From Tokyo, a strangely catchy reminder that music can be found all around us, even in the passing of a train. You just have to go outside and play.

(via The Eves Like Us)

What does it take to instigate positive change? For some it is learning the nuances of recycling. For others it is hanging your clothes on the line to dry. We applaud these efforts, knowing that each little change is a step in the right direction, bringing us closer to a healthier world.

But there are more complex issues that surround these small steps, challenging us to develop creative solutions for increasingly complicated problems. The 2010 Grant for Change calls for these instigators of change, the designers of solutions, to step forward and tell us their stories. Architects, industrial designers, urban planners, program developers; no matter what your medium, we want to know how you are using design as a force for change.

We have heard from Benjamin Eichorn from Know Your Lunch, a program working with schools, designing educational and food production programs. We have heard from desigNYC, which offers participatory, pro-bono design to non-profits and community groups. We have heard from Public Matters, which facilitates the re-design of corner grocery stores to mitigate the challenges of living in food deserts. We have heard from Nada Bike, a design-your-own-bike initiative that starts with a single frame.

And this is just day one.

There is so much to learn from those that work tirelessly for positive change. We encourage you to check out the stories, to pass those along that inspire. Nominate yourself, or a friend, or a team, or an organization; and vote for the nominee that you feel could benefit by a $10,000 boost.

Nominations are open from May 10^th ‘till June 11^th.

Learn. Vote. Share.

Welcome to the 2010 Grant for Change.

To do anything really great, you need a team. Sure, there are the clichés about the power of one, but it’s only when that singular energy is reflected and amplified by others that great things start happening. Whether it’s activism or athletics or art, the inspiration and support we take from others allow us to do far greater things than we can do alone.

A lot of us ride bikes for fitness or for our commute. But for a few of us—like our friend (and Nau-alum) Otis—they’re something to be taken much more seriously. Beyond the skin tight kit and chiseled calves, cycling introduced him to Rapha Racing Northwest, the tribe that he’s been riding with for almost twenty years. They don’t get out as much as they used to, he writes,

But we remain connected to the core of bike racing, to a collection of friendships that now outstrip many of our childhood and school-day ones, and to the passion that kicks up every time we wheel the bike up the stairs or out the back. What we think of most are the coffees before the Sunday ride, the beers after, and the buzz that combines from long days in the saddle with old friends.

Check out his complete post on the Rapha blog, where you’ll find a collection of writing, photography and film evincing the same attention to detail as the British cycling supplier’s classically styled on-bike apparel. For anyone who’s sweated or struggled with like-minded friends, it’s a well-timed reflection on the lasting rewards of working together.

(photo—by motofish—and link via Rapha)

When a company misleads consumers regarding the environmental properties of its products, services or practices, it’s called greenwashing.  It’s like putting a veneer of green-ness over the exterior of the actual business practice.

To combat this trend, the folks at TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company, have defined and enumerated the types of sins committed by companies that (intentionally or not) are guilty of greenwashing.  Trade-Offs, No-Proof, Vaugeness and more: The list is cartoon-cute, clever, and entertaining, while still being clear and thorough. By reading it and playing the accompanying ”Name that Sin” game, consumers will become better able to rationally evaluate the eco-claims companies make in order to lure dollars from eco-conscious wallets. Hopefully,  consumers who are better educated about greenwashing techniques can force companies to back up environmental claims with substantive actions or risk lost sales and soiled reputations.

Check it out for yourself at sinsofgreenwashing.org.

[An occasional update on what some of us are listening to now. - Ed.]

If you know me, you know that I LOVE music. I’ve lost track of all of the shows I’ve seen, maxed out my hard drive because it’s full of music, and wake up to songs playing in my head.  The Black Keys (one of my favorite bands) are coming out with their newest album in two weeks—on May 18th—and I’ve been listening to them non-stop in anticipation.  If you haven’t heard the single Tighten Up from their upcoming album Brothers, you’re missing out.