Welcome... now what?

Welcome to the Joyful Earth blog! Trying to decide the focus of this blog comes on the heels of watching an incredibly compelling, heartbreaking and important documentary called "The Cove" last night.

I went through the list of directions this blog could take - perhaps a personal blog about the behind the scenes workings of Joyful Earth, maybe a strictly business blog about our next stocking, our new products and all that jazz, maybe it would be a collection of my thoughts about stuff...

Now, granted - there's merit in all of those approaches. But, I really wanted this blog to reflect what Joyful Earth is about and what inspires our products. The inspiration for Joyful Earth is rooted in a passion for creating functional, useful and sustainable products with a consideration for our planet. Finding joy in the everyday.

"The Cove" is a documentary about a truly joyful animal - dolphins. Not only does the experience of the dolphin reflect their passion for life but it also reflects the serious and devastating effects of human greed and exploitation. The dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan claims the lives of over 23,000 dolphins a year and at times the footage shot in this documentary is truly horrific. There are images in The Cove that I will never erase from my mind. Images that have inspired me to act and become involved in ending the dolphin trade in Taiji.

The Dolphin trade is a multi million dollar industry, serving Dolphin and sea life theme parks or Dolphin swim programs. These dolphins are taken from their ocean life, from the cove in Taiji, Japan. Those not selected are slaughtered and sold either as dolphin meat or in disguise as whale meat for human consumption. Highly contaminated with mercury, again, the dolphin is a reflection of human disregard for the planet.

I've long felt compelled to make changes in my life - to try and respect our planet and to try and be more conscious of my own footprint. Movies, books, websites, and blogs have all spurred me into action. Joyful Earth was born out of that desire to make a change in my life, but to also help others do the same. Something as simple as a reusable shopping bag, or a reusable paper towel reduces waste and will have a positive impact on our planet.

Which brings me to the direction of this blog. As I scour the internet for information on ecological issues, or as I create new products to help you make a difference in your own life I will post about it here. I want this blog to serve as a tool for information and change.

"The Cove" inspired me by realizing that even the smallest changes are important. Ric O'Barry's drive to make change in one small body of water challenges me to look at the very small changes I can make in my life. One step at a time - one less tea bag in the garbage - one less plastic bag in the landfill - one less paper towel . These small changes are important. Ric O'Barry said that if he could not change things for the dolphins in Taiji then what hope do we have for global change? I agree. Think globally, act locally.

Thanks for joining me here! Please follow the blog, post your comments or ideas and join me in celebrating our Joyful Earth!