There's been a great deal of news recently about everything from global warming to a threatened energy crisis to the struggle of the oceans and the decimation of all manner mammalian species. And while this is only one side of the planetary story, it is the one the media tends to focus on. What comes up for you when you think about this? What do you believe about these reports? Do you find yourself avoiding the topic? Does it make you sad? Angry? Or are you inspired by how these problems are call to purpose and a new way of living?

While the media tends to focus on dramatically negative environmental news, it's also true that there's an extraordinary amount being done by people and organizations and communities and businesses who care, and who are acting to change things for the better. There are hundreds of companies--large and small--who act in environmentally responsible ways and who hold themselves to high ethical standards. Unfortunately, though, they're not often talked about. What do you feel is the best way to enourage these businesses? How can we best support them?

Earth Week is over, but we've had a wonderful response to the greening of Zaadz. We love our little oasis--regardless of the color scheme--but we also recognize that each person's ideal oasis is unique. What about you? Do you prefer the stark beauty of the desert? The daunting power of snow-capped mountains? The crash of waves against an ocean beach? Or do quiet, wooded retreats feel most at home for you? And what do you think this preference means?

"That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam." 

-- Carl Sagan.

It's Earth Day. Here's a larger picture of our little planet--the only home we know. What do you feel when you see this? What does it bring up for you?

Green is big these days. From Wal-mart's emphasis on reduced packaging to the growing popularity of carbon offsets to the rising interest in electric cars, environmentalism has gone mainstream. It's getting more and more easy to find ecologically responsible products and to make steps to lessen your impact on the planet. Where do you fit in? Do you care about the Earth? What does being "being green" mean to you?

Do you need quiet? Time to be alone? Do you work best with people? Do you like having music on, or like being outdoors, or do you work best when you're not distracted? What would your perfect working environment look like?

Today is Earth Day.

What sort of physical space do you like best? Public areas? Private spaces? Are they areas of your own creation or something discovered? Why do you enjoy them?

What's your favorite thing about the place you call home?