More Than Just A New Year

Happy New Year! Today is not only the 1st day of 2010, but a chance for all of us to "launch" forward to new heights to Make It Better. I would like to put forth a friendly challenge to each and everyone of you to take a piece from Nike's playbook and "Just Do It". With this, I'd like to invite you to "Get Connected" by emailing joinmib@gmail.com so we can create a new friendship of like minded individuals inspired to Make It Better. To kick start my own new year, I'm working on the launch of a new publication that will showcase those individuals, groups, and companies who are executing great acts of "Make It Better" in their personal and professional lives. So watch for the new MIB Publication and media network coming later this month Cheers!

Leslie S. Gagne and I MIB.

One Life Lost... is one Life Too Many!

In our society, we value life. In addition to many things, this is certainly what makes us different than other societies around the world.

After running into the woods after his dog, Chance, James Delorey, who was an autistic child, became lost. Fortunately, Chance made it back to lead rescuers to find James. Unconscious and suffering from Hyperthermia, the 7 year old was then air-lifted to Sick Kids Hospital in Halifax Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, James died this morning.

I'm not a parent, but I have two that love me dearly. I can't imagine what James' parents are going through today, but I do know this could have been prevented. In a world where we are surrounded by technology, the loss of James under these circumstances is unacceptable. What will it take for us to realize the same technology we use to find our stolen cars or to locate a black box in downed airplanes, can be used to find our lost or abducted children. Yes, I know there's a "grey" area here. However, I, like James' parents and most of you who are parents, would be willing to over look this grey for a chance to hold your child in your arms again or to give him/her yet another big hug and a kiss before bed tonight. James' parents can't do that anymore and for that, I am going to make it my priority that this does not happen to anymore children. If we could had inserted a "beacon" or GPS chip on or inside James at birth, rescuers would have been able to find him in time so that he'd be home tonight for dinner and thinking about waking up on Christmas morning to open his presents from Mom and Dad.

Think about the many children who are abducted each year around the world or simply become lost and never to be found.... If you value the life of your son or daughter as much as you do your automobile, then I think it's time we make the same investment so that all children can be found if lost or taken away from us.

Email your thoughts and join the MIB (Make It Better) Cause!

DOA: The Blue Box Blunder

In College I was known as the "Eviro Man" and in my third year, we created SAKE, Students Against Killing the Environment. The 3R's were being praised as our new economic hope for the future. Fast forward. After almost 20 years of failed progress in mass recycling, we still have no real advancement in how we create economic development from such programs. It's now 2009 smack dab in the middle of the worse economic crises since the great depression and common sense is only now finally telling us that recycling and the blue box program is a big blue box blunder. After years and years of forcing people to recycle, we have not yet established a viable market for the recycled waste. For example, in Calgary, the last major city to adopt the blue box program, sent all of the glass it collected straight to their landfill where it's piling up waiting for a buyer. Germany has stockpiled millions of tonnes of recyclable plastics in rural fields, like above-ground dumps. San Fransico recently calculated it paid $4,000 a tonne to recycle plastic bags for a resale price of only $32. Think of the wasted fuel, costs of the trucks, the salaries of collectors and the millions of ongoing administrative costs with still no established market. The promise of environmentalists of a "flourishing recycling market" where reused goods would find ready buyers was already a dream even 40 years ago and is, unfortunately, still a dream. Ironically, in 2002, Swedan's leading envionmental authorities reported that most materials be incincerated at waste-to-energy plants, which is easier to do, and generates electricity, offsetting the need for fossil fuels. "We believe that incinceration of household waste including disposable packaging and food waste, with energy recovery, is best for the environment, economy and managment of natural resources," wrote Valfrid Paulsson, former head of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Well..., the idea of waste-to-energy is finally starting to catch on. Britain is now building 50 new waste-to-energy incinerators; Denmark's environmental protection agency recommended in a 2002 report that the country would be best to reroute parts of its recycling program to incinerators instead. With this, I encourage the leaders and policy makers from Canada, the US and Governments around the world to stop the Blue Box Blunder immediately and set a new course towards co-generation, waste-to-energy and the elimination of landfill as we know it today. Better yet, stop the financial disaster and abuse of capital, resources and the waste of human "energy" that is the blue box blunder.

Shift Wanted... No.. Shift Needed! Go Tesla

Look around and you'll see a new revolution taking place in the world. Some of us are spinning out of control and others are positioning themselves to be at the head of the new wave economy.

The consumer economy is DEAD and don't expect it to bring us out of our economic funk. So what to do? I think the "Green" rhetoric is getting old real fast. By labeling new technologies, businesses and ways to do things with such negative perceptions, we automatically limit the real potential for society to make a SHIFT in our philosophy, our belief system and our confidence in the mass potential a true shift will bring. Instead, let's just make what we do today the new standard without any kind of label. For example, take a look at Tesla Motors. The company oozes with opportunity, potential, wealth creation, economic development and more with such ability to become the new standard for the automotive industry. And it's here now. How about no noise, no pollution, 0 to 60 in just over 5 seconds, greater efficiency and a much more reliable and economical solution to the present day gas dependent steel dinosaur that currently populates our roads today. Give me a break. Seriously... the TESLA engine has one moving part, the rotor vs the thousands (ok hundreds) of moving parts in the over 100 year old cumbustional engine. Better yet, do you know how many "parts" are used to make up the fuel pump alone that car manufacturers "wisely" placed inside the gas tank of today's cars? It's a joke and I'm not laughing.

Come on folks, make a shift... MAKE IT BETTER and demand more. Stop the "Green" Garbage Talk and start making what we do better label free and the new standard in life on earth.

I'm 40 and just getting started!

Enough already. I made it to 40 and now my commitment in life is to insist people be passionate about making things (it) better in life. The next time you decide to say "I'll Pass"... stop. think. act. If you do one thing today, let's Make It Better.

Garbage Can Make It Better Too

This is one of the best ideas I've ever hear how to MIB. It came from a friend of mine in Ottawa recently while making a request on Facebook.

I realize garbage and recycling pick up is different in every community. But, most urban/suburban neighbourhoods have a truck to pick up garbage and another for recycling. Here's what my friend recommends to lower taxes, cut fuel costs, increase staff efficiency and reduce pollution. Did I mention save taxes and cut costs on garbage and recycling pickup? On the days of garbage/recycling pickup in your community, all garbage will be pickup from from the even side of the street and all recycling will be pickup from the odd side of the street. This would eliminate 2 passes by from the garbage and recycling trucks. Think of the money, the gas, and the time we'd save. Think about the sense we would make by neighbours coming together to participate in the most simple of efforts to MAKE IT BETTER!

As for those of you who are concerned about the idea of having to place your garbage or recycling on the other side of the street... think of the big picture. If this effort would allow you to see a nice reduction in your taxes (not to mention the long list of overall benefits) and even gives you a little exercise (lol), why wouldn't you MAKE IT BETTER?

It's Time for the Church To Change

Growing up as a child, I served as an Alter Boy at the local Cathedral Church. I was always encouraged by Mom and Dad to get involved since it was an honour and a privilege to be part of the church and the service. All of us know what the Catholic Church has been faced with over the years and unfortunately, the disappointment and disgrace continues. Although priests continue to be charged for their illegal and abusive behaviour, it is far more disappointing and frightening to think of the number that continue to walk freely, unscathed, not to mention the pain their victims continue to live with. This weekend, a long time priest, now a Monseigneur in the Catholic Church, turned himself in to the police on charges of molestation and sexual abuse of young children. Upon hearing this news, I was devastated. I served as an Alter Boy for this Monseigneur and he was a highly respected man of the cloth in his community and within the church. The real tragedy is the erosion of trust and respect by the public for the Catholic Church. Enough is enough. This cockamamie idea that priests are to be married to the church is joke. We have placed innocent victims (our children) in the hands of predators who are given the opportunity to abuse their influence and position in life while the Leadership of the Catholic Church continues to turn a blind eye. This is utterly irresponsible and simply wrong. From the Pope, to rank and file priests including the parishioners, everyone needs to take responsibility for this ongoing behaviour. To begin the healing process and to make this wrong right, the church needs to reverse their policy on celibacy in the church and to allow priest marry. The church, our society and religion in general will be better for it. Besides..., how can a priest carry any creditability to give marriage councilling when they've never been married. Get It Right, Make It Better!