Green Holidays

I watched a film last night that really was quite something - and it involved a quite amazing man!

It is a film about a man from Slovenia called Martin Strel, who loves endurance swimming, and who has decided to swim the giant rivers of the world to highlight water pollution in the regions.  He has already swam the lengths of the Danube in Europe, the Mississippi in North America and the Yangtze in China - and set his heart on being the first person to swim the full length of the Amazon!

You might think that this devoted eco-saviour was the epitome of youth and finesse, with multi-national backing (or rich parents). 

He certainly is someone who doesn’t mind a challenge, but in the words of his own website:  ‘Martin is also a rather overweight, horseburger loving Slovenian in his fifties who drinks two bottles of red wine a day… even when swimming.’

The Man Himself:
The film is certainly a bit kooky and makes you feel as though you are right in the thick of the action, but I really was amazed at the character of this man!

The things he did and has done is really like no one else I have ever heard of - and if the whole thing wasn’t an elaborate set up - he really is a truly amazing individual.

You follow his life in the run up to the trip to the Peru starting point, where you see him striding around his local town (and other cities) in just his speedo’s; you see him mixing with the kids in his local pool, sitting in a cave and then mixing with some of the ‘It’ crowd of his country.

He certainly spans the generations and social classes with ease - but says very little.  Many a moment is spent watching him smiling at the crowds.  And when he does speak it is usually something quite funny!

How he managed to keep swimming for up to 12 hours a day for the 10 weeks it took him is a miracle.  And in one scene you see him arrive in a town after a days swimming to a huge crowd.  Now, it would have made sense to wave a bit, then go and sleep all night after a shower and a hearty meal - but no, he’s there for the people.  He joins them (still in his wetsuit) for a long parade through the streets in the dark!

The Swimming:
The length of the Amazon River is like swimming across the whole Atlantic Ocean - except there are no piranhas in the Ocean!

His health would really be put at risk from the water itself - not just the endless swimming and virtually the whole day being wet!  There were many assistants to spot dangers like flesh-eating fish, giant anacondas and alligators as well as whirl pools and whole trees caught in the flood!  As well as doctors to make sure that he didn’t become infected with parasites, bacteria and other tiny invaders!

He also had to contend with second degree burns from the tropical sun reflecting off the water onto his face!

Of course, no ordinary swimmer could complete this challenge.  Martin is a well known marathon swimmer and spends over a year training for such events - he spent 3 on this one though!

The Result:
By combining such a mammoth adventure with a charismatic lead character as well as the most beautiful backdrop - they were onto a winner.

If only this film does manage to help the environment in some way, as well as the people who rely on the river - then it was worth one mans extraordinary effort…..

….and the least you can do is watch it!

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Imagine a gift for your friend that actually helped a cute donkey 1000’s of miles away!

If you care about donkeys - and you want to buy your family and friends a gift with a difference, then consider looking at The Brooke - the animal charity that helps humans too!

This charity understand that people need to work their donkeys, mules and asses very hard to make a living - so they try to make sure that they do so without injuring or killing them.

Ill fitting harnesses, too much weight or too much work can all take their toll on these petite equines - but it doesn’t have to be like that.  And educating these owners can make sure that their animals live longer and healthier lives - and therefore making their owner more money overall.

They have put together such a wonderful package of gifts rather than just asking for donations for everything.  Just a glance through their catalogue makes you feel as though you can really help that foal to grow healthily, or to give that elderly donkey a well earned rest!

Here are a few examples from their online store of what great things they tempt you with - almost like choosing from a spa treatment brochure:

Health: £25.50
After a full health check including eyes, ears and teeth, these donkeys will receive any treatment they need and a fly fringe to protect them from diseases.  And we’ll show owners how to recognise and prevent common health problems.

Comfort: £15.32
A well-fitted harness makes all the difference to the hard-working donkey - they can pull loads without ropes cutting into them or rubbing their skin.  A little comfort to brighten up their day.  And we’ll make sure that their owner knows how to fit it perfectly.

Delight: £17.60
Care for Foals: the first month of a foal’s life is so precious - this pack will give them all the vaccinations, nutrition and special care they need to grow big and strong.  We’ll also ensure that they don’t work too soon and that they get lots of mother-foal bonding time.  It’s a joy to see and be part of.

Tenderness: £20.70
Special care for old or sick donkeys.  After being treated to a week of fresh, nutritious food, health checks and joint care, they’ll come away feeling like a new animal.  The gift also helps owners understand that older animals need a little extra attention!

It all feels so personal when you read these descriptions - and there are 13 in total - each with it’s own descriptive video too, so you can see the typical animals you would be helping! 

So rather than thinking of your donation as ‘just’ helping a donkey charity, you can see exactly what your money could be paying for - and so can the recipient of the gift!

There are people we all know who are difficult to buy presents for - or that seemingly have everything - so why not buy them something that they definately haven’t got, but will definately make them smile!

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Could you convince your business and associates to meet up in a cyber-boardroom?

Why do we still include long-distant travel as part of our business mind-set, when there is so much technology and software available that could mean fewer hours spent ‘on the road’ and not clocking up carbon emissions and company debts?

Having experience of business decisions and travel arrangements myself, I know that sometimes a ‘really good idea’ isn’t always cost effective, and it can be like banging your head against a brick wall if you are trying to promote more sustainable work plans if your boss isn’t open to change.

I also know that some of the green business ideas I had previously pitched to my bosses which were not financially viable at the time - have now become so, and the company is implementing them as we speak!

Things change and businesses need to change with them - so why not look back over some of your green business ideas that were rejected in the past and see if they could work for you now.

Improved Technology:
It isn’t only your green ethics that are changing - but so is the technology that drives whole industries.

For example, you can now communicate (virtually) face-to-face with people on the other side of the world in live time and with very clear images and very little time delay - as well as completing complex banking transactions at the touch of a button from one continent to the other.

Business has changed so much these days that equipment and other electrical items that were once rare and expensive are now commonplace and competitively priced.

When I was at school (which wasn’t that long ago), we had one just 1 single word processor for the whole school, but now - children have their own iPhones and home computers!

Although the above example spans some years, there are certainly much quicker and more important technological advances that could really improve your business - you just need to look at them afresh.

The First Step:
There are many companies that are available to help you decide which technologies and solutions may be best for your business, but of course you can investigate many of these yourself.

The benefit of an expert in the field would be that they will have worked with many other businesses like yours and also seen the results of their work, however you alone might not know all the alternatives and end up missing out on something great - so it might not be cheaper to go it alone!

However, there is currently an initiative to help businesses reduce their need to travel for meetings and promotions etc, with the Climate Care Day drive taking place next week, and again in October 2010.

This one area of you business could help not only reduce outgoings and increase productivity but could really make a difference to your ‘green’ policies and ethics, which are now just as important to a company as the products or services you offer.

So, if you are looking to reduce your environmental impact whilst promoting your business, then go to their website or search for video-conferencing online.

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There are up to 5 million elderly people in the UK who don’t have and family or friends to visit them according to the UK charity Help the Aged.

And how much trouble would it be to you to help them out a bit in the cold weather, visit them every so often or drive them to the Drs if they needed a flu jab!

Depending on where you live and how many neighbours you have, you could help out an awful lot of people with very little effort - making everyone’s life a little better!

Why not try to make something that your village or neighbourhood can be proud of - and that stops your neighbours being isolated in their own homes.  I mean, if they aren’t very mobile the lady 2 doors down from you could have been sitting alone in her sitting room every evening for a whole week while you are just a few metres away watching a DVD or playing computer games.

What You Can Do:
Here are some ideas of things that you could do to help your local community, ranging from a tiny effort to a full on adventure!

Make A Cake - Taking around some tasty cakes or a hot dinner to a neighbour could really cheer up their day - and give them something to talk about!

Take The Lead- How about offering to take an elderly persons dog out for a walk for or with them.  Dogs and cats offer a real companionship to people living alone, but they can sometimes need more care than people can offer them - so why not step in.

Play Cards - Think about spending a few hours around someones house doing something that they like.  Rather than watch another episode of something-or-other, why not try to improve you gaming skill the old-fashioned way!

Home Delivery! - Getting out to the shops for the heavier items - like tinned food and cat litter can be quite daunting for a single elderly person to consider, and they may need to make several trips back and forth to get their normal groceries as well.  So why not offer to make a regular trip on their behalf when you get your own shopping?

Become A Taxi - Local bus services are great for people to do a bit of clothes shopping or nip into the Bank, but when you need to get to an early Dr’s appointment, or you end up getting stuck at the hospital longer than expected - how can the bus help you then?

Find Some Numbers - Why not put together a list of numbers and information that could be useful to someone on their own and give one to every home in your areas.  It can include things like the numbers and events for local day centres, meals on wheels type organisations, and even emergency plumbers and other services (that you know offer excellent services and a fair price).

Include local bus times and locations of bus stops, local taxis, local stores, the numbers of neighbours with certain skills or spare time, and even government details on available grants and services free to certain individuals.

Start Something New - If you really want to get your teeth into something really special for all those single, lonely and elderly people out there by arranging for your own regular ‘coffee morning’ or day centre.

I’m sure that you could find a church hall, community centre or local school that had a free spare room every other Tuesday or whatever you fancied.  And I’m sure that getting together a few volunteers to help out won’t be too hard either.

Imagine the looks on their little faces!