WRAP STAR CAMPAIGN
If we can reduce the amount of plastic we use each day, we can reduce the amount of plastic that winds up in our oceans. Lots of manufacturers use WAY too much packaging to package their products. Let’s band together to encourage them to rethink their packaging choices by choosing to buy products that are packaged in an environmentally friendly way. And lets' create jobs and see this generation revolutionize the packaging industry through smart design and green materials.
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Stores are handing out “Wrap Star” stickers for shoppers to stick on products whose packaging they prefer to promote products that customers approved the packaging of most! Cole Hardware was the first to adopt our Wrap Star program in their stores. Customers are able to use the Wrap Star stickers as a way to vote on products they appreciate for their eco-friendly packaging! It's our way of promoting companies who do what they can to leave a smaller carbon foot print on the environment. |
Here is an example of a Wrap Star!... The Kindle The product came in a compact box just a little bigger than the dimension of the actual Kindle. Amazon calls it "Frustration Free Packaging." There is an easy rip top meaning no tape is used to seal the package. The manual and wires are not wrapped in plastic as you might normally see in other products. What is even more impressive? The inside is all cardboard, there is not one styrofoam packing peanut in sight!
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A great school project! Set up containers at stores for people to immediately dump the packaging from their newly purchased products. Students can manually take apart and study annoying packaging. And then come up with an alternative design that is less wasteful and equally protective. Here is a lesson plan we've created for students and teachers. This is a full on interactive lesson looking at plastics and other alternative materials. Click here to print it out! |
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Peace of Mind Kits
2006 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = Research, website, handouts and products
........
Our ecological compliment to the "Disaster Kit." Peace of Mind
kits inform and prepare instead of react and frighten. This kit provides
pleasurable lifestyle ideas and outside the box plans that provide comfort even in times of crisis. We also are making kits and lesson plans for teachers who want to use our POM kits as part of a science experiments.
Green Energy Millions
(GEM) Campaign
2007 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = awareness campaign
Our Green Energy Millions (GEMs) campaign is a connection between our current
lifestyles and our earth. We've gathered bite size, quick, inexpensive commitments
that every individual can do. Join us and make your GEMs
here today for a brighter, greener future! This is a great activity for students and teachers!
"Nats, Philos, Fools and Funds" - Naturalists, Philosophers,
Foolshearty Grassroots Projects and Funders
1999 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-Educational = Annual Roundtable
This annual roundtable, hosted by Matter of Trust, invites experts, funders
and green business entrepreneurs to discuss how best to concentrate our
resources for maximum benefits. We review current and new projects, proposals
from grassroots groups seeking fiscal sponsorship, and socially conscious
businesses or large companies shifting towards a greener future. No idea
is too wild: recycling hair clippings from salon floors for use cleaning
up oil spills, train tracks made from solar panels, cow dung methane converters
used to power dairy farms. The bigger the idea, the more we love to have
inventors bring them on!
What You Can Do.org
2007 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = Research and lecture series
Did you ever hear a stirring story about a distressing social issue or ecological
problem that made you feel like you desperately wanted to do something,
but you just didn't know what to do? Issues
are presented to us every day, and at the end of a news report or documentary film our impulses
to help are often simply met with a phrase like "write your congressman."
That seems unsatisfying to us at MofT, and we know that people are capable
of changing things for the better in more hands-on, concrete, practical
ways. So, we have created a lecture series and compiled a web page of ideas from experts and our own research
suggesting What YOU Can Actually Do To Help.
Good Karma Exchange
2006 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = web-component
A new component of our Nats, Philos and Fools Conference, and part of our
fund-raising section, this was developed for all Excess Access donors of
items and other visitors to our sites who got
bitten by the philanthropy bug and wanted to connect more with good works.
We are also continually researching grassroots nonprofits and projects that
post wish lists on Excess Access. When possible, we fiscally sponsor beneficial
programs that request our assistance.
Pipeline
2000 - Present
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = Powerpoint Presentation and lecture
Pipeline is a look at the history of petroleum and its effects on the environment
through photos, information and world music. Feel free to email
us for more information.
It's Easy Being Green
- Our Humorous Eco-tips Handbook - FOR
SALE NOW
© 2003
Total
Raised: $14,712.96
Direct Program Expenses: $14,849
- $4,853.96 (research / compilation) (writing and editing were donated by
Jennifer Pratt and Lisa Gautier)
- $9,859 (printing on hemp paper)
- Sales To Date: $866.67 online+ $112.96 in
stores (50%
books intended as promotional giveaways)
Eco-educational = Book
This book was written and compiled for
our organization by Jennifer Pratt, with a foreword and edited by Lisa Craig
Gautier, founder of Excess Access and Matter of Trust, Inc. With 230 pages
printed on hemp paper using soy ink, it is an edible and
delightful guide to a convenient, green lifestyle offering hundreds of useful
tips.See
how small changes by individuals add up and actually create less work and
more pleasure out of life. It's Easy Being Green is a must have
for every bathroom reading stack.
SCHOOL OF FISH AWARENESS ART- COMPLETED
2011
..........Click here for highlighted Artist bios!
Artists Tim Crowe and Louis Chinn
Our waterways are becoming increasingly polluted and much of that pollution comes from plastic products that degrade dangerously and kill fish. By reducing and changing the materials we work with each day, we can remedy this problem.
On Earth Day in downtown San Francisco, our School Of Fish exhibit will be on display. It is in partnership with our Wrap Stars Campaign to reduce unnecessary and redesign wasteful, plastic packaging. We were inspired by artist and teacher, Angela Haseltine Pozzi. She collects garbage and plastic material that washes up on the local shoreline and turns it into beautiful art sculptures. Matter of Trust teamed up with local sculpters who are creating large impressive interactive works that will swallow trash, provide audio of a Clean Oceans Facts, demonstrate smart packaging alternatives and much more.
Our main showcase piece is a 16ft fish made out of recycled material. We are also asking schools from all over to show off their creative student's ideas about plastics in the oceans. We would love to have as much art representing FISH from students as we can possibly gather. Some classes are making them out of recycled materials others are painting or making poems. The projects can be individual or collaborative. One artist's large fish has a sound system and any students who want to be interviewed and recorded about what they've learned about plastics in the oceans are welcome to email us.
Schools are so wonderful and art is pouring in! The children's fish art will be attached to fishing nets that will cover all of the San Francisco Earth Day 2011 event barriers. If you are a school, non-profit, artists or just a generous individual with free time and would like to start this in your city, please email us or click here to fill out a volunteer form.
Art will be filmed and shown online and on exhibit Earth Day SF 2011 - Civic Center Plaza in front of San Francisco's City Hall 10AM-6PM April 23, 2011.
Environmental Leadership Forum - COMPLETED
2008 - 2010
MofT General Fund
Eco-educational = Conference, Lectures, Panels, Leadership Training, Forum
Matter of Trust was the fiscal sponsor for Holly B. Shepard and
Evan Henrich's Environmental Leadership Forum. Their mission was to accelerate the social movement towards a sustainable and just world. Their Forum / Training series focussed on Food / Water / Energy & Stuff including an overall Leadership Training session for young professionals. Excellent and inspirational - Thank you Holly and Evan!
Earth From Above USA - COMPLETED
2008 - 2010
Eco-educational - Photographic exhibit
Matter of Trust was a fiscal sponsor for the planning stages of Earth From Above -USA Exhibit and Educational Program in New York. From field trips to experiential lessons to classroom tools, Earth From Above -USA offers turnkey support for K-12, college and adult curricula. The American producer of the exhibit, Picture Earth, will collaborate with France's Goodplanet.org to launch a national poster program, adapted for the American market, already on permanent display across 50,000 schools in France.
A breathtaking collection of large-scale aerial photography by world-renowned French environmentalist, Yann Arthus-Bertrand. A visual record for future generations, this outdoor public art exhibition presents awe-inspiring portraits of our planet, and a new perspective on the need for sustainable living. Free-to-the-public, day and night, experiential, and green by design, the 8-week exhibition features 150 images from around the globe captioned by sustainable development experts. With an inspiration pavilion, walkable world map, and exhibit for the blind, Earth From Above -USA will bring into focus our planet’s fragility to deliver a poignant, hopeful and educational message.
Solar Peace Sculpture
2007 - current
Total
Budget: $50,000
Eco-educational = Awareness for the connection between peace and alternative
energy
Matter of Trust
was the fiscal sponsor for the planning stages of Fred George’s Solar Peace Sculpture which appeals
to the global citizen as well as politicians around the world. Symbolically,
in addition to the commentary on current wars, this piece represents a call
to the world to embrace alternative energies.
The Solar Peace Sculpture is constructed of oil barrels,
with a solar energy panel mounted on each barrel. The solar energy produced
from the panels will feed into the electrical grid of the city, with the
monthly proceeds donated to various local charities.
Recently, a 6 meter tall version was erected at the University of Saarland in Germany. George is now working on a 15 meter version and plans to turn the base into an interactive display. Proposed future sites include Battery Park and Madison Square Park in New York City, and Nanjing Lu, in Shanghai.
"I conceived this piece in December 2006, coming back from Paris. I decided
to make my next piece of art about the imperative necessity to protect our
precious environment, to turn to alternative fuels and to hold our politicians
accountable when it comes to speaking on our behalf. The birth of my daughter
Emma last year triggered a sense of urgency to create a highly visible statement.
My sculpture shall inspire people to think about energy conservation and
the direction we want the world to proceed in the future. ” – Fred George
Fred George started his career more than three decades ago in architecture,
fashion, music, corporate and advertising photography. Having been called
“The American Helmut Newton”, these days George donates a lot of his time
to create works of art in multiple mediums, including sculpture, which earned
him a comparison with the artistic legend Joseph Beuys. For George, his
sculptures are a perfect way to express his global political and environmental
concerns.
Biofuels4Schools.org - COMPLETED
2007 - 2010
Total Budget: $15,000
Eco-educational = Biofuels and clean air awareness
Matter of Trust was the fiscal sponsor for Lindsay Hassett's Biofuels4Schools.org.
This was an eco-educational program dedicated to the immediate
shift from fossil fuels to alternative fuels. It focuses on school bus clean
air awareness programs as it relates to children's health issues. Calculate your
schoolbus' or personal vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions.
The Fuel Film - Documentary Film - COMPLETED
2007 - 2009
Total
Raised to Date: $400,000
Direct Fields of Fuel Expenses: $380,000 = 95%
2009 ACADEMY AWARDS QUALIFIED AND WINNER OF 2008 AUDIENCE AWARD AT SUNDANCE
Matter of Trust was the fiscal sponsor for Josh Tickell's Veggie Van.org from 2003 - 2009 when it received its own public charity status. Josh knows
oil and how it is the lifeblood of the world. His 2008 ‘The Fuel Film’ tells the story of this world energy expert and author,
as he travels around the globe looking for an immediate solution to the
looming oil crisis. Tickell discusses a homegrown, renewable fuel called
‘biodiesel.’ Made from vegetable oil, biodiesel could be the beginning of
a shift for all US transportation fuels. Some
credit Josh Tickell with starting the biodiesel movement in the United States starting
with The Veggie Van Voyage in 1997 crossing the US by filling up on Mac Donalds french fry oil.
This is a 90 minute HD documentary film. A one-year tour will accompany
the release of the film to provide education about alternative
energies. Join the movement to educate America on our choices for alternative
energy.
The Skin Of Trees, An Intimate View of Bark,
by Cedric Pollet - COMPLETED
Brooklyn Botanical Garden Art Gallery
2006
Total
Raised: $5,000
Direct Program Expenses: $4750 = 95%
Eco-educational = Photography Exhibit
This tree's bark naturally grows lips
Matter of Trust was the fiscal agent for this eco-educational project in
New York. With artistic vision, Cedric Pollet looks closely at trees, revealing
the spectacular beauty of tree bark. Coming from a scientific background,
he combines art and science in highly beautiful, original images. He uses
no digital effects or photographic manipulation, but shows us real elements
of the natural world. The fascinating shapes, patterns, textures, and harmonious
colors fill us with admiration and a sense of wonder. These photos stimulate
our curiosity and refresh our way of looking at living, growing things.
FILM United Nations Environment Programme - World Environment Day - 2005
- COMPLETED
©2006
MofT General fund
Eco-educational = Documentary
Eco-educational = Community Program Coordination for 5 day Expo
This 55-minute documentary is a behind-the-scenes look including interviews
with contributors to this event. Matter of Trust was invited to join the
San Francisco Department of the Environment in organizing festivities involving
international and local participants. It is filmed and edited by MofT founder,
Lisa Gautier, who coordinated with over 250 community groups providing environmental
content for this week-long celebration. The United Nation's Environment
Programme asks that its annual World Environment Day (WED) be hosted by
a different international city every year on June 5th. San Francisco, California
hosted WED's first official Expo in the United States in 2005. See our documentary
on youtube.
It's in 8 parts.
"Marcus Foster's
Oakland Technology Exchange OTX West"
-
COMPLETED
2003
Total Raised: $4,992
Direct Program Expenses: $4971 = 99.9%
Eco-educational = Documentary
MofT was the fiscal agent for this excellent documentary by Chantal Buard
on the step-by-step method for developing a computer-repair, distribution
and recycling system. See it on youtube.
It's in 2 parts.
FILM
"Haight
Ashbury Food Program (HAFP) - Nourishment Is A Birthright"
- COMPLETED
© 2002
Total
Raised: $5000
Direct Program Expenses: $5000
= 100%
Eco-educational = Documentary
This 20-minute mini-documentary highlights the community kitchen that reclaims
100 tons of almost expired food from stores and prepares meals for the homeless
of San Francisco.
FILM "Haight
Ashbury Food Program (HAFP) - Nourishment Is A Birthright
II"- COMPLETED
© 2003
Total Raised: $450
Direct Proram Expenses: $450
= 100%
Eco-educational = Documentary
This updated version of the first documentary includes
footage on HAFP's job-training program. The film is credited with raising
$160,000 for the organization's 20th Anniversary, according to their Executive
Director at the time, Devra Edleman. Copies are available upon request and
it will be displayed on YouTube.com as of March 2007.
FILM "Excess Access - Linking Society's Surplus With Nonprofit
Needs" -
COMPLETED
©1999
Total
Raised: $4500
Direct Program Expenses: $4500 = 100%
Eco-Educational = Documentary
This 15-minute mini-documentary shows how Matter of Trust and Excess Access
began and how it works. Copies are available upon request and it will be
displayed on YouTube.com as of March 2009.
Women's Green Global Action
Network - Mexico City Conference -
COMPLETED
2004
- 2005
Total
Raised: $1500
Direct program expenses: $1425 = 95%
Eco-educational = Conference for Key International Women in the Environmental
Movement
Matter of Trust was the fiscal agent for Women's Global Green Action Network
(WGGAN) until they were eligible to be under the umbrella of our friends
at Earth Island Institute in 2006.
WGGAN cultivates global partnerships of grassroots women environmental leaders
for a thriving planet. By providing access to communication tools, support
services and networking capabilities, WGGAN helps women strengthen their
alliances and leadership abilities in order to develop a collective agenda
for affecting environmental and social change at the local, regional and
global level.
Gold Coast Environmental Awareness Afterschool Program Partnership
with Mad Science -
COMPLETED
2004
Total Raised: $1,000
Direct Program Expenses: $950 = 95%
Eco-educational = Afterschool program
MofT was the fiscal agent for this after-school project on the environment.
In partnership with Mad Science Gold Coast Educators, the semester-long
course showed kids how science reveals itself in nature.
Youth
Media Lab Project - COMPLETED
2005 - Present
Total
Raised: $1,000
Direct Program Expenses: $950 = 95% + donated equipment
Eco-edcuational = School Program For Inner City Kids
Manmade Surplus = Donated Equipment
We are the fiscal agent for Youth Media Lab (YML). YML is dedicated
to providing media education to educators, youth service providers, youth
and their parents. YML conducts after-school television and digital video
production classes for Oakland Public School students and parents, provides
professional development and media training for teachers, establishes or
enhances school-site media labs and builds capacity for school sites and
staff members to conduct their own media education classes after completing
YML training.