Blogging For Better

Karama Neal created a place in cyberspace where people can do good.

I'm just one person, what can I do to change the world? Ever feel that way? Thanks to Karama Neal, making a difference has never been easier. Three years ago, she started the public service blog "So What Can I Do?" which lists hundreds of ways each one of us can make the world a better place.

Pressing for positive change is something Karama has always been passionate about (after she earned a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology, she went back to school for a masters in bioethics). But why a blog? "During dinner parties my friends and I turned to the same subjects: challenges in the schools, the health care system, and world issues," she says. "Some guests lamented there was nothing we could do." Karama knew differently. "I thought listing suggestions on a blog was the perfect format to promote ethics in action."

"So What Can I Do?" has ideas that nearly everyone can put to good use. There are links for blood and marrow donation, tips to recycle holiday cards, and information about writing an ethical will (a document that expresses the values and beliefs you'd like to pass on). There's even a post on using a lip brush to snag that lipstick at the bottom of the tube—you'll get 25 extra applications and cut down on waste!

Karama says many suggestions come from her everyday life with husband, Kwadjo, and their infant daughter, Ayoka. "During a move we had loads of extra furniture and didn't want to discard it," she recalls. "The National Furniture Bank Association picked it up and donated it directly to a family in need. They also keep thousands of items from going into landfills every year." Her family also expanded their recycling to include old cell phones, rechargeable batteries, even shoes. Which, through the Nike Recycling Center, are ground up to make tracks and basketball courts for low-income communities. "Every time I discover something new, I post it so everyone can help," she says. "When the ideas are right there, it's hard to not do a good thing.

"This blog has made me an unfailing believer in the power we have to make a difference," says Karama. "No one can do everything, but we all can do something."