Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Eco thanksgiving filled with healthy thanksgiving recipes: Party Ideas: dominomag.com
celebration: eco thanksgiving filled with healthy thanksgiving recipes: Party Ideas: dominomag.com Already purchased your Thanksgiving ingredients? These ideas can be extended to your Christmas menus as well.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Winter craft swap: the art of giving
Free People Clothing Boutique Blog > craft > winter craft swap: the art of giving This is a great budget gift idea. Do a craft project swap with some friends encouraging them to use recycled materials around the house. A fun way to introduce them to reducing, reusing and recycling. Cheap too!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Latrice Designs - Recycled Paper Handbags
An eye popping clutch created from recycled Anthropologie catalogs.
Latrice, you are an artist extraordinaire!
www.latricedesigns.com
Eco-Friendly Totes by Ali Rapp
Closet Couture -> Accessory Report: Eco-Friendly Totes by Ali Rapp Let's face it. I'm an Anthropologie woman at heart. I absolutely love that store, the colors, the smells, the distractions, the one of a kind nature inspired products. It's sensory overload and I love it! My mother says it reminds her of Atlanta in the seventies. How cool is that? Anyway, I have had a hard time making purchases there this year, because almost everything is made in my favorite place - China. Again the images of child labor and toxic dyes seeping into the rivers, can't stay out of my head. Someone please correct me if I am over-imagining conditions there. So while I certainly have made a few purchases this year, I have passed on many more. In my internet search for an Anthropologie replacement, I came across this post, from the Closet Couture blog. These are bags are pretty nice. Very Boho chic. Then I saw the price....$68 bucks. I started thinking about the collection of bags that I have around the house. Heck, with a little fabric paint, glitter, crystals, ribbons, and my collection of individual buttons, flowers and earrings, I can make my own one of a kind Boho bags. So can you! Talk about reduce, reuse and recycle. If I can find the time to explore my creative side, I will post the photos online. I'll show you mine if you show me yours!!
In the meantime, please share your favorite eco-friendly fashion websites. One of my favorites for accessories is Latrice Designs. Maybe, because she actually has handbags made out of recycled Antropologie catalogs! You are a good woman Latrice.
President for 60 more days, George Bush tearing apart protection for America's wilderness | World news | The Guardian
President for 60 more days, George Bush tearing apart protection for America's wilderness World news The Guardian This my friends, is not the change we need. We may need to get our pens out next year to encourage our legislators to support Obama in undoing these dangerous efforts to restrict environmental protections, workplace safety rules and product safety requirements. We see what deregulation has done to our economy and wallets to date, let's not wait to see what deregulation will do to our ecology and health.
Click here to write your representative.
'Recyclers' Illegally Exporting Electronic Waste
Epoch Times - 'Recyclers' Illegally Exporting Electronic Waste Our love for the latest and greatest in electronics, gadgets and appliances is spreading death and destruction in the form of chemical poisoning and cancer throughout Asia and Africa. How are we going to complain about Darfur and the Congo, while contributing to misery ourselves, through our greed. We need to do the following to avoid these electronics from getting in the wrong hands:
1) Be content with what we have right now
2) Take good care of your stuff-it will last longer and you will be more satisfied
3) Recycle electronics by donating items to organizations that could use them
4) Return old products them to original retailers and manufacturers
5) Ask recyclers how products will be re-purposed
6) Insist that "planned obsolescence" be a scam of the past-vote with your wallet and your internet voice
Check out Earth911 for reliable recycling sources and ideas.
Peace on earth.
Beware Toys with Phthalates
Toys with phthalates can be sold after U.S. ban takes effect - USATODAY.com Okay, you are getting ready for the excitement and thrill of Thanksgiving and then a round of some major Christmas shopping right? In your mad rush to buy the coolest presents for your loved ones, please avoid toys (for any age group) that are made of rubber or plastic this season, as these are more likely to contain the hormone altering, emasculating group of chemicals called phthalates. These chemicals won't be banned for toys for kids under 12, until next February. The USA Today article highlights some of the issues with phthalates and provides links to sites with healthier toys. Keep in mind phthalates are also found in many products for adults as well and are absorbed into the body, so if you are planning a family or trying to avoid carcinogens, stay away from products likely to contain phthalates and BPA. These would be plastics, rubber, lined food cans and many fragrances.
Big Green Brother: Wal-mart?
Big Green Brother I found the concept of Wal-Mart employees having personal sustainability plans (PSP's) to be pretty amazing. The employees seem to derive a sense of purpose and satisfaction, while the company benefits from this new found thriftiness of it's workforce. Initially, my reaction was one of surprise that Wal-Mart is making an effort to become more sustainable, but now that I think about it, sustainable behaviors can significantly reduce costs, improve employee moral and generate community goowill. It all makes sense now. If Wal-Mart, with its detestable reputation can pull this off, there is no excuse for our companies! I am going to check out both the ghetto Wal-Mart (even though it's in the suburbs) and the white bread Wal-Mart to see if these behaviors are being exhibited by both stores.
GreenWorks Book Club | GreenerBuildings
GreenWorks Book Club GreenerBuildings Construction workers, builders, developers, city planners, interior designers, janitorial business owners, architechts, landscapers and suppliers to these professionals - check out your reading assignments for the year. You do want a piece of the $150 billion that was promised by President-Elect Obama to jumpstart our green economy don't you?
Your Role in the Green Environment Construction Workers
Your Role in the Green Environment GreenerBuildings This article goes out to all of my nice construction workers out there. I'm looking at you and looking out for you!
Greenbuild365 Watch It Live
Greenbuild365 Want to know more about the green economy and how it is affecting all levels of our society? Want to know how your future may be impacted? Schools, governments, universities, small business, big business, manufacturers, sports teams - all have a stake in the green building boom. If you can't make it to the Greenbuild conference in Boston this week, you can view speakers live via the link provided in this post.
No sweat: Obamas work fitness into daily routine - Yahoo! News
No sweat: Obamas work fitness into daily routine - Yahoo! News As a cancer survivor, health and fitness buff and overall "Mom" to everyone, I just love the fact that President Elect Barack Obama and his first lady, Michelle, are all about taking care of themselves. If they can squeeze in workouts with their busy schedules, surely the rest of us can. Perhaps that is why they always look so cool, calm, collected and fantastic!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
How to Be Cheap And Green | eHow.com
How to Be Cheap And Green eHow.com I am posting this link in an effort to counter the belief that going green is not budget friendly. Au contraire, mes amies.
Green Resource Online: Top 25 Shopping sites : CleanTechnica
Green Resource Online: Top 25 Shopping sites : CleanTechnica Green companies, green products, green building, green shopping, green product reviews. It's snowing here in Cleveland, this is great weather for some green online window shopping. This article provides great resources from budget friendly to budget busting eco-friendly products.
Inhabitat » 7 Bad Habits of Eco-Design Driven Consumers
Inhabitat » 7 Bad Habits of Eco-Design Driven Consumers In keeping with the shopping theme today, I thought this article hit on some great points.
Shopping Responsibly No Easy Task
Shopping list - Bottle/Thermos washer, blankets, large toaster oven, glass storage containers, tissue, vitamins, broom. Appears to be a pretty straightforward list. A time starved person could purchase all of these items at Target or a similar retailer, right? Wrong. A time starved person who is carefully scrutinizing her purchases will probably bepretty frustrated, if she is looking for BPA free plastic, organic materials and products made somewhere other than China. I started with the blankets, thinking that Target, which promotes it's sustainability initiatives and has some organic products online, would at least have a small selection in stores. Well, most were either non-organic cotton or micro polyfiber and were made in China. I looked around in frustration and confusion for about ten minutes, then left, figuring I would check out a retailer next door. Then I looked for a bottle washer for my difficult to clean thermos. I have been getting disposable cups all week, because my thermos has been difficult to clean thoroughly and I haven't had the heart to throw most of them (cups) away (a local coffeehouse recycles these). Anyway, there were a myriad of dish washing implements, but only one lonely item that looked like it could take on the bottom of my thermos. Then there was the issue of BPA, so what to do? I weighed the advantages and disadvantages and purchased it anyway, figuring I would use cold water when scrubbing. Guess where it was made? You got it! China. Next. Glass storage containers. After looking in the storage container aisle, with no success in finding glass, I finally found glass containers in the cookware section. I was pretty pleased with the exception that the lids were all plastic. Toaster Oven -found one that didn't have any kind of teflon interior, but couldn't get around the made in China issue. It was pretty surreal, almost everything was made in China! No wonder we have so many people out of work in this country. What are we doing to ourselves?! What are we doing to China? I know it's economy is booming (or was until recently) but I always have images of women and children toiling away in unsafe conditions, making these products for a $1 a month. I was encouraged to see a selection of soy candles and natural cleaners, but couldn't find recycled tissue paper products. I eventually ran out of time and decided to get my vitamins from Whole Foods during my next shopping trip there. Lessons learned:
- We have sold our souls to China and for what? Cheap stuff. What cost? Jobs, our planet.
- It takes time and careful planning to be a conscious shopper
- You save money buying consciously, because shopping just becomes exhausting physically and emotionally
- We need to speak up and ask for the products we want
- Retailers are slowly acknowledging the demand for safe products, but need a push
How do you shop consciously? I would love to promote any websites that make shopping for safe products a simple experience.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tainted Chinese Imports Common
Tainted Chinese Imports Common - washingtonpost.com Thought only clothing, appliances, toys and other household products were made in China? Many food and drug products commonly sold around the world are also made in China and other countries with lax regulation and supervision. So now, in addition to reading food and vitamin labels for nutritional content, you want to determine what country they were produced in. In some cases, only specific ingredients were produced outside of the United States, so you just have to be more careful about what you put in your body, because big brother has fallen asleep on the job.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Disappearing Male - Doc Zone | CBC-TV
The Disappearing Male - Doc Zone CBC-TV This special which highlights the plight of males in a chemical oriented world, aired this weekend, but you can view the film in this link. There are some other interesting links on environmental toxins located to the right of the article.
Obama Positioned to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions - washingtonpost.com
Obama Positioned to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions - washingtonpost.com I posted an article last week on some last minute moves by the Bush administration to reduce rules and regulations that could have a negative impact on our health and the environment. According to this article, President-Elect Obama's team has been evaluating and monitoring these actions and he plans to swiftly overturn many of these after January 20, 2009. Look for to significant changes in climate change policy over the next four years as this administration seeks to make the United States a leader in reducing global warming and environmental toxins.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Meet the people who might fill top environmental jobs in an Obama administration | By Jonathan Hiskes | Grist | Grist Feature | 29 Oct 2008
Meet the people who might fill top environmental jobs in an Obama administration By Jonathan Hiskes Grist Grist Feature 29 Oct 2008 Looking for the right people to start sucking up to..er.. start networking with to land a spot on their agencies employment roster? Check out this article on leading environmental candidates in Obama's administration. Never has there been such a great opportunity to add some color and diversity to the green movement! (Though this is not reflected in the picks highlighted in this article)
Running On Green
Off and running Gristmill: The environmental news blog Grist Check out the latest issue of Runner's World for 30 tips on how to green up your daily (or weekly) run. As I runner, I felt compelled to buy this particular issue and was pleased to find some great ideas. Click here for fantastic informative links to tips, eco-races, metrics and gear.
What To Do With All Those Campaign Signs
Everywhere, the signs Gristmill: The environmental news blog Grist This article offers lots of great ideas for reusing and recycling your campaign signs. Worth clicking through.
Great Hope For a New Direction in America
Great Hope For a New Direction in America Green politics and President-Elect Barack Obama.
Six-Figure Green Jobs - Forbes.com
Six-Figure Green Jobs - Forbes.com Now that the future for green jobs has strengthened considerably, check out this article for ideas on how you can leverage your existing skill base to "work green" and even afford to shop for groceries exclusively at Whole Foods. This is a good article for mid-career changers and parents with kids heading to college. Some of the jobs profiled:
Environmental Lawyer,Sustainability Director (management,marketing),
Number Crunchers (mathematicians, accountants, statisticians) and
Environmental Scientist (duh)
Urban Planners
Industrial Engineer
Election 2008: A Big Win for Green Real Estate | Leanne Tobias on GreenerBuildings
Election 2008: A Big Win for Green Real Estate Leanne Tobias on GreenerBuildings Today is a good day for the future of our planet! In so many ways. From an environmental and economic perspective, President-Elect, Barack Obama's plan for energy alternatives and $150 million commitment to green jobs are exactly what we need to re-energize our economy, workforce and pocketbooks. Buildings, with all of the resources required to construct, maintain, and support the humans and businesses that occupy them, are one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Check out the above article for a link to Obama's energy plan and it's impact on green buildings and communities.
