New Radicals

This summer I hung out with a bunch of students and professors who do exactly that: imagine men and women like us and create digital products that meet our needs.

I tell people to work on the practical side - like the MBAs in Sustainability - but also on your inner life. You need emotional and spiritual capital because you're effectively standing outside the existing system.

A funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century: we got hooked on fossil fuels. Now, much as we'd like to kick the habit, we're finding it really hard to do. Tom Rand thinks he can help.

Last week's column got lots of comments. Readers weighed in on a range of topics, but one simple question really stirred the pot, "Can I still wear jeans after 50?"

Luckily for Barbara Grufferman, she's pulled it all together in a smart, simple book called The Best of Everything After 50: The Expert's Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More.

So, each day this year, Betty is giving $100 to a cause that moves her. And writing about it on her blog, WhatGives365.

Here are some profiles of the revolution at work - people and ideas that came onto my radar recently.

I adore city life, but recognize that living and working together in close quarters presents huge challenges - and that it's not going to get easier as we continue to grow and welcome people from around the world.

Now, it's your turn. What drives you bonkers? And let's make this a good natured game, OK? Our intention is not to do harm, but to blow off a little steam.

Here's my decidedly more modest (though still princess-like) list of favourite things. And I hope you'll share yours with us, too.

Maybe there's another way to help a country in trouble: not just sending donations (don't stop giving!) Maybe we should be helping their economy rebound by buying things from Chile.

The arts move us and stir our souls, that's for sure. But can they also make us agents of change in our communities? Can the arts help save the world?

Ashoka has just taken a giant step forward. They've introduced their Globalizer Program - designed to help 25 of the world's leading social entrepreneurs go global.

Lately, I've been wondering whether music might become part of my go-to-sleep regimen. I'm searching for some great stuff that will do the opposite of revving me up.

We want to learn and share our thoughts and feelings with others. When I discovered a theatre company that wants plays to be more than mere diversions for a docile audience, I whooped with joy.

If you think about it, we can't all work for Doctors Without Borders or the Gates Foundation. The world needs bus drivers, ballerinas, waiters, plumbers, IT specialists and people to do payroll.

Danced around my kitchen to the usual suspects: REM, Beatles, Black Eyed Peas. Shifted gears and bopped to Kye Marshall's jazz. Felt my groove coming back.

If there's a journalist or a news organization you think should be recognized, encourage him/her/them to apply. Feel free to contact the Dart Center to tell them about your pick.

Some global threats can keep us awake in the middle of the night. The Skoll Global Threats Fund was created last year to address urgent threats like water shortages and pandemics.

I've even tried all the crazy stuff, like feet facing only SXSW, and head elevated on a pillow filled with husks of grain grown on verdant hillsides by gentle people singing lullabies.

An American composer, Cage was one of the leading figures in post-war avant-garde, and is best known for his 1952 composition 4'3", in which not a single note is played.

Instead of saying, "that's wrong!" and organizing a protest march, Elham decided to come up with a solution. That's a distinctly New Radical response: positive, constructive, and hopeful.

On December 7, leaders from 192 countries will gather in Copenhagen to determine the future of our planet.