Think Outside the Bottle

Up to 40% of bottled water comes from the same source as tap water, but is sold back to consumers at hundreds of times the cost. Producing bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water required more than 17 million barrels of oil last year – enough fuel for more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year - and generated more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Take the pledge to give up bottled water at ThinkOutsidetheBottle.org.

Is my blog too long?

Adocu, the new one-word blog, just opened today. I am proud to be a charter member! Use it to update your status quickly, or to put one-word (hyphens are allowed!) thoughts into the minds of (eventually) millions! Here's my page...check it out:

http://adocu.com/missouri_gal

"Final Salute"

The eMail Our Military blog, is giving away a copy of Jim Sheeler's "Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives."

This book is about the servicemen and women who notify loved ones of a soldier's death. They have a unique look at every family's worst nightmare. Jim Sheeler spent two years working with Major Steve Beck, a marine in charge of casualty notification.

To enter to win a copy, head over to eMail Our Military.

In fact, visit the blog even if you don't want to enter the drawing, just to learn more about how you can touch a soldier's life with one email.

Hypermiling

Get better gas mileage without getting a new car, or buying anything...become a hypermiler! Hypermilers try to get the best gas mileage possible out of the car they have by adopting new and better driving habits. Get 100 tips on better driving,

Covenant House

I've been donating to the Covenant House of St. Louis for many years, since I saw their story on local television. They serve teenagers and young adults who are too old for the foster care system and too young for adult missions. The goal is to make them self-sufficient, so they won't need to use adult mission services, and can function as independent adults.

Buy eBay items for Myanmar and China Relief Funds

Support China Earthquake Relief

Support Myanmar Cyclone Relief

Endangered Species Day

May 16th, Endangered Species Day is a day to celebrate Endagered Species successes!

Who Doesn't Love Sea Turtles?

reefturt
Originally uploaded by missouri_gal

Today's link is tothe Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea Turtle Survivor League: http://www.cccturtle.org/.

Read all about sea turtles and the attempt to conserve their habitat. Adopt a sea turtle, or just follow one as it jets around the Caribbean. You can even volunteer to help out in the research of sea turtles.

Impact Your World

On May 12, a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the mountainous regions of South Asia. As I write this, the casualty figure is hovering around 9,000, with about 18,000 still missing.

In Myanmar, over 30,000 people were killed this month when a cyclone hit the region.

Where there is need in the world, World Vision is there. Please visit their web site and read about their works and, if you feel moved, give of what you are lucky enough to have to help others.

Save the Children of Darfur

SaveDarfur.com

Five Things You Can Do in 15 Minutes

Convince China to Use Influence to Stop the Violence in Darfur

Purple and Gold

Purple and Gold
Originally uploaded by missouri_gal

Spring has sprung at the St. Louis Zoo. This is near the bear pits.

Lake Victoria Disability Centre

The Lake Victoria Disability Centre was formed as a vocational training centre with the primary objective of improving access to social, economic and educational opportunities for disabled youths in the Mara region of Tanzania. One in 10 people in Tanzania are disabled – 3,456,900 people suffer from a physical, mental, hearing or visual impairment.

Global Girlfriend

Their tagline is: "Women-made. Eco-friendly. Fair Trade." What more could you ask for in a gift?

They offer organic apparel, jewelry, bath and body, paper, handbags - you name it!

You can even make a donation that will go to shoes for schoolgirls in Africa, dolls for refugee children, saving monarch habitats, and books for children in Nepal...75 charities in all! Donations can also be given as gifts.

Please peruse Global Girlfriend, and bookmark it...the holidays are coming up fast!

Exxon Valdez -- Still a Mess

Did you know that tons of volunteers are still cleaning up the Exxon Valdex oil spill nine years after the fact? Exxon Valdez Spill Trustee Council is still very hard at work.

Here's a photo of current research efforts on mussels, which shows the amount of oil that's left!