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The average American consumer receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, according to 41pounds.org. That seems like it could be a lot of paper. But then again, maybe it’s not. How much does the average magazine even weigh? Have you ever seen 41 pounds of paper?
Chances are you don’t know what 41 pounds looks like–I certainly don’t. Not many people are going to take action on something they can’t fully conceptualize even though there are easy ways to stop junk mail.
The debate of the importance of awareness and action has been going on for some time now. The challenge has always been finding creative ways of getting people to reach the tipping point to take action.
Awareness and action go hand-in-hand; they must compliment each other. If you present a problem, you must present a solution.
I came up with an idea for a junk mail sculpture that helps people visualize what 41 pounds looks like.
On May 16, an inexorable gathering of a dozen Brooklynites (and a couple Manhattanites) marked the launch of One-Earth.com. We came with nothing more than our laptops and knowledge.
The goal of the Posting Party was simple: post as many solutions to One-Earth.com as possible in four hours. And we did just that. Over 250 solutions were posted that night! One-Earth.com is now rivaling some of the most acclaimed resources for information about sustainable living in New York.
For four hours, we posted (and drank). Congratulations to Misty who posted 105 solutions and won the grand prize package purchased from Green in Brooklyn, which included a Solo Solar Powered Cell Phone Charger, a Klean Kanteen, a Wrap-n-Mat, and few other essentials.
The effort and energy people brought helped make the event a huge success; we owe each other the congratulations. Each posting party (and One-Earth.com as a whole) will only be as successful as we choose to make it. That's the beauty of the design. Soon, with the help of the global community of local activists, One-Earth.com will be the source of sustainable information for people in every major city around the world.
There will be another Posting Party in mid-June. Send me an email if you'd like to attend.
For all previous posts about the development of the web site, visit the old blog.
