CAKE
Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) is a joint project of Island Press and EcoAdapt. It is aimed at building a shared knowledge base for managing natural systems in the face of rapid climate change. (for Mambo Media)

Sometimes the modern world seems to be increasingly about quantity vs. quality, more about the rush and less about the now. Have you ever felt you are going a million miles an hour all the time? By taking a slow walk we are are getting multiple benefits. We are getting exercise, a method to slow down our process(both mental and physical), and an opportunity to live fully in the moment.

If you approach this honestly you will see that you are more aware of your breathing, your surroundings, and each step you take forward. This becomes a moving meditation of sorts and provided you don’t have to be anywhere right away it can be very rewarding. Resist the temptation to get somewhere and be more open to the process of slowing down. After reading about this, and experiencing it firsthand, not only am I convinced of its benefits, I believe it can work for anyone, anywhere, anytime.

If mindfulness is not your thing it turns out according to recent research at the University of Colorado at Boulder slow walking is not only easier on your joints but can burn more calories too. They cited that “people burn more calories per mile walking a very leisurely 2 miles per hour than walking a moderate to brisk 3 to 4 miles per hour.” Apparently without the inertia of a rapid pace propelling you forward, your muscles have to work harder.

Slow Walking Burns More Calories, Easier on Joints

1. Environmental
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more. Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75. Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85.
 Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million. Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 sq. feet. Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year.

2. Cancer
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than 
once a week: 3.8 times. For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times. Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times. Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

3. Cholesterol
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack.
 How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds.
 Average U.S. man’s risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent. 
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent. 
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent. 
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl.
 Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is
210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent.

4. Natural Resources
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production.
 Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25.
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000.
 Years the world’s known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13.
 Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260.
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calory of protein from beef: 78. 
To get 1 calory of protein from soybeans: 2. 

5. Antibiotics
Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55. 
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13. 
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91.
 Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban.
 Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support.

Abridged list from vegecyber

I was lucky enough to go on a dream trip to the Philippines in June. While traveling in Southeast Asia I kept asking myself “Why don’t I do this more often?”. The rewards far outweigh the pricey plane tickets and time scheduling. Cultural exposure and education are priceless gems for the humble traveler, even on a frugal budget.

Cultural exposure is a huge benefit to anyone given the opportunity. Exposure broadens your knowledge of the world. With cultural immersion there are possibilities to appreciate different perspectives such as socio-political views and local customs. Being a million miles from home also let’s you see things you’ve likely never seen before. For someone into branding and communications design this is a feast for the eyes.

The education you get while traveling abroad is world-class. A foreign city or village as your classroom is much more interactive than a lecture or lesson plan. Learning key words and phrases while using them on a daily basis is a fast track to learning a new language.

Growth, awareness, and a connection to a more inclusive sense of humanity are all fruits of a good journey. My father says “You don’t take a good trip, a good trip takes you”.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

BETRUE will help the Columbia Northwest chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters produce a poster in line with their marketing efforts to boost enrollment of volunteers for the program. The design will be strategically aligned with the tag-line “Start Something”.

“Start something big this year and become a Big Brother, Sister or Couple. Being a volunteer is one of the most enjoyable things you’ll ever do. Not to mention, one of the most fulfilling. You have the opportunity to help shape a child’s future for the better by empowering him or her to achieve. And the best part is, it’s actually a lot of fun.”