Eco-Chick

What do DuPont, National Resource Defense Council, and Lehmen Brothers have in common? Normally not too much…but now they make up 3 of the 14 member strong US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), launched in January of this year. The Partnership was formed to address global warming and emissions where the Feds are not.

The US produces an estimated one quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases, but has failed to sign the Kyoto protocol, and has done little in the last 6 years, at the Federal level, to further regulate emissions.

The Partnership has produced a report “A Call for Action” that proposes an economically based plan to address emissions, especially carbon emissions. They have some comprehensive goals for emission reduction that include mandatory caps on emission, an aggressive approach not echoed in the White House.

The launch of this group is another encouraging step in a series of moves Big Business is making nation-wide to take climate change and global warming seriously, and propose to do something about it. Whether moves such as these are stunts to benefit some economic scheme or are legitimately concern for, and action to improve, the environment, is a question, but the results have the potential to benefit the planet.

This doesn’t relate directly to eco-topics, but Jennifer Margulis continues to publish excellent accounts of her family’s experiences in Niger. This is her latest from Sunday’s Washington Post.

Writing about the choice to raise her kids in a developing country, she says, “I am doing everything in my power to keep them from harm. But I know that limiting their world to sanitized America is not the right way to protect them.”

It’s worth noting that I first met Jennifer when I was a confused and sheltered undergraduate at UMass-Amherst. Hers was the lone voice that encouraged me to drop out of business school, bike solo through France, and go to West Africa. She’s also the reason that I now compost, live within walking distance of where I work, and never eat fast food. I sometimes despair that we live in a culture that celebrates mediocrity (one of the disadvantages of democracy, I guess), so it reassures me to see work like Jennifer’s in the mainstream media.

By Guest-Blogger Brian Howard

In his 2007 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush told Congress and the country that “nothing is more important at this moment in our history than for America to succeed in the Middle East, to succeed in Iraq and to spare the American people from this danger.” He missed the mark. The most serious threat to the American people, let alone millions of others around the world, is the looming specter of global warming.

The President at least mentioned this colossal threat, demarcating a significant improvement from past speeches. But global warming demands far more than a name drop and simplistic hope for new corrective technology. We need decisive leadership and aggressive solutions on a scale akin to the gear-up to win World War II. The stakes are the rights of the next generation to a safe, fertile world.

As well-known Australian scientist Tim Flannery makes clear in his recent book The Weather Makers, global warming, in combination with the profound way human beings have already altered the planet, threatens the existence of as many as half of living species. Because ecosystems are so interdependent, this means the very living fabric of the Earth is in peril. At the same time, devastating storms will be more frequent and severe, and droughts and floods will breed famine.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m loving that Chopper Couture has cooked up these very LA/Las Vegas tees, longsleeves and sweatpant sets made of bamboo, lyocell, and dyed using PVC and pthalate-free inks. I don’t know if I’m into the matching tops and bottoms, but it’s great to see different styles of clothing being made with planet-friendly fabrics (Chopper Couture is also 100% Fair Trade). I can see Britney, Jessica, or Angelina wearing one of these tees with some ridiculously large sunglasses, can’t you?

Via: Remy C.

Illustration exclusively for Eco Chick by Greg Grigoriou

TEXT by guest-blogger Greg Grigoriou

When I set out to look for my next car, i had a feeling the list would be short. A born again friend of the Earth, I knew that I would be relegated to a cute little Prius, or a fairly powerless Toyota Camry Hybrid. Now don’t get me wrong, those cars are tremendous technological achievements, with nearly zippo emissions and high mpg. But why do I have to drive Miss Daisy just because i want to spare the planet?

Then i checked out Honda and found my next car.

The Honda Accord Hybrid is the first car I’ve found that offers scintilating performance in tandem with near zero emissions (its a PZEV, a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle). Granted there are some pretty amazing hybrid offerings from Lexus, but unless you are in the 100k income bracket the closest you’ll get to sitting in one of those is at an auto show.

The numbers, for those of you who care for bragging rights, are downright gaudy for a working class car:

-0-60 in 6.7 seconds, about the same as an Audi A4
-253 hp, 23 more than a BMW 328i.
-35 highway mpg /28 city mpg. (15 percent more fuel efficient than a Volkswagon Jetta.)

Unlike other hybrids (cough cough Prius) which claim mpg’s of 50 and 60, but in reality only deliver in the low 40s, this car actually meets its expectations. And the warranty is just as impressive as the engine: 8 years on battery components, and a 15 year warranty on emissions control components.

The car has only a few annoying quirks. For example, the rear seat doesn’t fold down, which is frustrating considering the car is a midsize sedan (the battery blocks access to the trunk). So I guess I’ll get some weird stares when I have my hockey sticks stored on a roof rack. And then there’s the price. Don’t get me wrong– you definitely get what you pay for with this car– but it’s still over 30 grand, putting it in the same class as the more prestigious 3-series BMW, or Audi A4. If you’re trying to impress your clients, this car probably isnt the way to go. I also think the sales of this car would have benefitted from more stylish design cues to separate it from the regular gas engine counterpart.

The Accord hybrid won’t save you as much money at the pump as other hybrids, but you still get the same nearly zero emission effect while idling or driving at lower speeds. There is a subtlety of engineering at work too; unlike the Prius, which turns its engine off completely when the battery kicks in, the Accord drives just like a regular gas-powered car with the assistance of battery power. No whirring, or fancy dashboard graphics to advertising your tree hugging greatness to the world. In fact other than the hybrid logo, this car is one stealthy green machine.

Honda has done right by car afficiados and environmentalists alike, and once again proves itself to be a leader in automotive inginuity.

As an artist, finding new places to obtain cheap and interesting materials is always a challenge. Fortunately creative reuse centers are a great way to find inspiration while giving old materials new life. The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse on the Oakland/Berkeley border is a nonprofit corporation “devoted to getting people to reuse materials.”

The East Bay Depot has paper, art supplies, posters, fabric, sewing/knitting gear, teaching materials, books, magazines, candles, greeting cards, foamcore, masonite, chalk/cork boards, pens, pencils, markers, audio tapes, CD cases, shoe boxes, video tapes, glass jars, film canisters, lab glass, mosiac tiles, paint samples, carpet samples, maps, blueprints, x-rays, envelopes, trophies, frames, artwork, toys, puzzles, games, office supplies, binders, rubber bands, traffic light lenses, slides, found photos, paint, glue, printmaking supplies, rubber stamps, beads, jewelry, faux flowers, brick-a-brack, and collectible do-dads galore. This and so much more, with new items coming in every day. 

Similar creative reuse centers that are open to the public (many are only open to schools and non-profits) can be found scattered across the country: Scroungers Center For Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP) in San Francisco, the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts (M.E.C.C.) in Oregon, School and Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP) in Portland, Hudson Valley Materials Exchange in New York and the Creative Reuse Warehouse in Chicago.

Most creative reuse centers also sponsor special art events and educational outreach programs designed to teach kids (and the community) about the importance of reuse. These centers are not only a great place to buy supplies, but a great place to donate (instead of throw out) any kind of art supply or material you could imagine.

Click above to see the Hippy Gourmet make a vegan sushi roll

Even though I don’t seem to have much time to cook, I somehow have enough time to watch other people cook, and the Hippy Gourmet (PBS, check local listings for airtimes) is right up my alley. Chef Bruce Brennan is a tie-dye clad, bearded, and beret-wearing old-school hippie, who uses his hands as mixing paddles and is about as unpretentious as you can get. He advocates local and sustainable agriculture, organic foods, and responsible consumption, along with a healthy dose of hippie-goofiness (lots of swirly graphics and jokes only a stoner could love).

There’s lots of great recipes and videos on YouTube (I can’t show them all here, you have to go to YouTube and search under Hippy Gourmet). Chef Hippy (Brennan) also travels around the country to report on food and environmental stories and has guest Chefs on the program. If you are really into the show, you can order DVDs of the episodes that interest you, all of which come in hemp plastic DVD cases. How….hippie! Oh, and there’s a Hippy Gourmet blog, too!

Click above to watch the Hippy Gourmet make mango-papaya salsa

The Green is spreading!

First up is Kiwi- maybe those with kids have already heard of this great magazine centered around healthy and green living for parents (it seems to have been out for about 6 months now), but I just came across my first issue. Kiwi is super-informative, with lots of user-friendly articles centering on kids of all ages. The latest issue features articles about green baby shower gifts, responsible vacations for kids and their parents, safe bath products for children and babies, and a long, detailed feature piece on how to put together a greener home. If you know a parent who’s really trying to go green but needs a guide, this magazine is an ideal resource.

Business Week’s cover story for January 29, 2007 is “Beyond the Green Corporation - Imagine a world in which eco-friendly and socially reponsible practices actually help a company’s bottom line. It’s closer than you think.” Along with the main article, which, Business Week style, mentions lots of Fortune 500 companies and shows how their efforts to go green are actually tied to their bottom line (aka making money) in important ways, there are quite a few sidebars. Toyota is featured in one, Wal-Mart in another, and GlaxoSmithKline in a third. There’s also a rather boring-looking graph on “Who’s Doing Well by Doing Good”, which details exactly how leaders in various industries are green, have progressive human capital programs, or earn top marks in other areas of corporate responsibility. (There’s also a small chart below that one, titled “Some Laggards” (nice word choice!), which includes brief critiques of General Motors, Nintendo, and Wal-Mart.)

Take-home quote: “You can’t ignore the impact your company has on the community and environment. In the future, it will be the only way to do business.” - Unilever’s CEO Patrick Cescau

Speaking of business, Pink is a newer magazine that caters to the serious working woman, with the Type-A tagline: A beautiful career, a beatiful life. Inside are articles about inspiring businesswomen, why flying private planes is worth the expense, and tips on mentoring younger women. Aside from the egregious and disturbing article promoting private planes (as if flying on a plane with other people doesn’t already produce a ridiculous amount of CO2), the January issue also has a short piece on “3 Ways to Go Green in 2007″ from Idealbite.com. Their suggestions: Recycle old computers, receive faxes electronically, and bring some plants and air filters into the office. Well, at least they’re trying…..

Back in the beginning of December, I mentioned that a new online-only wedding magazine would be debuting in January. Well, Portovert is up and running, and it looks like they have some great content going on in their premiere issue!

If you are getting married, or know someone who is, check it out as there are some great features, like “5 Ways to Be Greener” during your nuptuals, and “Perfectly Zen” with tips for stress reducers prior to the Big Day. And don’t forget to check out their resources page, which they’ll be adding to as time goes on.

I attended the magazine’s launch party last week and there was all sorts of mainstream media there covering it (and eating awesome organic munchies, along with organic wine and vodka- Yum!). The wedding industry is so insanely waste-producing in so many ways that it’s great to see a publication dedicated to going green. Just think, if your average to-be-married couple just did half their wedding in an eco-concious way I’m sure they would save money (I say spend it on the Honeymoon!) and use fewer resources.

My Top 5 Wedding Planet- and Pocket- Savers

1. Request stuff you actually need and will use for wedding presents (duh!). If you are requesting linens, go organic (there are soooo many companies that offer organic sheets and towels now, in gorgeous colors and prints that rival anything you’d find in a department store or Pottery Barn). If you do need cookware, go for the good stuff that will last you a lifetime (I’m still using pots my grandmother got at her second wedding in the 60’s). If you are already pretty set with stuff, ask friends to give to your favorite charity/animal advocacy group/women’s shelter/environmental organization.

2. If you travel for your Honeymoon, buy carbon offsets for your plane trip (Mental note: that would be a great gift!) and stay at one of the many eco-lodges around the world. A honeymoon is a great excuse to go somewhere exotic….just don’t get so blissed out with your honey that your forget the gorgeous planet that you’re enjoying!

3. Consider only serving organic food or organic alcohol at your reception. If you can afford it, do both. If you have a summer or fall wedding, you should be able to find the bulk of the food at the farmer’s market. Going local will be delicious, cheaper, healthier and better for the planet. Using locally-grown flowers to decorate is also cheaper and Earth-friendly.

4. Skip the goody bags filled with junk-nobody needs. it. Or try giving away seed packets or soap– something that won’t end up in a landfill.

5. If you are going to get a diamond ring and gold or platinum band, look for certified non-conflict gems (ask the jeweler to see the paperwork, they’re obliged to show them to you) and recycled metals, or better yet, go vintage! (For Eco Chick’s coverage of diamonds, click here and here.)

For any Michael Franti fans, I just saw that he’s hosting a contest that challenges people to write a letter to the President. The carrot is a pair of tickets to an upcoming show and the opportunity to read your letter on stage before Spearhead’s set. I just finished a letter telling the President that if he’s going to continue to put people through the meat grinder in Iraq, then he needs to institute a draft (ladies, too; it’s only fair). This should have been done long ago. Is it really right that the war has such a minimal effect on the day-to-day lives of most Americans while soldiers are being sent back for two, three, or four tours? When your number gets called, you get clued in real fast, which, I imagine, is part of why the Bush administration will never resort to selective service. Just keep us fat and happy, you know?

I also wrote to say that there should be a series of free, public, live televised debates in Washington D.C. this spring and summer. Last August, President Ahmadinejad of Iran challenged George Bush to a debate saying, “The debate should be uncensored in order for the American people to be able to listen to what we say.” The White House dismissed it as a “diversion” intended to distract Americans from Iran’s nuclear program. (How would listening to a debate about Iran’s nuclear program distract us any more than not knowing anything about it?) Personally, I’d love to see President Bush debate President Ahmadinejad. I’d also like to see him debate Hugo Chavez, Castro, and others, but only if he would agree to take the battery pack out of his back. It would be like reality politics and I’d hitchhike back east in order to see it. Since Bush’s (few remaining) proponents liken him to Abraham Lincoln, let’s revive the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Anyway, back to Franti. The more I hear of Franti’s music, the more I respect his work. In 2005, Franti went to Baghdad, Israel, and Palestine to see first-hand what’s going on. The result is a documentary film, “I Know I’m Not Alone,” and the recent album, “Yell Fire!” (Franti isn’t as competent a filmmaker as he is a musician, but it doesn’t really matter.) At one point, he asks his guide and driver, Maher, “What about the pollution? The air is so heavy here,” to which Maher replies, “Who the hell cares about pollution?”

Touche. War and environmental degradation make unfortunate bedfellows.