing, showers) into a separate holding tank for filtering and reuse in outside activities (garden/yard water, bird baths, etc.).”

Land
“Plant more trees–they produce what we need–and it should be law that for every tree removed for any reason another should be planted close to the same area (the same kind of tree).”

Community
“As a single father paying $188 a week for daycare, I would like to see more companies offer a daycare service or discount. That would allow for so much extra money to save for retirement, emergencies and my child’s college fund.”

Air
“A greenhouse/solarium attached to the south side of an existing or new home can provide heat, hot water, improved air quality, and added living space. My working model in Utah provides 80 percent of the heat for my home and the next one will be even better. When building our new home–we will even use the sun to cool the space and make electricity. Solar homes are not a new idea. Some of those cliff dwellings in the South West were solar homes as were the New England salt boxes. We have to look back before going forward!”

Energy
“Create a string of gyms, where members exercise on equipment that gathers electricity from the stationary bikes and other recapturing systems. Other considerations–they could be social centers, with a trove of information about energy, healthy living, etc.”

Walt Whitman said, “The genius of the world is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people”. My “common person” idea? An overhaul of the entire public transportation industry. By following examples of some successful countries, we can make trains and buses more readily available and also pleasant places to be. What’s yours? You can share by clicking on the video below.

By Veronica Peterson, Editor, Healthy & Green Living

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Philippa P.

3:10AM PDT on Sep 28, 2010

Interesting.

send a green star

Munees M.

11:52PM PDT on Jul 30, 2010

Plant more trees!!. All the things automatically changed. Nice!!

11:51PM PDT on Jul 30, 2010

Julie U.

5:57AM PDT on Jun 5, 2010

Very good ideas.

andrew h.

4:30PM PDT on Jun 1, 2010

heres an idea that needs to be considered:

turn off the television and do some selfless loving service to others without expectation of thanks - -why it may start a chain reaction of good events

Carole C.

8:52AM PDT on Jun 1, 2010

I agree that looking back as well as forward will give us inspiration. Clotheslines, organic community gardens, growing herbs, natural pesticides, canning vegetables, making do, recycling, reusing,cloth bags, and on and on, are all things that remind me of my beautiful, very wise grandmother.

Parth S.

8:56AM PDT on Apr 11, 2010

Nice one......

Thomas K.

5:53PM PDT on Mar 27, 2010

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” that´s the main point. we have to do something for our dreams!

Odin T.

2:41PM PST on Feb 23, 2010

Everyone can benefit with these ideas however, there is the probleme about the availability of some of them. Anything to reduce the carbon footprint that we make is a step in the right direction. We need more trees.

Raine K.

10:08PM PST on Feb 4, 2010

The only energy from vegetarians comment is outright ridiculous.
There are a lot of good ideals and we all come up with things that help wether we realize it at the time or not.Or wait..do my ideals and actions not count because im not a vegan?