A Year of Goodness!
Our first edition of The Conspiracy Chronicles came out in May of 2019, and since then we’ve published 8 Chronicles—that's 8 problems, 8 thought leaders solving them, and countless small, yet important ways you and I can easily get involved.
You can find them all over on our site!
Feel free to skim this email to check out the ones you missed or just get a refresher on the ones that caught your eye! Maybe you intended to look into one of our thought leaders but just didn’t get the time, well here’s your chance.
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May: Litter
We started in May talking about the problem of litter. Walk down any street and take a look, you’ll probably see some litter along the way. And it’s no wonder: humans produce 3.5 million tons of plastic and other solid waste a day. (National Geographic). In a year, 8 million metric tons of plastic winds up in the oceans (National Geographic) and 18% of the litter on land finds its way into rivers, streams, and oceans.
So, who’s on the case, fixing this problem? Well that month, we introduced you to Litterati, an app whose community of users have helped pick up 3,074,779 pieces of litter, change laws, clean up the streets, and put pressure on major corporations to reduce their waste!
We also left you with some great ways to help out. Read more about this issue and how to get involved by reading our original post!
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June: Aging with Grace
In the month of June, we turned our attention to the issues of aging. We looked at what’s happening to the 10,000 people turning 65 every day, and discovered ways to help that population fight loneliness and continue to contribute to the world as they retire and get older!
So, we turned to the great work of Encore.org. They are an innovation hub tapping the talent of people over 50 as a force for good. Their campaign, Gen2Gen, mobilizes people over 50 to stand up for—and with—young people. They give people the opportunity to volunteer, connect with youth, and continue to be a part of society!
If you or a loved one is of retirement age, or just looking for a way to volunteer, hop over to our post about this edition to see how you can get involved!
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July: Native Bees!
Do you love fresh produce and beautiful flowers? Well, we can thank the world’s native bees for much of those wonders! Not familiar with native bees? Neither were we. But, it turns out, native bees are critical to ecosystems and they are disappearing! In the United States, one-quarter of the native bees are at risk of becoming extinct. (Center for Biological Diversity)
Though honey bees tend to be the focus of our bee-centric woes, native bees are at great risk. And thanks to organizations like Crown Bees, there are ways we can help out. Crown bees specialize in helping ordinary people support native bee populations! They do amazing work educating people on the importance of native bees and giving them the tools to keep populations healthy!
You can learn more about them, and how you can get your garden ready for native bees this spring by checking out that edition of the Chronicles.
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August: Saving Dark Skies
How does the beauty of a clear night sky impact our health? Well, as it turns out, experiencing a truly dark night is critical to our wellbeing, and because of light pollution, dark night skies are becoming more and more rare. Exposure to excessive light can alter our sleep and wake cycles, core body temperature, hormone regulation and release, and patterns of gene expression. These could potentially have impacts on human health like breast and prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes, and depression. (The Royal Society)
The International Dark-Sky Association has been hard at work since 1988 educating the public about light pollution, helping to inform policies and research into how we can preserve dark skies. They make it easy for people to help out, too!
If you want to get more involved, or just learn how you can make your own home more Dark-Sky and health-friendly, check out the August edition!
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September: Deforestation
If you remember, back in August and September the world was devastated by the news of the massive fires that were burning the Amazon Rainforest. So, we decided to do some investigation on what we could do to stop the deforestation that was contributing to the spread of fires. We discovered that around the world, over half of the tropical forests have been destroyed since the 1960s (ICUN). Devastatingly, deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (WWF)
But we didn’t just leave you with the bad news. Fortunately, there are innovators like the people at Rainforest Connection who are using old cell phones to listen for signs of deforestation and alert forest rangers so they can stop deforestation before it begins! They are protecting forests around the world and helping to stop huge swaths of the world’s forests from disappearing.
You can learn more about this issue, and what you can do to help by taking a look at our September edition of the Chronicle.
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October: Plastic Waste
You’ve probably heard a lot about the world’s plastic waste problems. The startling statistics that every year 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans.(National Geographic) or that only about 9% of plastic is recycled (DW) are hard to avoid. But what’s being done about this problem? And what can we do to actually help?!
Enter, Ubuntoo, they are a digital platform that connects innovators to each other and a network of people around the globe who want to tackle the world’s major environmental issues. They feature all kinds of amazing thinkers and projects that are working to find creative solutions to the world’s plastic problems. From making ink out of air pollution to turning plastic into a currency people can use to pay for education, food, and basic needs!
They do some remarkable work, and you can learn more about them by checking out October’s issue!
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November: Stress & Mindfulness
We thought this would be a good time of the year to dive into the issue of stress, and the impact chronic stress can have on our health! Because let’s face it, November is the start of the holiday season for many people, which can lead to a lot more stress than we usually face. The World Health Organization lists stress-related chronic diseases as a main source of death in developed countries. (Quintana, Rivera) Luckily, there are some ways we can start to reduce our chronic stress with mindfulness!
So, this month our featured thought leader was Mindful, a non-profit that inspires, guides, and connects people who are interested in mindfulness. They talk about mindfulness in an easy to approach, practical, and straightforward way. Even as we exit the holidays, they are a great resource to check out if you want to find ways to reduce your stress and become a little more mindful!
You can check out more about stress and its health impacts, and catch a few easy tips on getting started with mindfulness by checking out our Conspiracy Chronicle on the topic!
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December: Consuming Consciously
Last but not least, we rounded out the year looking at the ways we could give with a little more impact. It’s estimated that in 2019, the average American will have spent $920 on gifts during the holiday season. (Investopedia) So, we wanted to give people a way to do more with the gifts they were giving. To do this, we took a look at some companies that have made giving back a part of their mission!
This year we put together our first #ConspiracyofGoodness Holiday Gift Guide with more than one amazing thought leader to share with you! These are all businesses that have found a way to create beautiful, and useful products while giving back to communities and doing good with their work. From outdoor gear companies, to dog treats, to jewelry, we covered it all!
If you’re ever looking for a great gift for yourself or another person, this chronicle has some great tips on ways you can consume a little more consciously. Even better, we give you some tips on how you can make sure the everyday products you buy are able to do a little more for the world!
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Wrapping Up a Great Year!
We learned so much in 2019 and are excited to see what the year ahead will bring for the Conspiracy of Goodness! We hope you check out or revisit your favorite edition for 2019 and share this great resource with the people in your life!
We could all use a little more good news and some reassurance that the world and our shared future is in good hands! So, let your friends know that Ever Widening Circles is out there.
Together, we can work to make 2020 another great year!
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Keep Up with the Community!
Tell us if you used any of the tips from our 2010 Conspiracy Chronicles! Do you have any favorites? Or anything we should consider trying? SHARE WITH US!
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And, join the #ConspiracyofGoodness Facebook Group to see what other people are up to and share inspiration you come across.
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Happy 2020!
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