Ecoluxe

January 06, 2009

• WHAT’S IN YOUR KNICKERS?
  So you think you know what’s going on down there? Pants Exposed (http://www.morethanprettyknickers.com/), a provocative new film by Jenny and Verity White of Eco-Boudoir (http://www.eco-boudoir.com) might have some surprises in store for you. Pants, knickers, skivvies, undies, panties, underwear, thong, boy short, we all have a different way of referring to our most basic piece of clothing and very different ways to go about purchasing it. Emergency-buy at the convenience store when there isn’t a single clean pair left? Feel good shopping before a big date? After you’ve seen this film, you might be tempted to revise those shopping strategies…or even go commando! - about 13 hours
  source: (Eco Fashion World Main RSS Feed)
• ECO-TEXTILE SHOWROOMS OPEN IN NYC AND LONDON
  Two new eco-materials and sustainable textile showrooms were launched in New York and London as part of a dual international effort to encourage sustainability in the world of fashion and textiles. The two new locations were launched as part of C.L.A.S.S.– Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy (http://www.c-l-a-s-s.org), an initiative co-founded by Giusy Bettoni and Sandy MacLennan which is designed to support creative and innovative design in eco-textiles through new materials. In conjunction with the New York showroom launch in December a discussion took place between model and eco-consultant Summer Rayne Oakes and Barbara Kramer, Co-Founder of Designers Agents, among others. The focus of the discussion was The Tipping Point: What is the current state of sustainable fashion? How has the current economic downturn affected designers, retailers and consumer spending? And how do we create pathways toward change? “Clearly, eco-textiles are at the heart of this much-needed change in the industry. New ideas and progress are born from the creation of innovative, inspiring and high-performing materials. As we come together to push for this change, we have to reach a critical mass – we need to create pathways and allow for synergies to take place between people, ideas, products and businesses,” said Bahar Shahpar, eco–designer and C.L.A.S.S. New York consultant. The showrooms feature a carefully sourced collection from natural fibers, yarns and fabrics made from renewable resources to technologically advanced performance fabrics with sustainable attributes. For more information on the events visit www.c-l-a-s-s.org (http://www.c-l-a-s-s.org). - about 13 hours
  source: (Eco Fashion World Main RSS Feed)
• paint over.
  

  

  Paint technology has come a long way with all the low VOC (volatile organic compound - the nasty stuff) options on the market today. Unfortunately really dark colored paint, metal paint and some stains lack this advancement. If you’ve just gotta have one of these bad boys then consider one that’s recycled.

  Across Canada, Boomerang Paints and in Western Canada Ecocoat Paint are companies that save paint from landfills and our water supply by taking unused portions of domestic paint and stains and recycling them into usable ones. According to a 2006 Green Seal study there were approximately 34 million gallons of left over paint annually in the United States alone. The environmental impact of using recycled quality paint cannot be overstated: “If post-consumer paints could be used as a substitute for some virgin raw materials in the manufacturing of new paint products, it would also reduce the environmental impacts of paint manufacturing. The environmental impacts of paint manufacturing can be seen in the energy, fossil fuel, and water use in the manufacturing of paints, primers, titanium dioxide, and resins, and in the mining and extraction of raw materials such as titanium dioxide and limestone.” from the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Recycled Content Latex Paint report.

  Recycled paints may not be the lowest in off-gassing VOCs but saving our planet from oceans of paint is definitely an act of green love.

  
  - 1 day
  source: (green is sexy)

January 05, 2009

• Back to the Future: Arteco
  

  Technomontage

  Western Pennsylvania artist Stewart Webb has updated vintage Art Deco design with a thoroughly future-forward “eco” ethos.  His “technomontage” jewelry and objects for the home are crafted using repurposed high tech materials.  If the towering skyscraper, the glint of a fast-moving train, or the sleek veneer of an automobile were once absorbed by Art Deco design, Webb’s point of focus is the technology of today’s generation: hardware for computers and electronics, and the products of the aerospace and military industries.  These modern-day technological parts come together in jewelry, clocks, sculpture, and light fixtures that simulate traditional decorative materials, such as pearls, gemstones, enamels, and precious metals.  Whereas Art Deco’s structured forms and materials once celebrated a forward march of confident progress and the might of the machine-age, Webb’s artwork represents a more critical look at the double edged sword of the impact of modern technology on the environment and our society.  With so many creative initiatives focused on organic materials, Webb’s art lends perspective on mitigating the environmental damage of technology.

  Thinking in Reverse

  “Demanufacturing”, or taking things apart, is an integral part of Webb’s creative process.  Webb, who is dyslexic, believes it contributes to his proclivity for doing things in reverse.  He also has always been curious about the mechanics of how things work.  Webb sees a need for taking responsibility for our technological footprint on the environment, and, as he put it in a recent interview “getting back to something that nature can cope with”.  In a world where the majority of us, for example, use a computer as well as travel in cars and planes, there is a need for better solutions for disposing of technological waste that usually ends up in landfills or is incinerated.  Yet, as Webb knows well, thinking backward in order to dissassemble technology “in an intense going back to nature” is seemingly without end or dissolution.  Webb’s deconstruction of technology into a decorative, repurposed artform certainly questions our ability to “undo” technology as well as the fine line between creation and destruction in our orientation toward the direction of true progress.

  The creative potential of thinking retrogressively has also informed the thinking of other contemporary artists, such as the Dutch Ursus Wehrli’s “Tidying up art” projects.  Wehrli’s “tidying” of the materials and visual forms of modern art reflects a similar fascination with origins and psychological reversals.  A temporal idea of a turn in direction, and even an unscrewing, is pervasive in creative efforts to green our habits and safeguard our natural resources by taking a step backward to go forward.

  Human Versus Machine

  Webb notes that whereas electronics are simply either “on or off”, our human condition is a state of grey.”  People are much more complex since we can be just fractionally more or less alive.  Donning a bit of Arteco jewelry certainly seems to turn on the bad-ass Terminator cyborg or more friendly R2D2 robot inside of us.  Turn on, as in flipping a switch, is the right word to describe the kind of synergy implied by wearing on our bodies techie bits that were once plugged in, zapped, and otherwise activated.

  Webb’s description of his design in terms of biomechanics further reveals his humanism.  He likens the structured, regimented shapes of Art Deco, which he employs, to the steady heartbeat of the body.  He also relates the circuitry and creativity of the brain to the tech materials he manipulates, which, under magnification, reveal ever-expansive, geometric fractals.  A consideration of the physical relationship between living beings and machines is also evident in his observation on shelf life: “biological things wear out, mechanical things don’t.”

  Like Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka’s (1898-1980) paintings of machine-like babes of yesterday, Arteco engages in a new relationship to technology for T-Ec[h]-o-Chicks of today.

  - 1 day
  source: (Eco-Chick)
• Book Review: The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel
  

  These days, it can be dangerous to attempt to navigate the toxic waters of the beauty industry on your own. There’s trouble at every turn – neurotoxins, hormone disruptors and other baddies cloaked in innocuous-sounding alternate names abound in practically every product you pick up at the store. While some of us might have already memorized the list of dangerous ingredients to avoid in cosmetics and personal care products, not everyone has the time for such things. That’s one reason ‘The Green Beauty Guide’ by Julie Gabriel is a great companion to have when shopping.

  In every chapter you’ll also find her ‘green product guide’, where she names specific products and rates them with between one and three leaf icons to indicate how green/natural they are and gives a brief description of what’s in them and how well they work.

  Then there are all the recipes. Gabriel gives you the ultimate way to avoid all the nasty stuff that lurks in those store-bought bottles and jars: instructions for making your own products. She has provided recipes for practically everything you can think of, from natural sun protection oils to deodorizing foot spray.

  Here’s a sample:

  Manicure in a Jar

  ½ cup organic brown sugar
  ½ cup grape seed oil
  5 drops vanilla extract
  2 drops lavender essential oil
  1 drop sandalwood essential oil

  Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and transfer to a wide-necked jar so you can dip your fingers into the mix. Do just that: one by one, dip your fingertips into the jar, massaging the sugary mixture gently into cuticles and knuckles, wave hands gently to please your senses (the scent is lovely!), and briskly immerse your hands in warm water to remove excess oil.

  ‘The Green Beauty Guide’ is a fun-to-read, in-depth manual to selecting products and making your own. Gabriel doesn’t just tell you what to avoid and why – she tells you what to use instead and how to find it. It’s a worthy addition to your library, for sure.

  - 1 day
  source: (Eco-Chick)
• oh holey font.
  

  

  A Dutch Design firm, SPRANQ, have just released their new “ecofont” which is designed to use less ink when printed - up to 20% less, they claim on their website. The font is designed much like Swiss cheese, therefore not filling in the letters completely and keeping you some ink in your cartridge. So, just how much of a letter can be removed and still remain readable? Download the ecofont for free and check out for yourself.

  
  - 2 days
  source: (green is sexy)

January 04, 2009

• make yourself bed-er.
  

  
  New sheets are a fun indulgence and a practical gift for birthdays, weddings and other occasions. If you’re in the market for a new set, consider buying linens made from organic cotton. What’s all the fuss about organic cotton? Well, organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic farming replenishes and maintains soil fertility and reduces the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Cynical? You’re not the only one, which is why third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. When it comes to your bedding, the environment isn’t the only thing that benefits when you go organic. Organic sheets are hypoallergenic and absorb moisture from our bodies in a more efficient way than polyester products. Don’t forget, when you purchase organic products, you support the organic farming industry, which encourages agricultural methods that do not harm the environment. You also help to reduce the amount of potentially harmful chemical compounds in the air. Lastly, at the end of their life, organic materials decompose naturally back into the soil without leaving behind harmful toxins. Now that will give you a good’s night sleep.

  Photo by Liz Lawley.

  
  - 3 days
  source: (green is sexy)

January 03, 2009

• regift the wrapping.
  

  

  We’re officially post holidays! Which means for many of us, new gifts may have been welcomed our homes. Chances are, this means that their wrappings are probably somewhere near as well. This year, resolve to bite the bullet and set aside a little time to go through your wrappings and boxes and recycle or reuse what you can. Gift bags still in good shape? Set them aside for next year - or even use Santa again as a comical gesture to the holidays in July. Separate bows from wrapping paper, and wind up ribbon for crafts. You’ll make your next gifts to someone creative and your garbage can less empty.

  
  - 4 days
  source: (green is sexy)

January 02, 2009

• Dose of Reality: Happy New Year
  

  

  “The science is beyond dispute… Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response.”

  I never thought I’d see the day when the President of the USA would be considered “more green” than the prime minister of Canada. I’m happy to say, that I truly believe Obama is just that. (Although…to be fair - being “more green” then the Canadian government isn’t super hard right now.)

  The future looks mostly friendly with Obama on leading the way. Originally there was some skepticism over his support for “clean coal” support - but won the environmentalists back with his incredibly aggressive and undeniably ambitious plan for climate change and renewable energies. This plan focuses on an attempt to reduce 80 % emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 along side auctioning 100 % of the pollution permits. If he holds true to his plan it will also include a $150 billion investment for green jobs and clean energies.

  He is calling for 30% of all the government’s electricity to come from renewable energy within the next 11 years, and 25% of ALL U.S.A electricity to come from sustainable/renewable sources by 2025. All “new buildings” would be carbon neutral by 2030 and U.S oil consumption would drop by at least 35%. He opposes oil drilling in the Arctic, supports Nuclear energy (although doesn’t want it stuck under Yucca - but did accept $159 800 in contributions from Exelon) and supports labeling foods for GMOs and country-of-origin.

  So it looks as though that America is rolling into a new year with some bright light ahead of them. To the east Spain is putting forth intense efforts to start a competition for the biggest and baddest solar energy device this world can offer. They’re not even going to keep it to themselves, but have said that they will export the technology to places such as Algeria and Morocco.

  The 20MW solar tower is also a forerunner for an even more ambitious idea, one that Abascal [Abengoa’s CTO] hopes will become a standard for CSP plants in future — a 50MW version that could generate electricity around the clock. “During the day, you’d use 50% of your electricity to produce electricity and 50% to heat molten salt. During the night you use the molten salt to produce electricity.”

  Molten salt technology is in its early stages but Abengoa is testing the idea at a power plant in Granada. So far the company has demonstrated that it is possible to store up to eight hours of solar energy by heating tanks containing 28,000 tonnes of salt to more than 220C. “This will make it possible to have almost constant production or at least it will be able to produce energy for most of the day,” said Abascal.

  India is doing it’s part by introducing such technology as the solar rickshaw!

  The solar version reaches a pretty impressive speed of about 15 kilometres per hour and, fully-charged, the battery can keep going for 50-70 kilometres. The goal is to develop the current four Soleckshaws into more advanced models in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

  Hopefully these sorts of technologies will only keep going so that the everyday rickshaw driver can afford one. But for less costly environmental efforts we can turn to Japan where they’re using recycled bottles to save people’s lives.

  All over the world there are people devoting their lives, or simply just doing their best to help save the environment. I look forward to this new year, when I suspect that we’ll see many changes in America, Canada and all over the world. Although some of the governments may not have the best plans, at least they’re starting to have plans at all. And it’s going to take the effort, passion and devotion of every single person to see some major changes starting to take place.

  So Happy New Year! I hope this coming year brings you lots of green-filled surprises and cool new technologies for us all to try out. Throughout the year I’ll keep you updated on coral reefs, endangered species, deforestation, pollution and the hardships that people are facing because of global warming and other environmental disasters.

  “We are not acting as good stewards of God’s Earth when our bottom line puts the size of our profits before the future of our planet.”
  — Obama Oct. 14, 2007, in a speech at an interfaith forum on climate change

  - 4 days
  source: (Eco-Chick)
• GERMAN GREEN
  Are you starting the new year scheduling major events to attend? Don't miss Germany in that case! In July we already reported on fashion fair Premium that showed some major green influences. This must have been a great success since the next Premium will completely focus on sustainably produced fashion. With this strategy, the high level event shows that eco fashion has really come out of its dusty corner and is modern, trendy and stylish (from the 29th to the 31st of January in Berlin (http://www.premiumberlin.com/)) - 4 days
  source: (Eco Fashion World Main RSS Feed)
• Connecting with Nature through TreeYoga
  
  TreeYoga Inversions in Wimberley, Texas

  Husband and wife Hal Preussner and Debra Pruessner have taken yoga to new heights with the TreeYoga Multi-Sling (TYMS) and founding of TreeYoga.  An alternative to the posh treehouses by builder Roderick Romero ($50,000+) or the towering elevations of tree climbing, TreeYoga offers yogis a bare-bones, gentle arboreal experience.  The padded slings support practitioners to hang loose and find steady footing on tree trunks and the surrounding ground.

  As in the yoga posture (asana) of the Tree Pose (Vrksasana), TreeYoga beckons us to reflect upon a core principle of yoga — balance.  Like trees, yogis can now root themselves into the earth and extend gloriously up to the sky.  There is great beauty and playfulness in the flowering shapes of yogis sprouting from trees.

  <img class="size-medium wp-image-2051" title="sunstone_yoga_instructors" src="http://eco-chick.com/wp-content/sunstone_yoga_instructors-300x200.jpg" alt="Sunstone Yoga Instructors, Dallas, TX” width=”300″ height=”200″ />

  Sunstone Yoga Instructors, Dallas, TX

  Trees also offer a profound lesson in the quieting and stilling of the mind, another aim of yoga.  Contemporary spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle has described meditating on natural forms as a method to find presence: “Look at a tree, a flower, a plant.  Allow nature to teach you stillness.”  (Stillness Speaks, 2003, p. 5).  Indeed, it was beneath the sheltering Bodhi tree that, for Buddhists, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha (”the Enlightened one”).

  <img class="size-medium wp-image-2072" title="helen_debra_whiterock1" src="http://eco-chick.com/wp-content/helen_debra_whiterock1-300x279.jpg" alt="Core Strengthening Using TYMS. Helen Stutchbury, Yoga Instructor, and Debra Pruessner on an old oak tree at White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX.” width=”300″ height=”279″ />

  Core Strengthening Using TYMS. Helen Stutchbury, Yoga Instructor, and Debra Pruessner on an old oak tree at White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX

  Connecting with nature as a spiritual practice has implications for environmental consciousness and action.  TreeYoga has helped strengthen this link between earth-friendly living by taking the mat outdoors and into nature.  Tarzan would approve.

  <img class="size-medium wp-image-2075" title="debra_colorado1" src="http://eco-chick.com/wp-content/debra_colorado1-300x268.jpg" alt="Debra Pruessner, Estes Park, Colorado Yoga Journal Conference” width=”300″ height=”268″ />

  Debra Pruessner, Colorado Yoga Journal Conference, Estes Park

  Previously posted on mebegreen.

  - 4 days
  source: (Eco-Chick)

January 01, 2009

• a slimmer you!
  

  
  Did you know the average annual carbon footprint for Americans is 20 tons? Considering that Europeans average an annual 5 tons per person, that’s an awful lot. Regardless of where you live, make reducing your footprint one of your resolutions for the New Year. Want to get a grasp on your actual personal output? Use this handy calculator to add it all up. Figure out how to reduce that number by checking out our past, present and future tips. Happy New Year!

  
  - 6 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• Green Read
  

  Prodigal Summer

  

  Barbara Kingsolver’s fifth novel, Prodigal Summer, is a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself. Weaving together three different stories of people living amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia, Kingsolver makes connections between these seemingly unrelated people and to the surrounding nature they all share.

  The protagonists of Prodigal Summer — a farmer’s widow; a wildlife biologist; a retired farmer and his neighbor, the organic orchard owner — start to feel like old friends by the middle of the book, as do the animals and other creatures that scurry across each chapter. By the last page, Kingsolver has acquainted you not only with the humans of her story, but with moths, coyotes, snakes, birds, Chestnut trees, goats and more. Without losing her sense of humor or becoming overly preachy, Kingsolver takes on timely issues in Prodigal Summer, such as the ecological damage caused by herbicides, ethical questions about raising tobacco, and the endangered condition of subsistence farming.

  Married to a professor of environmental sciences herself, Kingsolver clearly loves nature and feels a responsibility to protect it. Each of her other wonderful novels prominently feature nature, animals or people in tune with the wilderness around them. Kingsolver also published an account of her family’s one-year mission to eat only local, seasonal food in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – another excellent read.

  Pick up Prodigal Summer and curl up to these wonderful characters as they navigate their way through one sunny and humid summer together. We bet you’ll be glad you did.

  Click the links to learn more about Barbara Kingsolver, or to read an excerpt from Prodigal Summer.

  
  - 6 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• Recipe of the Month
  

  Next Year’s Christmas Tree

  

  With the Holidays over and a new year beginning, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is next year’s Christmas tree. Well, you should! In the great tree debate between cut and artificial Christmas trees, the clear winner is potted, living trees that can be replanted in your yard or a community garden for a lifetime of providing oxygen, shade and a habitat for lots of critters. Consider potting a tree now for use next Christmas or even a few Christmases down the line if bigger is better to you. Don’t celebrate Christmas? We bet you know someone who does, and a homegrown potted tree would make an excellent gift next Holiday season. To grow your own tree, follow these simple instructions:

  1. Decide when you want to use your homegrown Christmas tree.
  If you want to use it next year or within the next five or ten years, you’ll need to hit a local nursery or garden store. The trained experts at your local store will be able to help you purchase a potted tree (roots still in tact, obviously) that will coexist peacefully in your climate. If you have ten or more years to watch a Christmas Tree grow, you may as well start from scratch. We love this Yule Tree-To-Be kit, but you could easily plant your own potted tree from a sapling purchased at a tree farm or at a nursery or garden store. While you’re shopping, be sure to ask the gardening folks to recommend the best soil for growing that particular species of tree in a container and buy a bag.

  2. Soak the roots.
  Whether using a wee little sapling or a tree with a few rings around its trunk, you’ll want to loosen the roots before planting. To do this, free the roots from any kind of wrapping (burlap, plastic, etc.). Soak the tree roots in a bucket of water for a few hours.

  3. Choose a container.
  If you’ve purchased a potted tree from a garden store, you probably don’t need to re-pot it, but if you’re starting your potted tree project from a sapling, make sure you choose a container big enough for the root system of the tree. The container should also have a good drainage system. This means you’ll want several drainage holes at the bottom of the container, To keep in soil, place a layer of mesh at the bottom of the container. Pour 1-2 inches of gravel into the bottom of the pot or container to help with drainage before adding soil.

  4. Add soil and tree.
  Using the store-bought soil recommended to you by the experts, gently fill in your container by loosely packing in the soil as you pour it in. Add enough soil so that when you set the bottom of the root ball down into the container, the roots have about 5 inches of soil beneath them. Continue to add soil, watering as you do so (to prevent air pockets) until the entire root ball is covered.

  5. Fertilize!
  Add a non-toxic, organic fertilizer to soil. We love the tree spikes from Terracycle.

  6. Love and nurture your tree.
  The last step is simple: love and nurture your potted tree. Keep it watered, but don’t overwater it. Keep the tree slightly elevated off the ground for proper drainage. Keep the tree outside (potted Christmas trees don’t do well if kept indoors for more than a week). If the weather conditions where you live are particularly harsh in winter, pull the potted tree into the garage or a shed for protection.

  Depending on the age and species of tree you’ve chosen to pot and grow, you could be decorating or gifting your Christmas tree next year! Regardless of how you feel about Christmas or the old real vs. fake debate, planting a new tree is never wrong. While you’re earning a green thumb, that tree is sucking up CO2 and pumping out oxygen. Start the new year off right with a new tree right in your very own back yard.

  
  - 6 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• Product of the Month
  

  Amazing Grass

  
  
  - 6 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• Spotlight of the Month
  

  There are a lot of un-sung heroes in the fight to protect our planet. Each month green is sexy shines a spotlight on one (using a CFL bulb, of course!).

  
  An avid outdoorsman, Ben Shors relaxes during a hike on Spencer’s Butte in Eugene, Oregon.

  For January, we caught up with Ben Shors, an assistant journalism professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. This year, Professor Shors did something a bit different in his lesson plan for his environmental journalism students. And it goes a little something like this….

  Tell us a bit about the Global Warming project.

  Ben: We didn’t set out to write the book on global warming. Rather, I wanted students to consider how such a massive and controversial topic might affect their lives – from the farm towns where they grew up to jobs they might someday hold in a green economy to a glass of wine on their dinner table. We partnered with the daily newspaper in Spokane, Washington, where City Editor Addy Hatch worked with the students to help develop and edit the stories.

  How did you conceive of the project idea?

  Ben: I wanted students to explore how science and public policy intersect. As journalists, we are particularly interested in how scientific research might be applied to the lives of “real people” — farmers, homeowners and taxpayers in the Northwest. The Spokesman-Review provided a great partner and access to readers.

  First, we started with a little basic research – though much less than I would have liked. As a class, we brainstormed story ideas and also possible ‘solutions’; by that I mean, we wanted to give readers places to go online or in their communities to get involved or informed.

  Based on their interests and ideas, students submitted story proposals. I rejected a few really well formed ideas that didn’t relate directly to our topic. But in the end, I think we came up with a pretty solid package of articles.

  It truly is a great spectrum of articles. Probably not too difficult to convince the editors at the Spokesman-Review to get involved?

  Ben: The Spokane paper quickly agreed to publish one story in print and the rest online. For decades, space in newspapers has been at a premium (witness the price of full-page ads in traditional papers.) But online, space comes cheap. We wanted to capitalize on that space and also use the connectivity of the paper’s Web site.

  In the past year, I’ve found newspapers quite willing to help young journalists develop. The staff of the Spokesman-Review, however, has been particularly great in working with our students.

  Why did you choose climate change?

  Ben: I wanted students to recognize that discussions like these are not entirely abstract. You can see the impacts, the innovations, even the controversy, right in your own region. And if you want to tackle a tough topic, you might as well wade in waist-deep, right?

  Right! Easy enough. So, what was the hardest thing about the project?

  Ben: Tackling a controversial topic can be very intimidating for students. Some take to it naturally; others worry about how their work will be perceived – no matter how well researched and accurate. Good journalism isn’t always well-received journalism. We aren’t trying to win a popularity contest. That’s a challenging mindset for students …

  And how did people respond?

  Ben: People expressed surprise at the quality and depth of the students’ work. The students showed great dedication, often traveling on their own dime to report the stories. That’s quite a commitment. For me, the most important measure is how students respond to a project – not the public.

  Do you think the project has made an impact?

  Ben: It’s tricky to worry about impact. Obviously, we want people to read the stories and consider the work. But it’s so difficult to measure that it can be counter-productive. We’re aware of a few discussions going on in communities, but our work ended when the stories are printed. Once that happens, it is what it is, right?

  Would you do a project like this again?

  Ben: I’d love to. I can see a slew of ways to improve the final project, but, again, for us, it’s more about the steps students take along the way. I care more that students develop research and critical-thinking skills; in that sense, the final product is secondary to the students’ progress.

  For more information on the global warming project, read it online. The project by WSU journalism students can be found on The Spokesman Review Online.
  

  
  - 6 days
  source: (green is sexy)

December 31, 2008

• Place of the Month
  

  The London Wetland Centre

  

  Despite the holiday frenzy and excitement of a new year on the doorstep, hibernation seems to top the list of winter activities. Though the weather outside is frightful there are a few places to go to get your heart pumping and reconnect with the world beyond the couch. This month green is sexy traded cabin fever for fresh air with a trip to an English wetland…and went no further than the city limits to find it.

  Nestled on the banks of the River Thames in Barnes, Southwest London is the world renowned London Wetlands Centre. Deemed “the best urban site in Europe to watch wildlife”, the centre spans over 100 acres and is home to hundreds of different birds including ducks, geese and swans. Add to that dragonflies and a multitude of amphibians and you’ve got a party. These occupants are indeed wild and come and go as they please (as evidenced by the kingfisher that followed us to the parking lot). But the conservation is set up with various observatories and hides spread throughout in order to catch more than a glimpse.

  

  There’s plenty to do here even on the coldest day. Sign up for a guided tour or just take yourself for a walk around ponds, meadows and pathways teeming with life. The centre offers introductory courses on bird watching if you want to find your inner twitcher and there’s plenty to occupy the little ones including a zip line, water tunnels, duck races and a climbing wall. There’s also a cinema on site, gift shop and a café complete with a view.

  Wetlands the world over are vanishing faster than any other ecosystem and already half of them have been lost completely. The WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) has set up nine different centers in England, North Ireland, Scotland and Wales to preserve this precious environment. If you want to get involved there are many opportunities to volunteer or you can even adopt a bird for yourself or as a gift. Currently the WWT are working to protect three endangered birds in the London centre – the mallard, the Icelandic Greylag Goose and the Greenland White Fronted Goose.

  So whether you stay for the day or sign on to be a lifetime member, your visit will help the WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) continue to save and protect the wetlands and inspire others to keep them alive and thriving.

  For more info go to www.wwt.org.uk.

  
  - 7 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• be pro-choice.
  

  
  The choice is yours – literally. Being green isn’t about driving a hybrid or installing solar panels on your roof – it’s about all the small choices you make each day to reduce your waste and consumption of the Earth’s natural resources. Instead of the pre-cut and washed broccoli in the bag, maybe you’ll reach for the whole vegetable instead. Rather than heading to that far-off restaurant, you’ll keep it local to save gas. When stocking up on breakfast bars for the work week, you’ll buy the individual bars instead of the ones that come individually wrapped and in a box. While waiting for an oil change, you’ll turn down that just-because-you’re-bored cup of coffee when you see only Styrofoam cups. You’ll buy the mustard in the glass jar instead of the plastic bottle. You’ll put off replacing your perfectly good couch another year. You’ll bring a plant, instead of flowers to your friend’s housewarming. The list is endless! Once you begin to think this way, you’ll find that your brain will begin to continuously weigh your options. With a little thought and a little know-how, you’ll be seeing green in no time!

  
  - 7 days
  source: (green is sexy)
• New Year’s 2009 GreenSolutions
  

  Editor’s Note: This year I asked all the Eco Chick contributors to send me their New Year’s Resolutions, and they really impressed me with their plans! I bet you will be too- interesting to note the similarities (reducing plastic, teaching kids about environmentalism, cooking more) from all these writers, and the differences. I’ve noted where everyone lives so you can get an idea of where these Greensolutions are coming from.

  We’d love to hear your Greensolutions! Leave them in the comment box to solidify your plans and inspire others!

  
  Kim Jordan Allen, Connecticut, rural/small town
  
  Teach my children about personal responsibility and the environment: using minimal amounts of water (my son just learned to wash his hands and wants to stand at the bathroom sink as long as possible with the water running, so that is a great opportunity to teach,) recycling, caring for plants and animals, and generally enjoying nature.
  
  Spend Less Money: in general, as we know, spending less minimizes one’s carbon footprint. With times being what they are, there is great incentive to grow it, make it, recycle/reuse it, sew it, or fix it. In our house, with kids, food is usually the biggest expense. Buying organic and local can be pricey sometimes, so focusing on not wasting anything and utilizing every crumb is my goal.
  
  Clear out all the old piles of random odds and ends that need to be disposed of: plastics, batteries, CFL’s, cell phones, and other household waste. Earth911.org is my savior for this stuff.

  Eat as little processed food as possible and eat local: To avoid those sneaky ingredients that seem to be in everything, like corn syrup, soy lecithin, whey powder, etc. I am trying to cook my heart out and buy less boxed goods.

  
  Melissa Goldberg, New Jersey suburbs

  Reduce my family’s waste — In my household we recycle everything and anything that can be. This year I would like to move that one step forward and rather then recycling more, I would like to reduce the amount of waste that my family generates.

  Jar and freeze more food for the winter months — This past summer our garden was abundant with veggies. With our CSA and garden we were giving food away. This summer I plan and learning more about storing my food for the winter months so we have a freezer full of great veggies rather then depending on what is available in the market.
  
  Help get my community on the road to sustainability — For the past year, myself along with 10 other members of my community were part of a Sustainable Task Force where we created a road map of what we think our town needs to do become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint. In 2009, we hope to move this along by putting the suggested tactics into action.
  
  Make my house more energy efficient — Built in 1955, our home has many places where we loose heat especially our front door. I would like to upgrade our front door reducing the draft and saving energy.
  
  Teach children the importance of helping our environment — I would like to create a program in my son’s school to teach the children the little things they can do to help our environment. It is hard to teach the parents so let the kids do it for me!

  
  Alicia Lubowski, New York City
  
  To Connect With Nature: Since I am a city dweller, it is easy to feel disconnected from nature. Sometimes, for example, I long to see a full starry night sky and not what I think looks like a star, but is actually an airplane or some other unidentified flying object! I intend to be more thankful for the land, the seasons, and natural resources that enliven and sustain the urban environment and to relish thoroughly those sublime windows onto nature’s majesty.
  
  To Smile at The Morning Glory: I am kind of a vampire and so a big item on my agenda is to become more of a morning person. For those who know me, this statement might make them laugh in disbelief or take bets on my feeble willpower. I’d like to wake up at dawn to watch the sunrise and shift to the new solar surprises and rhythms of that time and space.
  
  To Do Without Have To: I’d like to cultivate more contentment, playfulness, and appreciation for doing things that sometimes feel like a push, a “have to”, a rule, and a burden. I want to work on expressing sincere gratitude, freedom, and enthusiasm rather than acting from feeling like I “have to”, be it a deadline, a moral judgment, or a routine schedule. I am thankful for increasingly greening my life, which gives me a chance to exercise living with conscious intention, community, and joy.

  To Sweep Away the Plastic: I’d like to continue to eliminate conventional plastics and try harder to get rid of the sneaky ones that show up encasing natural toothbrushes and other well-intentioned sustainable purchases.
  
  To Forge New Paths: While the economy going down the drain makes this a very difficult time, I hope 2009 will generate new beginnings full of inspiration, hopefulness, and unimagined promise.

  
  
  Ann Benoit, Berkeley, California
  
  1. Avoid buying any new books until i check my local library to see if they have a copy. If they don’t have a copy, I can check to see if they will order it. Donate any books + magazines that I own but don’t use to libraries or other local organizations.

  2. Use my bike and walking to run more errands on the weekends
  
  3. Make a more conscious effort to conserve energy in my apartment
  
  4. Consume less! If this economy has taught me anything, its that I don’t need to buy as much. Using what I already have in new ways is a lot less wasteful and a lot more fun!

  
  Danelle Brown, New York City
  
  Prepare more meals and reduce on takeout- Not only is this resolution healthier for me, its economical, and reduces the waste that is generated by takeout containers.

  Refill my printer’s ink cartridges verses purchasing new ones- I used to just drop off my empty ink cartridges to Staples, have them recycle them and purchase new ones. About a month ago, I walked by a local store that refills all HP & Epson Ink cartridges and it’s about time I walk in.

  Educate, inspire and strengthen women’s confidence and awareness of our bodies’ natural abilities, strength and amazement. More and more, women are becoming disconnected to their bodies. With the addition of common medicine, pills, surgeries, products, media and many others causes, the sacred functions and natural beauty that lives within every woman is slowly slipping away.

  
  Stephanie Rogers, North Carolina

  Expand my organic garden and use water from a rainbarrel as much as possible. I grew veggies for the first time last year and this year, I plan to grow even more, but I’m going to do everything I can to use water wisely. I’m going to make my own soaker hoses as well.

  Buy more food in bulk to reduce packaging, save money and lessen my dependence on packaged foods. Staples like flour, sugar, dried beans, rice, nuts and pasta are available in big bins at my local health food store and I plan to use these as well as the food I grow myself as the basis of my diet.
  
  Get more involved in my community. I hope to join green efforts in my area, get to know more people, and eat and shop local even more than I already do. I love Western North Carolina so much and as a transplant I feel like I need to earn my place here and give back a little.

  
  Courtney Tenz, Cologne, Germany

  My hubby and I have already done a lot to keep our carbon footprint as close to one earth as we can (from going completely carless for the last three years to sharing our four walls with neighbors to help keep energy usage low) but this year we’re trying to move beyond thoughts of pollution control and more into the realms of lowering our already low consumption. So here’s what I’m attempting to do in 2009 to keep from adding to our overflowing landfills:
  
  1. Plant a veggie and flower garden. Schrebergartens are all the rage in Germany and this year, we plan to get our hands on one. Small plots of land, these gardens were introduced post-war to keep people from starving and the tradition of growing your own food remains strong (seriously strong, as the only way to get one is to find someone who’s no longer able to care for it). Since we live in the most populated part of the country, land space for home gardens is rare and the balcony doesn’t quite cut it if you want to grow more than tomatoes and herbs so we’ve got the word out that we’re on the hunt for a
  garden to call our own … and when we get our hands on one of these, we promise to share all the space with our friends. Nothing says loving like a pumpkin patch of your own!
  
  2. Make my own things … from duvet covers to curtains to pillow covers. I may have nearly failed home ec but the rule I’ve set is that in redecorating my house this year, I’ve got to do the textiles all on
  my own. That way I know no sweatshop was used, no crazy chemicals were sprayed on my bedsheets, and best of all, I won’t be throwing away any packaging.

  3. Which brings me to: Banishing plastic permanently from my life. I’ve got glass jars instead of plastic tossaways, porcelain instead of plastic platters, and I always use canvas bags. Still, my plastic
  garbage pile keeps getting higher (here we have to sort it out to be burned – my worst nightmare but not unusual) because of all the packaging. So this year, I’m searching for the brands that believe in
  sustainable packaging and not buying those individual-wrapped cookies and chocolates that I don’t need anyway. And I’m getting my hands on a reusable water bottle.

  4. I’ll also be skipping some of my previous indulgences this year by eating less soy, sugar, and chocolate. I may be vegan but a vegan who substitutes meat with soy schnitzels and soy nuggets and soy milk and soy yadda-yadda is not necessarily doing better for the environment. So I’m going back to basics in my cooking and ditching the replacements. Who needs a soy burger when you can have an mushroom one? And sugar and chocolate, well, I could go on and on about why they’re bad for the earth but I’ll be more vain here and just say my body could seriously do without so much of it.

  
  Starre Vartan, Connecticut urban suburbs

  Dance More: I love to dance, it doesn’t cost much, and it makes me piles happier than a bunch of new stuff (yes, even more than new shoes!) I’ve always tried to get into meditating every day- my new rule is that I either have to dance OR meditate every day- I think I can do this!

  Work Less: I’ve become something I never thought possible in my slacker youth- a total workaholic. I LOVE what I do, but I’ve gotta cut back- it’s aging me!

  Swim More: If asked to list my top 10 favorite things to do in life, swimming would come in at 3 or 4 (with dancing taking the other spot)- I will swim in almost anything and am planning on topping last year’s list of new swimming explorations. Also, I’m going to get a super-comfy, flattering, eco bathingsuit that I LOVE! Yes, I will share my search with all you lovely readers.

  Do Less of the Stuff I Don’t Like and More of The Stuff I LOVE: Which encompasses all of the above….and more!

  - 7 days
  source: (Eco-Chick)
• Celebrate New Year’s, 2008 at Greenhouse
  

  For those looking to add a dash of green to their winter holiday partying, the Greenhouse in New York City is throwing a New Year’s Eve bash!  The L.E.E.D. registered nightclub and event space is manufactured from recycled and recycleable materials and was conceived as the first eco-friendly party spot by its owner Jon Bakhshi.  High efficiency heating, LED lighting, green living wall panels as well as bamboo and FSC-certified wood flooring and wall paneling have been incorporated into the club’s design.  The dramatic decor of the bi-level 6,000 square foot club also includes bars made of recycled glass, which display panoramic landscapes, and a streaming chandelier composed of 5,0000 crystals.  

  The club staff wear togs by the organic clothing brand Edun (founded by Ali Hewson and Bono) and attention has been paid to equip the space with eco-friendly brand products (including bathrooms stocked with Kiehl’s Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Soap).  The Greenhouse even participates in a carbon offsetting program to counterbalance the energy used during its construction and operation.

  Other events around town, like the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run [yup, that is what it is called] or Jivamukti’s 20th Annual New Year’s Celebration, also offer healthy options to go out and play while still staying grounded and contemplative.  New Year’s Eve is a special time to set intentions for the future and close the past all the while reflecting on where we are in the present moment.  It’s not often that we are so conscious of the day, hour, minutes, and even seconds as we collectively count down around the globe from 10 to 1.

  New Year’s ‘09 at Greenhouse

  General Admission $125
  Seated VIP $185
  Ultra VIP $215
  Platinum VIP $250
  After 12:30 General Admission $40

  For More on the New Year’s Options at Greenhouse, go to the next page.
  

  General Admission:
  6 Hour Premium Open Bar 9pm-3am
  Midnight Champagne Toast
  Featuring a World-Renowned DJ
  Party Favors
  Complimentary admission to “The Official After Party for NYE-09″ starting at 3am. Party locations to be announced. Ticket value $35, Free for our guests with your NYE ticket stub!
  Come early and help reduce wait time
  Coat Check (provided by and responsibility of venue - additional charge)

   

  Seated VIP
  Includes All General Admission Benefits
  Enjoy reserved nightclub seating while GA ticket holders stand
  Each Seated VIP shall have a reserved seat for the entire event
  Only persons holding Seated VIP tickets can use reserved seating
  Seated VIP tickets accommodate individuals and any size group (pending availability)
  VIP Priority Admission on separate VIP Line
  Complimentary admission to “The Official After Party for NYE-09″ starting at 3am. Party locations to be announced. Ticket value $35, Free for our guests with your NYE ticket stub!

   

  Platinum VIP: 
  Includes All General Admission Benefits
  Enjoy reserved nightclub table seating while GA ticket holders stand
  Cocktail service at your table will be provided (pending availability)
  Bottle Service and mixers at your table depending on group size with a maximum of 3 bottles of vodka and 2 bottle of champange (more info to come)
  Bottle Service Gratuity is a mandatory charge paid to the venue on the night of the event. It is NOT included in the ticket price.
  Each guest at a Platinum VIP table must be a Platinum VIP ticket holder
  VIP Priority Admission on separate VIP Line
  Complimentary admission to “The Official After Party for NYE-09″ starting at 3am. Party locations to be announced. Ticket value $35, Free for our guests with your NYE ticket stub!
  If you do not see a table size that suits your group, call for more information.

   

  After 12:30 General Admission
  Featuring a World-Renowned DJ
  Complimentary admission to “The Official After Party for NYE-09″ starting at 3am. Party locations to be announced. Ticket value $35, Free for our guests with your NYE ticket stub!

  - 7 days
  source: (Eco-Chick)