Consider synthetic oil.

I've written before about biodiesel, hybrid cars, and other ways your fuel and car choice can affect the environment, national economy and more. But what if it's not time for a new car? Even if you are not ready for a new alternative fuel vehicle, you can make a positive contribution to our world by choosing synthetic oil over petroleum-based oils. Here's what you need to know:

When one considers manufacturing and engine use, synthetic oils produce just as much pollution as petroleum-based oils. BUT, since synthetics last three or more times longer than petroleum-based oils, they don't have to be changed as often. That means less total oil is used. That's important since 40% of used oil is dumped on the ground or down the sewer, polluting the environment. Plus, it's more convenient!

Want to know more?

* Learn about used oil pollution. For example, "it is estimated at present that over 240 million gallons of oil are improperly discarded annually. Dumping 240 million gallons of oil is nearly the same as two Exxon Valdez spills each month. How dangerous is used oil? Just one quart can produce a two-acre oil slick. One gallon of oil can make one million gallons of water too foul to drink and 35 ppm of oil will kill fish. Improperly disposed used oil is dangerous."

* Consider this FAQ from Quaker State. It will address many of your questions about use of synthetics, switching to synthetics, etc.

* Read your car owner's manual to see if your car can use synthetic oil. For example, Mazda engines cannot.

* Recycle used oil it when you remove it, regardless of which type you use. "Just one gallon of used oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of water. Recycling your used motor oil keeps it out of our rivers, lakes, streams and even the ground water. In many cases, that means keeping it out of our drinking water, off our beaches, and away from wildlife." There are sites all over that will accept used motor oil for recycling. Consider these in the UK, and the US. In the US, you can call 1-800-CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687) to find a collection center near you. Some oil change companies, like Jiffy Lube, will accept used motor oil for recycling. Never dump oil down a storm drain.

So next time your car is due for an oil change, recycle the used oil and consider replacing it with a synthetic oil. It's better for the environment and easier on you.

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." - Benjamin Franklin

Get into the game.

I missed Blogging Against Disablism Day two weeks ago, but here's my entry anyway. Better late than never, right?

I've written before about how to use entertainment media as opportunities to learn. Here's another way you can do that.

Get into the Game is a social action campaign that uses the hit documentary Murderball to increase public awareness about people with disabilities and to raise funds for the U.S. Paralympics. Haven't seen it?

Murderball is a film about tough, highly competitive rugby players. Quadriplegic rugby players. Whether by car wreck, fist fight, gun shot, or rogue bacteria, these men were forced to live life sitting down. In their own version of the full-contact sport, they smash the hell out of each other in custom-made gladiator-like wheelchairs. And no, they don't wear helmets.

From the gyms of middle America to the Olympic arena in Athens, Greece, MURDERBALL tells the story of a group of world-class athletes unlike any ever shown on screen. In addition to smashing chairs, it will smash every stereotype you ever had about the disabled. It is a film about family, revenge, honor, sex (yes, they can) and the triumph of love over loss. But most of all, it is a film about standing up, even after your spirit - and your spine - has been crushed.

So how can you get into the game?

* Host a screening of Murderball. They'll send a free DVD, tips for a successful screening, flyers, and more.

* Donate to the Paralympics Just $215 will provide a wheelchair to a deserving athlete. Pass the plate and enter your group donation online or send checks made out to the US Olympic Committee to:

Murderball Donations
c/o Participate.net
PO Box 16699
Beverly Hills, CA 90209-2699

* Spread the word to others who may want to donate, participate or host a screening.

* Check yourself and make sure your language and actions don't promote the stereotypes or discrimination of disablism.

And if you want to host a double feature, check out Emmanuel's Gift, also available on DVD. Thanks for the tip, Nick! Now let's get into the game!

"Someday, I may get evidence that changes my beliefs about equality in parenting, about the commitments we should make to children, about the worthwhileness of life with disability . . . Perhaps someday I will change my beliefs. Perhaps I will change either my evaluation of existing evidence, my understanding of new evidence, or the values I bring to the debate. That is what life is about. Meanwhile, I must keep paying attention and keep speaking out.” - Adrienne Asch, 2001

Take care of yourself: MIND, body and soul.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. The Sisters of the Yam (best bookclub ever!) is commemorating the occasion by reading and discussing Bebe Moore Campbell's book 72 Hour Hold in which a major character has bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). Here are some ways you may want to take note of National Mental Health Awareness Month and mind your health:

--> If you or someone you know is contemplating or attempting suicide, please call one of these national hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or for TTY, 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889).

* Visit the National Mental Health Information Center to find mental health services in your area, look up mental health terms, consult the list of toll-free national hotlines and more. Resources are also available in Spanish.

* If you are suffering from addiction, perhaps in a conscious or subconscious effort to self-treat your own mental illness, GET HELP.

* If someone you love is suffering from addiction, perhaps in a conscious or subconscious effort to self-treat her or his own mental illness, GET HELP.

* If your emotional or mental state doesn't allow you to treat those you love in a way that honors them, GET HELP to stop the abuse.

* Consult this state-by-state list of mental health hotlines for more local resources.

* Peruse the online resources available from the National Mental Health Association. Many of them are available in English and Spanish.

Every month is a good month to MIND your health!

"One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows slowly endures." - J.G. Hubbard

Visit Thistle Farms.

Thistle Farms is "the cottage business of Magdalene, a two-year residential community for women with a criminal history of addiction and prostitution. Magdalene was created to provide a sanctuary in Nashville for women in need of a safe, disciplined and compassionate community." You can support the women of Magdalene by supporting Thistle Farms. Here's how:

--> Purchase Thistle Farms "balms, candles, sachets, eye pillows, bath salts and body scrub, which are made with the purest ingredients including cotton wicks, soybean based ecowax, sea salt and virgin olive oil and then placed in recyclable containers." You can bay a lip-balm for as little at $3 and know that the proceeds are going to a good cause.

--> Host a Thistle Farms Party. "Having a Thistle Farms party means giving and receiving three ways. We give you a hostess gift as thanks, you'll receive the gift of knowing you've helped make Thistle Farms and the women of Magdalene stronger, and you'll experience the power of the women's stories and the joy of having shared it with your friends. Magdalene women are available to speak in person at parties in the Nashville area, and satellite parties can be arranged for hosts outside of Nashville.

--> Volunteer at Thistle Farms or Magdalene. "Volunteering at Magdalene provides the opportunity to work with a great team and have a lot of fun while providing a valuable contribution of your skills and time."

--> Donate financially to Magdalene. Your contribution will help "provide sanctuary and work to women who are taking the hard steps towards breaking the cycle of prostitution and addiction. Your support covers the cost of the food, supplies, utilities, maintenance, medical care, clothing, educational expenses and salaries that make Magdalene work."

Learn more about Magdalene, and you too will want to support their work.

"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." - Wayne Dyer

Go WWOOFing.

Amazingly enough, this has nothing to do with barking dogs, or stereo equipment. The International WWOOF Association is an organizes "world-wide opportunities on organic farms." In exchange for volunteer work on a farm, WWOOFers get free room and board, training on organic farming, and an experience they'll never forget. Interested?

* There are a wide variety of farms. "WWOOF hosts are mainly pursuing a simple, sustainable, lifestyle. Many are practising Permaculture or Bio-dynamic growing methods. Some farms are commercial producers, whether full or part time; others are alternative co-operatives or communities."

* There are numerous locations all over the world. You can visit and volunteer in countries like China, Ghana, Mexico Turkey, and many others. And there are farms all over the US and the EU.

* There are opportunities for WWOOF hosts. If you run an organic farm, consider hosting WWOOFers. You meet interesting people and get some extra hands to help with labor.

The WWOOF website has much more information including an FAQ, a WWOOF history, and everything else you need to plan your trip. It's a great way to be of service, see someplace new, and learn an awful lot. Have fun farming!

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." - Albert Pike

Be an activist.

As I wrote that title, I realized that you probably already are an activist. I mean, you're reading So what can I do so you're clearly on the lookout for ways to make our world a better place. Maybe you recycle. Perhaps you donate life. Or ride transit. Or click every day. See, you are already an activist!

Here are resources you can use to broaden the things you do that will make our lives better:

* Alice Dreger's Top Ten Tips for Doing Activism in Academia. This is a wonderful resource for folks in academe. You may also want to check out her recent post on The Bioethics Forum.

* Elizabeth May's How to be an activist. She works for the Sierra Club so she writes with an eye to environmental issues. But her advice can be more broadly applied.

* The Activist's Handbook from Protest.net is "a pretty good practical introduction to being politically active."

* The United Methodist Church provides these tips on How to be an Activist taken from Protest.net.

So what can I do is filled with other resources you can use to make a positive difference in your world. Remember you don't have to do all of the things on this list. Start with one or two, the ones you feel most comfortable with. Then move on from there. 'Activism' is not a bad word. Neither is 'protest'. Some may want to march on Washington. Others may want to write a letter to their newspaper or senator. Still others may want to volunteer in their community. Many will do all three and then some. Those of us who understand that we have the power to change our world must figure how to make those words and actions relevant in our own lives. It's part of being the best person one can be.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

Walk the World.

In just 53 days, people in over 50 countries will walk to fight hunger. The UN World Food Program is organizing the Walk The World event for May 21, 2006 in order to "raise the funds and awareness we need to end child hunger". Here's how you can get involved:

* Walk in your area to raise money and awareness. If there's no organized walk in your town, plan one!

* Donate to the World Food Programme and feed a child. Donations in Canada, US, and Japan are tax deductible.

* Click the bright orange button and trigger a donation (free to you) that will provide a child a free school lunch. I click everyday.

So Walk the World. It's another great way to walk with a purpose.

"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." - Wayne Dyer

Nurse America to health.

Nurses for America has joined with AmeriCorps to "make a difference in the health of Americans across the country". Their mission:

"to increase access to nursing care for underserved, vulnerable populations and improve the quality of health care services delivered by community health centers and state and local public health agencies. Nurses for America will enhance the knowledge and skills of nurses to provide care in these settings and for these populations, while promoting service and civic engagement."

What a wonderful way to serve! Registered nurses can sign up for a two-year salaried position at a community health center, faith-based neighborhood clinic or public health department. In addition to an education award and student loan deferment, participants receive a 2-week intensive training, mentorship, and continuing education. For more information, visit www.nursesforamerica.org or contact Nurses for America at (202) 687-4772 or NursesForAmerica@georgetown.edu.

This is one of many ways to spend two years in service or prepare for a Masters in Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service.

"Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open." - Rose Wilder Lane

Design a better world.

Ever thought about how to design earthquake resistant schools? What about tsunami resistant homes? Inexpensive, but functional refugee housing? These and other design and architecture challenges are being met everyday by the folks at Architecture for Humanity. If you are an architecture or design student or professional, or if you just like good design, take note:

Architecture for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1999 to promote architectural and design solutions to global, social and humanitarian crises. Through competitions, workshops, educational forums, partnerships with aid organizations and other activities, Architecture for Humanity creates opportunities for architects and designers from around the world to help communities in need. We believe that where resources and expertise are scarce, innovative, sustainable and collaborative design can make a difference.

If this sounds like the kind of work you like to support, check out these ways to get involved:

* Volunteer with AFH by spreading the word, fundraising, advocating and more.

* Donate either financially or in kind to support the work of AFH. They're non-profit so your gift will be tax-deductible.

* Learn more about humanitarian design and architecture. They even list socially responsible design education programs around the country.

* Buy cool stuff, and support AFH in the process.

Architecture for Humanity promotes "architectural responses to humanitarian crises". Their motto is "Design Like You Give a Damn". Sounds good to me!

"The best politics is right action." -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

Donate your baby's cord blood.

Are you pregnant? Is someone you love? If so, then check this out: Your baby may be able to save someone's life just by being born. When you give birth, you have three options for what to do with the placenta and umbilical cord blood:

* Trash it. This is what usually happens. What a waste.
* Store it for possible use by you, your child or a member of your family.
* Donate it for public storage so that it can be used for research or to treat or save the life of an unrelated person.

Cord blood contains hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells. According to the National Marrow Donor Program, "Each year thousands of patients are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases that can be treated by rebuilding the patient's hematopoietic (blood cell producing) system with blood-forming cells. Umbilical cord blood is being studied as one of the sources of blood cells." So why throw cord blood away when it can be put to good use treating life-threating disease? Consider,

• Donating cord blood is medically safe. The cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after your baby is born.
• Donation does not change the birth process.
• Donating cord blood is free to you and completely confidential.

Here's how to get started:

--> Learn more about cord blood donation. The NMDP has tons of information including an FAQ, eligibility guidelines, participating cord blood banks and hospitals and more.

--> Register to donate between your 28th and 35th week of pregnancy.

--> Contact Cryobanks International if there is no hospital in your area. Donations to Cryobanks are accepted from anywhere in the Continental United States. They'll come and pick it up, and remember donating is free. Cryobanks can be reached at cryo-intl.com or 1-800-869-8608.

Some expectant families may be considering storage for private use. Cryobanks has a quiz that can help you make the choice between private storage and public storage (donation).

Think about it. Talk about it with your partner. Pray about it. And consider what a blessing your child's birth can be to some other mother's child. Regardless of your decision, remember that there are many ways you can donate life.

"The future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed yet." - William Gibson (1999)

Dream locally.

Want to make a difference in your community? Short on cash to do so? Then this may be just the opportunity for you. New American Dream is offering five $1000 mini-grants to promote the Buying Wisely Locally Project.

Buying wisely (which sometimes means not buying) particularly calls for a local fingerprint, so we decided to start there. In the coming year, our team of organizers will personalize the tools from New Dream’s Buy Wisely and Conscious Consumer websites to develop a pocket guide to help members of their communities:

Buy Less – remembering that the most economical and earth-friendly purchase is often the one never made;
Buy Local – choosing products and businesses that support your neighbors, your downtown, and all the best parts of your community;
Buy in Line (with your values) – choosing products that are good for people, the planet, and everything you hold dear.

There are two ways to participate:

--> If you have a great idea, and have at least two to five hours a week to make it reality, apply for a mini-grant.

--> If you don't have at least two to five hours a week to spare, but still want to participate, apply to become a local advisor.

Visit New American Dream to complete either application. Hurry, the deadline for submission is March 20th. If you have questions, write New American Dream at outreach@newdream.org . If you like, leave us a comment about your great idea. Maybe it will catch on! Even if you don't get a grant, you can still buy wisely locally, and encourage others to do the same.

"All that you touch you change. All the you change changes you." Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents (1998)

Do right by those you love.

Love does it's best. But sometimes it can be hard to do better or do your best even though we know we should, or know we can. When you get stuck in a place that is less than your best, and you know you need to do better but you can't, won't, don't know how, or are afraid to make a change, GET HELP. Click the links below to find the resources to improve your life.

--> If you are hurting or neglecting someone you love, your spouse, your partner, your child, your parent, your friend, yourself, or someone else, physically or emotionally, GET HELP. If you are being hurt, abused, or neglected by someone you love GET HELP.

--> If your emotional state or mental illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.) is causing you to hurt or neglect someone you love, your friend, your child, your partner, your parent, your spouse, yourself or someone else, physically or emotionally, GET HELP. If you are being hurt, abused, or neglected by someone you love, GET HELP.

--> If your addiction(s) is causing you to hurt or neglect someone you love, your partner, your friend, your child, your parent, your spouse, yourself or someone else, physically or emotionally, GET HELP. If you are being hurt, abused, or neglected by someone you love, GET HELP.

Sometimes we need help to do our best. And since those you love deserve your best, do all you can to improve yourself and your relationships. If you need a little help to do so, ask for it. There's no shame in getting help to be your best. It's what love demands. Honor those you love, including yourself, by being the best person you can be.

"Love feels no burden, regards not labors, strives toward more than it attains, argues not of impossibility, since it believes that it may and can do all things." - Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471), German monk

Click to donate.

If you click the icons at the bottom of the sideview, you will find lots of usage statistics about So what can I do. For example, earlier today, someone found So what can I do while google searching the phrase "how can i help the poor as a christian while i have so little resources?". Regular readers know that this blog is full of answers to that question. Here's just one:

Click to donate sites may constitute the fastest, easiest, most inexpensive, way ever to make a charitable contribution. Here's how they work: Advertisers on the sites make a charitable donation based on the number of clicks, which represent people who've seen their ads. More people clicking, means more viewers, means more money to support your favorite causes. To have the greatest impact, you should click every day. I do, as soon as I turn on my computer. It's a habit now.

Here are some click to donate sites you may want to patronize:

* Donation Junction has links to over 40 click to donate sites supporting a wide range of charitable organizations and good causes, from hunger to HIV. It's one stop clicking! You can visit their site in Italiano, Svenska, Suomi, Russkiy, Français , or English. Thanks for the tip, Red Elephant!

* Clicks on FreeDonation.com trigger contributions to support eight different causes from AIDS to the arts, education to the environment. Read more here.

* Visit PovertyFighters.com and click to make a 25 cent donation towards a microloan. It may not sound like much but it adds up quickly when you click everyday. Learn more here.

* Click the button on FightHunger.org to feed a child one school lunch. Imagine, a child will eat (and learn!) because of your efforts. This site is sponsored by OxFam. Read more here. Thanks for the tip, Meg!

* Gear that Gives hosts six different click to donate sites, including ones on literacy, breast cancer, hunger and rainforest preservation. Learn more here.

Choose your favorites, then click now, click daily and spread the word. Use the white envelope below to send this post to a friend. EasyDonations.net even offers free daily reminders to click. Clicking every day won't solve all our problems, but it will help. Remember, you can give more than just money. Give regularly of your time, talents, and resources. We can all contribute, and the different ways we give will help get the job done.

"The smallest light in the darkest conditions can give you all you need to get where you are going." - Juan Lane

Be a fair trade valentine.

Valentine's Day is almost upon us. This year, why not treat yourself or your sweetie with some fair trade goodies? Fair trade (not free trade) ensures that the people who grow, manufacture and produce goods are paid and treated fairly. Fair trade allows workers, farmers, craftspeople and others to earn a living wage, support themselves and their families. Sometimes fair trade products may cost a little more, but remember there's often a high cost of low price.

Thankfully, lots of fair trade vendors are making it easy for you, just in time for Valentine's Day. These are just a few of your options:

* Ten Thousand Villages markets cards, candles, jewelry and more.

* No Sweat sells chocolate hearts and other products for your sweet.

* Global Exchange offers a Fair Trade Valentine's Day Action Kit with chocolates, cards, and more.

* Organic Consumers Association has a Valentine's Day buying guide and free Valentine's PDFs you can print out for cards.

So show your love for yourself, your honey, and your fellow human beings by purchasing fair trade products. Make global interdependence work for everyone. Enjoy!

"Before you've finished your breakfast this morning, you'll have relied on half the world." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Win $2000.

Time again for a trip to the mailbag. Natasha called my attention to a contest being sponsored by Citizens for Global Solutions, a non-profit organization working to build "a future in which nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone."

Citizens for Global Solutions is holding a contest for students, budding artists, multi-media designers, and activists who are interested in making some cool flash videos.  The top contenders will be published on our website for voting and the winners will get cash! We're looking for short flash movies that can inspire, amuse and activate people out there who believe a better world is possible.

Answer this question: Why do global problems matter to Americans and what do you think America should do about them?

Americans get mostly bad news every day about the rest of the world, given the media’s heavy emphasis on wars, conflicts, and humanitarian and natural disasters and the lack of emphasis on solutions. It can seem that global problems are too scary, too big and too numerous to handle. Well, there’s plenty of blame being thrown around for what isn’t working, but no one seems to have a positive vision of what can be done. You have a chance to inspire listeners with your vision of how America can work with other countries to make the world safer and better!

Registration and entry are free, and the top prize is $2000! So get your creative juices flowing and start making your flash movie. The deadline for submission is April 1, 2006. By inspiring others to make the world a better place, you'll become part of the solution.

"Lying is done with words and also with silence." -Adrienne Rich, writer and teacher (1929- )