Blog Posts by Tonic

"There are just a few times in your life when you know you have the opportunity to make lasting change," says David Yarnold, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). "We're at one of those moments. If the oil spill didn't convince you it's time to move to a clean-energy future, I'm not quite sure what it would take."

As an estimated 2.5 million gallons of oil continue to leak into the Gulf of Mexico each day, EDF is using this moment in history to encourage the public to write their Congressmen and Senators to demand an effective climate and clean-energy bill. Not at some future date, but right now.

"I really believe, and public opinion surveys show, that the American public understands that while fossil fuels will continue to be in the mix for some time to come, we have to be able to become independent of fossil fuels," Yarnold tells Tonic.

Take a moment to watch this EDF video (set to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," performed by the cast of Glee) and the

Original story by KC Baker appeared on Tonic June 29, 2010.

Kate Gibbs spent her twenties jetting to Paris, Milan, Barcelona and other glamorous locales as a model, walking the runway and shooting ad campaigns that graced the pages of Vogue and Elle. "I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to model," says Gibbs. "It was terribly exciting for a young girl."

While working as a model, she held positions at fashion houses like Diane Von Furstenberg and Vivienne Tam, where she dressed celebrities including Heather Graham, Carrie Underwood and Emma Watson. She loved working in the fashion industry, but decided that she wanted to do more with her life. "I was raised with a responsibility to contribute to society," says Gibbs. Now 31, she is also a decorative artist and jewelry designer whose work was recently featured in an exhibition in Barcelona. "I realized, at 26, that I wanted to make more of a difference in the world."

Starting with her own country. "There are

BY ANNE DRISCOLL

The year was 1998. Ryan Wilkinson's grandmother was sick with cancer and the then 7-year-old wanted to do something - anything - to help. Even at that tender age, he had heard about the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge(PMC), an annual 190-mile bike trek from Provincetown to Boston that raises money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. So he eagerly asked if he could join the ride.

Despite his enthusiasm, his parents, Regina and Andrew, told him he was just too young to pedal that far. But then his father suggested something that would change the course of Ryan's life forever: He suggested that he start his very own fundraising bicycle ride at home.

With his parents' guidance, Ryan recruited his sister Hattie, then 4 (both seen above, today), and a few other kids in the neighborhood to draw up posters, plan a route, get support pledges and organize donations of water and refreshments. Dubbed the Wildwood Challenge, after the name of the Wilkinsons'

Original story by SAM BRAND published on Tonic June 23, 2010

Since the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship last Thursday, the eccentric forward's smile has been ubiquitous. Ron Artest stole Kobe's spotlight during the postgame press conference by delivering one of the most hilarious feel-good sit-downs in sports history. He was spotted at an LA club following the contest, partying with his game-worn jersey and shorts. His surprisingly bearable "Champions," is everywhere, especially if you're from LA, and on Tuesday he performed the song on Lopez Tonight. Ron Ron even sat in on theLarry King Live telethon to raise money for the Gulf oil spill.

None of these behaviors, coming out of Artest, are particularly remarkable. A founding member of what ESPN columnist Bill Simmons calls "The Tyson Zone," Artest is predictably unpredictable. Even the most far-fetched rumors about him gain immediate credibility because, well, he's Ron Artest. Nobody doubted the verity of the

Original story by Diane Herbst appeared on Tonic **UPDATED 6/11 3 p.m.**

The images and cries of oil-covered birds have been heartbreaking. As feared, the millions of gallons of crude oil that have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico since a BP oil rig explosion in April is washing up on the shores of Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Wildlife and conservation groups warn that the ever-widening slick could pose complete disaster for the shoreline flora and fauna, and volunteers are urgently needed to help.

Even before the oil reaches a beach, you can get involved: environmental groups suggest removing driftwood, dry grass, seaweed and debris from areas expected to be effected before it becomes soaked in oil. If you see any wildlife covered in oil, don't capture it but call 866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore, call 866-448-5816.

Tonic has compiled a list of groups who need you to sign up now. And if you help, please let us know below. We'd love to hear your

Original story by Diane Herbst appeared on Tonic March 25, 2010

On top of a mountain in West Texas lives the artist Alyce Santoro, best known for inventing sonic fabric, an audible textile woven from recycled audio cassette tape. The creation of sonic fabric - once made into a dressworn and "played" by Jon Fishman of Phish - came from the cash-strapped Santoro's attempts to scavenge for free art supplies. "It was more about that," Santoro says, "than save the earth."

Now Santoro's daily life is wrapped around saving the earth. Her studio is a converted bus outfitted with $500 worth of solar panels that power her computer, scanner, lights and sewing machine. Home is a 14-foot trailer with $10-a-month electric bills. She and her boyfriend collect their water in rain barrels, power their outdoor stove by the sun, and expect to be completely off the grid by the end of the year.

"There are so many things people can do at a personal level to make a difference now," says

Original story by Katherine Gustafson was published on Tonic May 7, 2010
As Iraq War veteran Troy Yocum walks toward Indianapolis today, two weeks into a journey that will take many months, he carries with him three items essential to his quest to raise $5 million for military families by walking 7,000 miles around the United States: a drum, a Louisville Slugger baseball bat and a Vietnam-era ammo can.

At his heels is his steady companion,Emerson Elaine Eskridge the Superdog (Emmie for short) and at his side a random assortment of strangers who join his "Drum Hike" for a few minutes or a few miles after locating him on his website's tracking map. In the middle of a phone conversation with Tonic, a voice in the background summoned him away, and he came back to the receiver a moment later to say, "a woman from Indianapolis just came down to walk with me. Like I said, people walk up to me and walk with me all the time."

It's a perfect illustration of the motto emblazoned on his

Original story by Liz Corcoran appeared on Tonic March 16, 2010

Most of us would dig deep in our pockets to donate to a good cause: witness the millions of dollars raised and the outpouring of goodwill in the wake of Hurricane Katrina or the devastating earthquake in Haiti. But how many of us would sacrifice everything in the name of charity?

Wealthy businessman Jon Pedley is about to do just that. The Essex, England-based telecommunications professional has put his idyllic 16 th century farmhouse, complete with landscaped gardens on the market (for about 1.5 million dollars), along with his successful consultancy and marketing businesses and his top-of-the-line Range Rover (approximately $112,000).

In return, he will set up home in a traditional mud and wood building in rural Uganda, using funds raised from the sale of his assets. From there, he will kick off a charity which he hopes will benefit the desperately poor local community by improving health, water and