Ask Alexandra March 2014

1) Hi Alexandra, I’ m very concerned about what is going on with this overcrowded planet, what you can recommend me to start to do for solve this big problem that seems no to have an end.
Will

Hi Will,

I am very concerned too, so it is nice to meet someone else who worries about human overpopulation. Here are things you can do:

1) Only have one child at most, and adopt if you want more.

2) Support organizations that are working to lower the population through birth control access, women’s rights and changes in government policies that promote growth in numbers. I do not know where you live, but in the United States we have Population Media Center, World Population Balance, Negative Population Growth, Population Council, Population Action International, Population Connection (which has excellent educational materials) among others. I have personally worked with Population Media Center and World Population Balance and was very involved with my local Zero Population Growth chapter, which has now become Population Connection.

3) Educate yourself on the issue, so you can talk intelligently about it, and not simply emotionally.

4) Talk about the issue. There is a code of silence on human overpopulation (even a lot of organizations working on the issue are afraid to use the word “overpopulation” for fear of putting people on the defensive – what this does is just continue the unease so many have about discussing human numbers.) This means you need to write letters to the paper when there is an article about an environmental topic that does not include stabilizing (or lowering) the number of people on the planet as a solution. Or when there is a news report about the “birth dearth” (fewer babies being born) in European countries and how terrible this is, it is really important to write in and remind people that growing by 1 billion people every 12 years will give us more problems (like lack of food, water, space, infrastructure) than dealing with more older folks than younger folks.

It is also very important to make sure that you talk to your friends about the issue and when someone asks you about having kids you explain why you are choosing to have a small family.
Think of how awesome the world would be for everyone on it if the population was not hitting 10 billion in 35 years, but instead stabilized and eventually went down to 2 billion. There would be less risk of war, more food and water and land to go around, more money for health care and education, more habitat for animals, more jobs for those who needed them. Remind people of this!
If you are good with social media or videos, be sure to share articles with your friends about the issue, to educate them, or make your own video and post it about why this issue is so important to you.

Let me know your thoughts and how you get involved.

Best,
Alexandra

2) Hi Alexandra!

Peaceful greeting to a gentle warrior, whom I admire very much.

You do many wonderful strong things and show many examples of how kind and wise people on this earth can be, and how we as individuals can bring about positive and beautiful change by reaching out and using our voices to create a better future and peaceful messages! It’s a brilliant quality I admire and strive towards because I think it’s valuable for all generations to have something to believe in and realize there is so much to care about. (My generation in particular!)

With so much sadness in the world, people often loose sight of how truly spectacular our earth and it’s inhabitants can be! I am so happy when I see people injecting bits of wonder, imagination, love, peace and happiness in to anything they choose to do! I find no matter how seemingly small one thoughtful deed is, they add up and really do seem to add so much color in the world. And I find myself always looking for ways to do some of these things, and make people smile!

Do you have any idea’s on how to bring people a simple extra smile to people we know or dont jnow for that matter! in their day to day lives, and restore the flow of positive energies to the planet, the animals and the human beings out there? Even as we continue to keep thundering on for our earth and all it holds, I want to come up with more ways to see people smile everyday!

Many good vibrations,

Jen

Hi Jen,

My motto for this year is Listening, Acceptance, Compassion and Love. Listening being the most important! Everyone needs to feel heard, and so many people do not. I recommend listening as the number one way to make others feel happier. Then accept them where they are, feel compassion for their situation and their feelings, and extend love.

Listening without trying to “solve” is key.

And it annoys me when folks admonish, “Be happy”, “Be grateful” when I am feeling sad and terrible. Everyone has their journey and we cannot rush it for them. Telling people how to be is inauthentic. They have to come to it themselves.

You can, however, model gratitude, positivity and happiness in your own life . Being the change you want to see in the world is very important. Do not gossip, whine or be negative!

Thank you for your lovely letter. It is always inspiring to meet people who want to make the world a better place.

Alexandra

3) Do you miss the Baywatch days? And do you wish you had stayed in the show much longer, looking back!! Such I shame they pulled down the main lifeguard headquaters, I always wanted to visit!! Huge UK fan here, really miss Baywatch!
Paul Drewery

Hi Paul,

Several of us Baywatch cast members are working on doing another show together again, so check out www.MeettheBTeam.com to learn more. Our movie is called The B Team and it is a very funny action comedy we are raising money for right now.

The main lifeguard tower was at Will Rogers State Beach, just south of Temescal Canyon Road in Los Angeles. We built a set on top of the lifeguard headquarters that was already there, so we worked alongside the real lifeguards who were on the second floor, except that the cameras could not see them inside because of the reflective glass around their watchtower. So the headquarters are still there, but the Baywatch offices were pulled down so most of the headquarters are just one level now.

The last photo on this blog is the back of the lifeguard headquarters. The Baywatch set was on the right side of that second floor watchtower in the middle. We built the Baywatch offices right up against that and left room in the front for the porch. Here is another photo, from a slightly different angle.

I will always treasure my days on the show. It was so much fun! For years after I left, I missed it terribly and no other jobs could give me the warmth (no pun intended) and sense of family I got from being on that series. I am so glad to still be in touch with so many of my castmates (just got an email from David Chokachi yesterday, actually – as he is a shooting a movie in LA).

Thank you for still being a fan, and keep an eye out for The B Team!

Great hearing from you,
Alexandra