I hope the new year has been good to you thus far and that you are holding fast to your resolutions and intentions. The modern hippie tribe shared our positive intentions for this year though I must say, finishing out 2011 was a bit bittersweet.

Modern Hippie Mag has been plugging along like the little engine that could since 2009, however we experienced some minor setbacks last year. You may have noticed that we were offline for a couple months – it’s called burnout! But we also experienced plenty.

Our core team of Modern Hippies grew as we gained a much needed Managing Editor. Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong came to us just when we needed her most and has been invaluable to our staying afloat. She maintains our editorial calendar and ensures that the mag’s content stays true to our mission to educate, inform, sometimes entertain, and be a resource for conscious living.

Additionally, we welcomed Nadya Andreeva as our resident Wellness Warrior to keep us healthy with articles relating to yoga, Ayurvedic nutrition and wellness tips. Steve McAllister took on the role of Lifestyle Guru, sharing inspiring stories along his journey in truly living a modern hippie lifestyle.

Sadly we are saying to good-bye to our long-time eco-fashion editor, Jerah Coviello. I will personally miss her the most as she has been a constant source of support and encouragement to me since practically MHMag’s inception. We wish her the best as she moves on to pursue growing her eco fashion company, EcoVogue365 – convertible, handmade fashion.

No one does eco-beauty like we do eco-beauty! Thankfully, our Beyond Beauty Editor Shayna Teicher continues to share with us in-depth articles and beauty product reviews. Beauty products don’t get anywhere near my skin unless they’ve been vetted by Shayna! I invite you to get to know the entire Modern Hippie clan; see here to read more.

The most apparent change to the mag is our new layout. Collectively we agree that Modern Hippie Mag’s primary focus is providing engaging content that benefits you, our faithful readers. So with that in mind, we decided to move forward with a very minimal aesthetic and to shy away from an advertising heavy format.  We’re still making a few tweaks but for the most part, we like our new digs! Of course, we’d love to hear your feedback: suggestions, recommendations, what you love and what you don’t. Feel free to email me at jaszy@modernhippiemag.com.

But wait, there’s more! Since our editor collab articles seem to garner much attention, we will continue to make them a monthly feature with a theme that corresponds to the overall theme of the mag for each month. We enjoy sharing our insights and perspectives and it gives you an opportunity to get to know us a bit better.

We have quite a few more things planned in the months ahead that we hope will make our community of modern hippies even more inviting and engaging. In fact, hold on to your hats as we bring you Sex, Passion & Relationship articles in February. It’s gonna get hot and heavy folks – be prepared to pant!

Thanks so much for your continued support. Spread the word: share us on facebook and twitter.

In appreciation,

photo courtesy NYDailyNews.com

Welcome to 2012! is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

The holidays are just around the corner – and with the rush to the end of the year comes a tantalizing hint of what’s next. To me, a new year holds the same tantalizing sense of possibility as seedlings, brand new books, and national borders. They are a chance to start fresh, breaking with old habits and allowing new growth.

I like to honor their arrival with a New Year’s intention. Not a resolution – “save more money,” or “lose ten pounds.” An intention is something I can set: part timer, part incantation. I can use it to inform my behavior at every moment from January first to the seconds as the ball drops in December. These are the intentions of the editorial team at Modern Hippie Mag.

Steve

Steve: As I’ve previously written, for the next year I will be thriving in life without the use of Federal Reserve Notes. My intention for doing this is to find more value in the world around me than can be regulated, quantified, negotiated, or limited by an economic structure that often seems to do more harm than good. I heard in a TED talk recently that one smile produces a stimulation in the brain equivalent to what a person feels when receiving $25,000. Considering how much consternation is caused by people not having enough money, I think I’ll just smile more and appreciate true wealth.

Jerah

Jerah: My intentions for another evolving year are two-part: to slow things down and embrace a DIY lifestyle. I do have a little help in slowing things down, and that is from my very wise one year old. If there is anything in life that will slow a driven, motivated goalsetter of a woman, it will be the brilliance of a child.  For that, I am grateful. He has already started his magic, and, it has left some impressionable space in my mind – a clearing, if you will, that harkens back to the lifestyle I grew up in. Where R&D was R&DIY (research and DO IT YOURSELF); from food to clothing, crafting to storytelling, music making to planting. All came from a place of the heart and mind. I have cleared a living space to create, sew, craft and cook.

Shayna

 Shayna: During the roller-coaster that was 2011, activities that were once part of my routine fell by the wayside as I allowed financial responsibilities and the urgency of life to take over. A while back, a friend encouraged me to pick up a deck of Goddess Cards. Whenever I’m feeling particularly “ick,” beating myself up and generally feeling stuck and uncreative, this card comes up without fail: Maeve, goddess of cycles and rhythms. Her message is pretty simple. “Honor the cycles and rhythms of your body, energy levels and emotions. All of life is cyclical, it inhales and exhales again…there are times when you feel energized, awake and alive. There are other times when you feel isolated and shy…” For the new year, my intention is to get back in tune with my rhythm and once again make time to do the things that I know inspire my creativity, productivity, self-confidence, and health on a regular basis.

Jaszy

Jaszy: I think it’s safe to say that one of the best ways to form a new habit is to practice repetition. So it made sense to me when I heard it suggested to include a resolution or phrase as a password to something I use frequently. Each and every time I enter my password I am reminded and motivated to give thought to my resolution or theme; an idea or concept that I want to carry me through the year. For 2009, my theme was “believe in 09,” 2010 was “be grateful.” 2011 has been “manifest now” – and my intention and resolution for 2012 is “be fierce.” I got lots of sh*t to do in the coming months and there’s no time to be half-steppin’ about it. I am fiercely intent on implementing several projects I’ve been dreaming about for years and developing strong collaborative partnerships in the process. No, you don’t get to know what those projects are…just yet. But they are gonna be AWESOME! Here’s to 2012!

Nadya

Nadya: 2011 has been extremely busy. Dinners with friends were timed, sex was rushed, food was eaten in the cabs in between appointments, and breath felt incomplete. In 2012, my intention is to slow down a bit in everything I do, to enjoy the process instead of evaluating life by the number of checked points. It might mean blocking at least 30 minutes to have lunch instead of chowing it down in front of the computer which has 10 different windows open, thinking before saying “yes” to new projects and meetings, taking a few deep breaths in the middle of the day, and not booking back to back appointments. Instead of packing my day for the sake of being “busy,” I would like to realign my actions to my vision, and not feel guilty for taking a break or having an empty time slot in the calendar. Slower life does not mean less productive, it means a more joyful fuller life where daily actions are aligned with priorities.

Adwoa

Adwoa: In 2012, I am thrilled to be working on cultivating abundance. It dovetails nicely with my continued 2010 (“say yes”) and 2011 (“practice least resistance”) intentions. You may remember that earlier this year I expressed my gratitude for adversity, and that’s still true. I am an extremely stubborn and hard-driving person; I push myself and those around me, and am proud of what I achieve. But I wear myself out sometimes with the belief that I have to personally keep the entire world spinning. And I’ve found that when I step back and evaluate my life, sometimes the bounty that’s not a direct result of my own striving is the most satisfying. The richness in my life is in relationships and luck: I am surrounded by amazing people and circumstances, and one way or another I will always have enough. I want to work to embrace that, along with every particular of my wonderfully abundant life.

We wish you an amazing holiday season and a slow but driven, appreciative of true wealth, DIY, rhythmically in tune (and, yes – abundant!) 2012.

Good Intentions is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Note to Reader: This is a personal project of mine. As your Conscious Fashion Editor, I cannot sit still while scouring the globe for amazing eco-fashion – I must create. This is for the thinking fashionista, just like you.

With inspiration from the designer, the design, and you. Ecovogue365™ is truly for the “thinking fashionista” and on a mission to make a small change in the fashion scene. Started by mother & daughter in 2010, launching a new mission within ecovogue365™ called the Fashion Effect™ , they set out to change women’s issues of fit, function and a closet of unwearables.

Their mantra: Think convertible, luv handmade, own a 365 Ltd. Ecovogue365™ makes everyone THINK! The result? Talented designers lessening their eco footprint by bringing convertible multi-functional fashion to the market with their solutions to fashion’s problems. And eco fashionistas lessening their own footprint by creating a closet filled with less fashion that gives you more options.

ecovogue365™ is released in monthly digital editions online featuring global designers curated by daughter Jerah Coviello. Mother Russet Coviello is the in house talent, designing and consulting on clothing concepts that will wrap, strap, convert, revert and morph into anything you can imagine. In support of the slow sew movement, each digital edition releases 365 designs per edition, numbered and signed by the designer. In honor of the handmade lifestyle, every design is made by hand. Each designer responds to the design challenge by creating a convertible, limited, handmade fashion or accessory piece exclusively for ecovogue365™.

Realizing that “eco” is an interpretive concept in the fashion world during their first year of business, Russet & Jerah found their “eco” in convertible designs. We believe each digital edition supports the Fashion Effect™ in providing women with a garment that fits her unique body shape, providing multiple functions through convertible design, and changing a closet of unworns by inspiring women to be their own fashionistas in re-shaping how they want to wear the design.  1% of each purchase goes to the Girl Effect, a nonprofit organization that’s on a mission to empower the world’s girls to make a long-term sustainable impact.  The Fashion Effect™ is ecovogue365™’s way of being a part of that.

By popular demand, they launched their website with a design called B by Russet.  Worn up to 20 ways, made out of a sustainable fiber from beachwood trees called modal, Russet is teaching women the ABCs of convertible design. Her first was an A scarf worn three ways, moving on to B (a 20 way to wear design), and then C for Spring/Summer12 with a convertible Caftan and a D dress into the mix.

How Can Clothing Design Change the World? is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Image courtesy of Ranger Rick (Flickr)

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard of the slow food movement, but what is “slow money” all about? — Phil Nimkoff, New York, NY

“Slow Money” is the name for a movement started by socially conscious investing pioneer and author, Woody Tasch, who essentially borrowed the conceptual framework of “Slow Food”—whereby participants eschew convenience-oriented “fast” foods, instead filling up their plates with traditional, unprocessed and, ideally, locally produced foods—and applied it to personal finance and investing. As such, Slow Money is dedicated to connecting investors to their local economies by marshaling financial resources to invest in small food enterprises and local food systems.

Image courtesy of Homini (Flickr)

Tasch’s vision for Slow Money, now not just a concept but also a non-profit organization, seeks nothing less than a complete overhaul of the way we think about and spend our money, channeling much more of it into producing healthy local food, strengthening local communities instead of multinational corporations, and restoring our flagging economy in the process. Instead of venture capital bankrolling far flung high tech start-ups, Tasch hopes to see “nurture capital” funding local merchants and producers who, in turn, plug half of their profits back into their communities, ensuring one small local virtuous circle that values soil fertility, carrying capacity, a sense of place, care of the commons, diversity, nonviolence, and cultural, ecological and economic health as much as financial return. Tasch hopes to get there by persuading a million Americans to invest at least one percent of their assets in local food systems by 2020.

Tasch started Slow Money in November 2008 after the publication of his book, Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered. Hitting the road to promote the book and the nascent movement in 2009, he was able to attract 450 intrigued investors, farmers and other entrepreneurs to Santa Fe, New Mexico to trade ideas at a three-day gathering. “We just wanted to see who would show up, but four of the small food enterprises that presented raised an aggregate of $260,000,” says Tasch. Tasch then organized another event for some 600 attendees the following June in Shelburne, Vermont. Investors there poured $4.2 million into 12 more producers, and that’s when Tasch knew he was really on to something. More than 1,000 people converged in San Francisco for the third event in October 2011, and Tasch expects untold amounts of “slow capital” to be changing hands for the better as a result.

Image courtesy of nosha (Flickr)

Whether or not you have money to invest in Slow Money’s virtuous circles, you can show your support by visiting the group’s website and electronically signing the organization’s Principles, a list of six core beliefs shared by the Slow Money community. Or if you have just $25, you could park it with the organization’s Soil Trust, which will seed small food enterprises that promote soil fertility in locales from coast to coast. Tasch sees the Soil Trust as key to opening up the Slow Money concept to all of us and achieving the group’s goal of getting a million Americans involved in the movement over the next decade.

Another key to achieving Tasch’s goal is growth of leadership at the local level. To that end, a dozen autonomous local chapters have sprung up nationwide, with more sure to come as word gets out. The local groups have already gifted or lent hundreds of thousands of dollars to entities working to improve their own community “foodsheds.” Now we all have a way to truly put our money where our mouths are.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Slow Your Money Down is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Image courtesy of Kamal H (Flickr)

My husband and I watch the show “Pawn Stars” on the History Channel. I first liked the show because I loved to hear about the history behind many of the items. However, my mind began to focus more on the personal story behind the piece than the history of it.

Many times the pawn shop owners will ask “How did you get this?” Countless pawn hopefuls share how their ancestors did everything they could to attain the item.  Their relatives absolutely cherished these items that brought them so much pride and joy.

Then the store owners ask “Well, why are you selling it?” Usually the answers are something like “I need a new motorcycle,” “I need to pay my rent,” or the inevitable – “I need some more money to gamble” (the location is Vegas after all).

Image courtesy of chelsea.parker.photo (Flickr)

I started thinking… Wow! This person’s relative at one point in time loved and cherished this possession. I’m sure many of them gave their blood, sweat and tears to acquire it. I bet they celebrated finally getting the item and eagerly showed it off to others that only dreamed of owning something like that. That possession meant the world to that person.

And now? It has been become a trivial prop and a means to an end of fast cash.

Last week I shared a Bible verse: “After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” (1 Timothy 6:7, New Living Translation) It’s true. What means the most to us, right now at this point in time will not mean the same thing to people years and years down the road.

Unless… We fill it with meaning. We are created to make an impact far beyond our four walls.

Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with enjoying material things. I love Chanel purses and Louboutin shoes just as much as the next girl. But I can’t take them with me.

I’ve often talked to people about creating their legacy. It is also important to start living that legacy with things that make an impact and whose qualities never fade: integrity, passion, purpose, love, service, giving, compassion. These are things that have no price tag, because their worth is invaluable. Carry these things forward, and I guarantee no one would ever trade it in for an insignificant object or fast cash.

Allyson

Allyson Spellman is the founder of Unleash Your Voice. She is a freelance writer, speaker and empowerment coach dedicated to helping women redeem and unleash their authentic voice- loudly, boldly and unapologetically. She is also the creator of “Sheeple Reform School” designed to free women from unknowingly subscribing to a herd mentality, following the crowd and unintentionally undermining their own identity and voice. To learn more about Allyson and to sign-up for her Free Voice Redemption newsletter, visit the site now.

An Invaluable Life is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Jaszy, Head Honcho

Most of this year has been a very tumultuous time for me. However, when I made a personal decision to operate and live in a constant state of perpetual gratitude, opening my heart and mind to a sense of collective synergy and supreme honesty, my whole world turned around in the most sublime way. I feel a greater sense of being and acceptance of my place in the world which blankets me in calm and serenity.

Finding the balance between this acceptance and total surrender to faith fills my heart and mind with feelings of gratitude I have never known before. I have vowed to make this my daily endeavor and gift to myself and to my friends and family in the days ahead. I am grateful for gratitude and the changes it has made in my heart and mind.

Because appreciating gratitude has been so inspirational to me personally, I wondered what the other members of the modern hippie tribe were feeling grateful for and what changes a spirit of thankfulness had made in their lives.

Adwoa

This year I am grateful for… adversity. I have incredible amounts of love and support in my life, so it feels strange to be most thankful for the hard times. But the many struggles, setbacks, and painful disappointments over the last year have only served to underscore all the good experiences and accomplishments. They remind me that life never stops being abundant, even when it seems that on paper you have very little in your favor. I’m also grateful for that abundance – be it good food, sweet memories, lovely surprises or dear friends – and look forward to celebrating it in style this holiday season. – Adwoa, Managing Editor

Jerah

I am thankful for the Internet. It is a little bit amazing. The I-web, is “my web” customized to my world. Maybe it’s a little odd that I am thankful for such an incredible inanimate, yet animate concept. A tool that serves my many daily uses; like cooking from my online storage of recipes, a monetary object that brings many their “solopreneur” futures like mine, a connector of communities and cultures via email and chat, a teacher on TED, my personal shopper on Wants, a place to organize my fashion news in an on-the-go lifestyle, a boombox that projects sound waves in my house, a place to watch my current movie obsessions, a telephone to Skype with my brother so our children can grow up together from afar, and a place to find anything. – Jerah, Eco-Fashion Huntress

Shayna

There’s very little in this life that I’m not thankful for- every up and down has been a learning experience. The support of friends and family brings joy to our successes and reminds us that the hard times are only temporary. The proliferation of technology and the internet grants us access to boundless information and the opportunity learn and allows us to share the fruits of our creativity- music, ideas, advice, art, and more. Of this all what consistently stands out to me though is the kindness of strangers. Our human ability- you might even call it instinct- to help others without regard for receiving in return. Kindness brings joy that nothing else can match and has an impact that’s immeasurable. It’s a bank of wealth that’s always full and everyone has unlimited access to. – Shayna, Beyond Beauty Editor

Nadya

I am grateful for my partner who supports me in anything I do, for my parents who understand me and love me no matter what, for the community of teachers and healers who share their wisdom and advice, for the students who inspire me to become a better person, a mindful listener, and an educated teacher, and for my readers who share their honest opinion and take time to read and comments. I am grateful for my creative and hard-working brain that always gives me new ideas to explore and for my strong intelligent body that carries me through daily life and provides wisdom through constant feedback. – Nadya, Wellness Warrior

Steve

I am thankful for people to love and for those who love me back, for the opportunities to learn and to teach, for the ability to serve and to be served, for passion, creativity, ingenuity, and grace. I am thankful that I get to experience this unique conjugation of time and space, where so much is changing and so much is in flux as the vibrations of consciousness rapidly accelerate into greater harmony, building to the crescendo of this marvelous orchestra of life. I am thankful that people let me be weird and like me anyway, in spite of my inconsistencies and exhaustive learning processes. I am thankful for people who believe in me enough to either kick me in the ass or wrap their arms around me, depending on what the situation requires. I am thankful for every moment and the glorious brilliance of all the drudgery they fill. – Steve, Lifestyle Guru

At this time of year when so many give more attention to expressing gratitude and thankfulness, I hope that you can find even more ways to feel and show your appreciation for your life and those who fill it.

We’d love to hear from you. What are you grateful for?

Editor’s Table: What Are You Grateful For? is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Image courtesy of andrea_j (sxc.hu)

Over the last few years, there has been a phenomenon of consciousness whereby an extraordinary number of people around the world will often find themselves with a compulsion to glance at a clock to find that the time is 11:11.

Many have speculated on the greater meaning behind this occurrence, some going so far as to hypothesize that it is a message from other-worldly, supernatural, or spiritual beings. Still others simply dismiss it as a coincidence and return to the drudgery of life unfazed.

Yet for those who let the mystery build in them and appreciate the synchronicity of ideas that continually return to them serving as opportunities for growth and advancement, this moment in time 11:11 on 11/11/11 has been held in a sort of mental reverie, the anticipation of its coming and hope of what it might bring offering a glimmer of hope in a world that seemingly grows darker by the day.

Image courtesy of klsa12 (sxc.hu)

Is there a meaning behind the phenomenon? Has the anticipation of this temporal event brought about a shift in consciousness so revelatory that these words will magically find their way to the hearts that need to hear them? Does the alignment of our collective attention to a series of numbers or a particular moment in time speak to the unification we are growing into as a species? Essentially, the answer lies in your belief about it.

Based upon the example of most every other anticipated date that has passed and the absence of any globally noticeable cataclysmic changes, it is probably safe to assume that 11:11 on 11/11/11 will occur just as it happens every other day. Some people will become aware of their attention and manage a shift in consciousness, and others won’t notice anything special at all.

Some will meditate for world peace, and some will focus on the daily grind. Some will see the succession of four singular digits as a map to the unity which comprises the four directions, four elements of nature, and the four aspects of humanity in order to align our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits with all that encompasses our understanding of the world. Some will be glad it’s almost lunch time.

As with any other phenomena, traditions, beliefs, or sciences that permeate the realms of our attention, any lessons that may be offered will only be learned by our opening up to them. If you are one of the millions who has become accustomed to gaining a greater sense of connection to the universe and a peaceful awareness of your perfect place in the flow of its evolution every time the clock reads11:11, allow yourself to fully experience the moment. Open yourself up to your intuition and realize your place in the Oneness of all things.

Then, allow that moment and the awareness that comes with it to manifest in as many of the other 1,439 minutes of the day that you can. For any epiphany you may receive at 11:11 can be just as 4true at 11:12….

Steve

Steve McAllister, newly appointed “Lifestyle Guru” of Modern Hippie Mag, describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. His latest book, a comical foray into philosophical science fiction, is How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. His latest artistic project is The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube.

11:11 is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Image courtesy of dcubillas (sxc.hu)

Look at the world as it stands now with all of its buildings, infrastructures and technologies. Was this not all created by a Higher Intelligence through humankind? Are we not the mediums and means through which the canvas of our lives is painted?

Everything humankind has made is a work of art. Every machine and every system started with a vision of how to make the world a better place, developed into an idea, and was made manifest, becoming one with the society it served. However, not all works of art are as prized as others. Some are prized for awhile and lose value as time goes on. Such is the case for our current economic, political and religious systems.

They have offered us much use in getting from where we were as a civilization to where we are now. Nevertheless, considering that they are now just as often the culprits behind all of our wars, environmental devastation, and misunderstanding of one another, we need to start attuning to what the High Art is trying to tell us and let the Low Art pass away.

Steve

Steve McAllister describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. A journey of ink and soul, the book recounts his year and a half trek through 26 states, exploring the underbelly of America in order to better know himself. A pivotal first step for a generation in search of a new direction, The Rucksack Letters is available now.

High Art is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Hi guys: Adwoa here! Remember last week when I said that the editors at MHMag were going to start coming out from behind the scenes a bit? Here we are, as promised – chalk it up to my hatred of suspense.

This week we’re kicking things off with a brief explanation of what being a modern hippie means to each of us, and how that ethos informs our daily lives. Each month, singly or in a collaborative piece, we’ll chat about something that’s inspired us, prompted us to think, or stirred our hearts. Think of this as your chance to sit down with us for coffee and a chat. So let’s get started: what does it mean to be a modern hippie?

Jaszy

Jaszy (Head Honcho): I am not a vegetarian. I’m not overly crunchy, and I don’t go around hugging trees. I am most days indifferent to the government… Uncle Sam and his Big Brother. What I am is aware, conscious of choices I make for myself whether purchasing cleaning supplies or clothes. And this does not mean that I choose “eco” every time, as much as I’d like to. What is happening to our environment and to our structure and sense of community is important to me, two of the main reasons why I started publishing Modern Hippie Mag.

It was never my intention to define what being a modern hippie should be for you. I was simply looking for a vehicle to make sense of what it meant to me and perhaps along the road we could compare notes, provided you chose to be on the same or similar path. For me, being a modern hippie means taking note of the essence of the original hippie ideal; love of neighbor and peaceful living, and find ways to make them personal. Why and how you chose to support the modern hippie lifestyle is as personal and unique as you are.

Adwoa

Adwoa (Managing Editor): My way of modern hippiedom is about celebrating curiosity, confluence and contradiction. I’m a highly cerebral massage therapist who sees that work as communication – in only a slightly different vein from my writing. I focus on quality and durability in an age of planned obsolescence, and I treasure vintage and pre-loved objects regardless of source (from gorgeous Goodwill flatware to pets from the animal shelter!)

This may or may not be specifically modern-hippie-related, but I have an insatiable desire to know more about my surroundings. Curiosity leads to compassion, and then to being careful, or just taking care. I think everything has usefulness and dignity, from possessions to people. A big goal of mine in life is to honor them, and ask as many questions as are needed to make that happen.

Steve

Steve (Lifestyle Guru):I think that being a modern hippie means drawing from the passion of the first generation, while reinforcing it with the knowledge that has been gained since. In the first generation, there was this overall understanding that we should break free from the status quo – but it was a very youthful sense of rebellion without a clear understanding of what was being rebelled against.

Now, in the wake of the Information Revolution, we have matured in our insight as to what we are rebelling against and what paradigms need to change. A modern hippie is simply the blossoming of peace, community, and conscious living that our forefathers (and foremothers) planted.

Jerah

Jerah (EcoFashion Huntress): It’s the DIY space in my life. When I get the chance to do it myself.I find a thrill in the times I teach myself something. That’s true whether it is making organic buckwheat chocolate chip cookies for my family, reconstructing a no longer worn long skirt into a short wearable piece, or geeking out in the online world building a blog.

I love the rewards I give myself, of knowing I can be a force for personal development in my own life daily. DIY brings me gratitude towards the process of making, mending and managing a lifestyle that is both conscious and living.

Shayna

Shayna (Beyond Beauty Editor): For me being a modern hippie is about love, for the planet and for each other. Our love of the earth drives us to want to preserve it, and our love for people and the human experience anchors the belief that ours is a symbiotic experience. Love drives us to take action and be supportive of initiatives and habits that maximize the positive impact (and minimize the negative) on the world and the people around us.

Supporting local business, buying and growing organic, seeking out home, health and beauty products and fashion that are created cleaner and greener, volunteering, random acts of kindness… it all comes from the same emotional place. It turns out being a hippie – modern or otherwise – may be simpler than you thought.

What does being a modern hippie mean to you? Let us know in the comments. If you have any questions you’d like us to explore in future columns, please leave those ideas too!

Editor’s Table: What’s Your Modern Hippie? is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

Image courtesy of kvilardi (sxc.hu)

A Mississippi State University assistant professor is looking to “panda poop,” or microbes in panda excrement that breakdown woody materials, as a possible means to biofuel production. Researchers recently discovered several species of microbes in panda excrement that could be replicated and used to process biofuels.

Ashli Brown, a biochemist in MSU’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, recently discovered that microbes in panda feces are strong enough to break down the toughest plant materials. According to Brown, panda poop might help overcome one of the major challenges to producing biofuels: breaking down the raw plant materials used to make the fuels.

The findings have garnered national attention as the reproduction of these microbes could contribute to developing alternative fuels that don’t interfere with food crops and could also save a great deal of money.

Image courtesy of TWS (sxc.hu)

“One of the most expensive processes in making biofuels is the pretreatment, where sugar polymers are chemically treated so that they can be used to make ethanol or oil,” Brown said. “If you can insert a microbe that does that naturally and efficiently, production costs for alternative fuels would be cut tremendously.”

Brown and her colleagues, including MSU graduate student Candace Williams, conducted a 14-month study of the giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo. While the initial focus of the study was to observe the overall health and nutrition of the pandas, Williams and Brown found several species of microbes that can break down woody plant material that is generally difficult to digest.

“The microbes we found are similar to digestive bacteria found in termite guts, which help termites break down and digest wood,” Brown said.  “However, our studies suggest that the bacteria species in panda intestines may be more efficient at breaking down plant materials than the bacteria species in termites, and may do so in a way that is better for biofuel manufacturing purposes.”

Under certain conditions, panda fecal bacteria can convert 95 percent of plant biomass into simple sugars, Brown said.

“The enzymes in the bacteria speed up chemical reactions, eliminating the current system of high heat, harsh acids and high pressures used to produce biofuels,” Brown said.  “Bacteria would also be a more energy-efficient way to turn materials such as switchgrass, corn stalks and wood chips into fuel.”

Brown’s colleague, assistant professor Darrell Sparks, said the finding has the potential to make a huge impact in Mississippi, a state with abundant forest resources.

Image courtesy of kevyman (sxc.hu)

“We have plentiful forest resources in the state,” Sparks said.  “Developing an economical process to convert that woody biomass to simple sugars would give Mississippi a competitive advantage in the development of biofuels.”

Brown and Sparks, both scientists in the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, are now working on identifying as many bacteria from the pandas’ intestines as possible and figuring out which ones are best at converting bamboo into sugars.

“We are looking for the most powerful digestive enzymes,” Brown said.  “We could then program yeast cells to make these enzymes.”

Williams, a doctoral student in molecular biology, said the research illustrates the importance of conserving and protecting plants and animals.

The giant panda, whose home range is south-central China, is considered an endangered species. On its website, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature reports fewer than 2,500 mature giant pandas in the wild.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, The Memphis Zoological Society, the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board and the Southeastern Research Center at Mississippi State.

This article reprinted with permission from Ecoseed.org.

Ecoseed is a leading source for global green news, finance, and other resources in delivering green and renewable energy to mainstream business. Ecoseed’s mission is to provide global, complete, innovative, and up to date news, information, resources, and opportunities, catalyst to incorporate environmental awareness and responsibility into lifestyle, and in business practices. This world-wide platform is the place to find the latest and most relevant in-depth news and data covering the entire spectrum of the renewable energy industry and the low-carbon sector.

Pandas Play Unique Role in Biofuel Production is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag