Activism of Apathy?
This past week saw a lot of (young) activism on climate change. The Climate Change March co-occurred in many cities, just as the precocious Greta Thunberg's delivered her impassioned speech at the UN. There is nothing that (globally) warms my heart more than witnessing children caring about something, really anything. I am often concerned by the apathy I see as my kids work their way through How I Met Your Mother (for the third time) or Bachelor in Paradise. Maybe these are coping mechanisms for dealing with a complex and scary world. Possibly, they think they don't have a voice; certainly, they don't have a vote. But, there is much more that can be done as little actions add up over time, the more people that do them. I told my son who attended the Climate March (instead of afternoon classes) that he must make one (small) change to participate. This was meant to ensure it was an act of activism rather than apathy! This week's Loupe is dedicated to things everyone can do to learn to pitch in!
Arcadia Earth
Activity
I never completely understood the Museum of Ice Cream or Candytopia for that matter. However, these businesses have apparently been quite successful at drawing in crowds and crowds of Millenials and iGen kids with their smartphones open to SnapChat and Instagram. The primary draw being the "magical' sets that create beautiful moments and FOMO for their followers. Arcadia has taken this concept and made the cherished Instagram moments educational. The focus of Arcadia and its founder Valentino Vettori is to teach these very same people about the ills endangering the environment and what one can do to change the cycle. The immersive multi-sensory rooms are designed by different artists to inspire and inform. They even have a Lecture Series with an environmental activist if you want to learn further and be an activist! Oh, and 10% of all ticket sales will be donated to the Oceanic Global, so just by going you are doing something good for the planet! It is truly a place for the environmentally conscious to congregate and exchange ideas.
Equal Parts
Home
There are lots of things that can be done in the food/dining space to improve the environment, lower your carbon footprint, and improve your health in the process. Eating organic and locally grown/sourced food is but one thing that you can do and have a significant impact. Of course, the best way to execute on this is to shop yourself from trusted vendors/farmer's markets and cook at home. Now I know not everyone is good in the kitchen (I'm talking about me here), so how can your household provide for itself? The fine folks at EqualParts were inspired by how rewarding they found cooking, and they wanted to share the feeling with the world. They have created cookware sets and provide coaches via text to help you learn how to cook. You can text for advice, for tips and techniques, as well as how to use what is already (rotting) in your refrigerator (they call that freestyling). It provides easy instructions for the Millenial/iGen folk ... and those of us who still have no clue what we are doing in the kitchen. In fact, this product was created by the people at Gin Lane who have historically used their expertise to help others launch direct to consumer brands (Unicorns), and now they are focusing on building their own (Unicorns) under the umbrella brand Pattern, of which this is the first.
Relay Delivery
Food
If you must order in, then I recommend using a restaurant that utilizes the services of Relay. Above, you can watch the latest interview in Loretta of Relay founder Alex Bloom. He saw the efficiency (practical and carbon) of routing delivery orders for multiple restaurants. Essentially, it's a tech company for food delivery (watch out Caviar, Postmates ....). Hear it directly from Alex where his business is and where it is headed!
Do something for your planet, anything, and consider Arcadia, Equal Parts, and Alex Bloom of Relay Delivery Found!