Welcome to the 15th edition of the Carnival of the Green: your one-stop shop for green blogging. This is the hip & zen pen, a blog off-shoot of hip & zen, an online store that sells products with a modern aesthetic, that support a progressive ethos. We like to prove that you can can do business and still do good.
Speaking of Doing Business & Doing Good: Of course hip & zen isn't the only store or service out there trying to do business and do good. Some of our Carnival submissions are about that very topic...or sometimes about efforts to gently prod companies in that direction:
GreenBloggers all know Green LA Girl (along with CityHippy) has led the charge to do just that with Starbucks. This week's Carnival of the Green submissions consists of two posts, outlining how Starbucks is trying to avoid adhering to outside definitions of fair trade, by creating their own. Part I introduces us to Starbuck's CAFE practices. (And casts a skeptical eye on the language contained therein.) Part II further explores the hypocrisy behind Starbuck's approach to the issue...and exposes how their first response to consumers asking about it is a lie. In other words: you've got to know they're lying to get them to stop lying to you. Following the Starbucks Challenge is an interesting way to see that grassroots action is a long-term commitment and occasionally a long, hard slog.
Enrique from commonground notes that at least some sources think that small-scale farming is making a comeback. Too bad the Dirty Greek has a post that explores how massive corporations are seeking to consolidate their control over more steps along the supply chain, making it harder for such farmers to exist!
My co-author and hip & zen proprietor Karen is very interested in new, green housing solutions. She's pointed us to more than one kind of eco-friendly pre-fab option. So I know Karen will particularly appreciate greener magazine's look at the Katrina Cottage, which is designed to bring a sense of normalcy and comfort to its occupants.
Perhaps a comforting thing for those of us trying to live as ethical consumers is that there are now enough companies doing business and doing good that bloggers can do product comparison!
CityHippy compares eco-friendly deodorants! Or as they more cleverly call them: eco-B.O.-busters! I am paying particular attention because I don't think my Tom's of Maine really is that great.
greatgreengoods points us to not one, not three but ten products derived from recycled auto tires. Seriously cool and seriously green.
And it might be a little late for Valentine's Day, but I personally believe romance shouldn't be confined to one day per year...so go on over to the greener side and learn about green chocolates (a very comprehensive comparative chart on organic chocolates) and green sex toys. Yes, you heard me. And it shouldn't be shocking, since we've written about hip & zen sex here before!
In case you're overwhelmed by all the shopping, green or not, the greener side has it both ways by pointing us to a new movement in San Francisco: a compact to buy nothing new, unless it's for food, health or safety. Awesome idea? Too much? What do you think?
Speaking of health: The Savvy Vegetarian brings us the story of one man, and what a new vegetarian diet did for his health. Not overly surprising, despite recent questions about low-fat diets.
Talking 'Bout the Weather: Oh, sure, we're supposed to talk about the weather when meeting new people...innocuous subject , right? Wrong. Some of our green bloggers are making the case that we are seeing evidence of global warming and climate change, and some of the commenters don't like it:
Jason from The Anthropik Network has a cheery post entitled: The Mid-Apocalypse Review, 2005-2006 Winter. My favorite line may actually be one Jason utters in the comments:
No, I'm expecting Pennsylvania to be more like the Carolinas. Don't get too attached to the South, though...
And Jason isn't the only one concerned about the eventual erosion of the polar bear habitat...so is The Disillusioned Kid. Who wonders aloud whether the Bush Administration's impending review of whether the polar bear should be designated as an Endangered Species is an indication that they may finally be realizing climate change is real.
UPDATED: I should have included this post from The Blue Voice, also about the plight of the polar bears.
Might As Well Face It: We're Addicted To Oil: Yes, that was the message from Dubya's SOTU speech, which was ironic to many folks, given his big oil man background. And GreenBloggers react:
baloghblog writes a lengthy and instructive post, Beyond Panic, Peak Oil Revisited, sharing the ebb and flow of feelings about the future: urgency, panic, preparation, depression, resignation, revival, action. It might be a bleak picture being painted at times, but there is also practical advice.
You may have heard about Sweden's vow to wean themselves from oil...without increasing nuclear production. It's gotten some GreenBlogLove, from commonground, from BlogHer (and when I say love, I mean love.)
And CamdenLady so loves the idea she writes this extensive post about how the UK could follow suit.
And I'm sure it would get some GreenBlogLove from Dee of Dee's 'Dotes, given her current activism against nuclear waste disposal in her state of Utah.
Perhaps Sweden should follow sustainablog's link to a recent prize-winning solar collection solution, invented by a University of Wisconsin undergrad student.
Finally, Lee, from Exuberant Pantaphobia, laments the fact that an influential eco-driven producer at the Discovery Channel is moving on, and wonders who will make sure the program The Daily Planet remains as impressive as it has been. Finding the silver lining, Lee lets us know that said producer will still send pieces to The Daily Planet, and lets us know what all the fuss is about by linking to almost a dozen clips. So, enjoy the video and enjoy the fact that people out there exist who spread the word about green living, environmental issues, fair trade, sustainability, vegetarianism and a host of other important subjects.
That's it. We're taking the big tent down. Thanks for stopping by. If this has merely whetted your appetite for more Carnival of the Green, you can still:
Visit last week's Carnival at GroovyGreen.
Check out next week's Carnival at The Naked Vegetarian.
And if you're feeling the hankering to participate, then check out the Carnival Founders for more info:
CityHippy
TriplePundit
And if even that isn't enough for you, you can find all sorts of other carnivals at:
Truth Laid Bear
BlogCarnival.com
Ciao!
Nicely done, Elisa!
Posted by: Jeff at sustainablog | February 20, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Great Carnival edition, they just keep getting greener and greener. Thanks Elisa and crew.
Like the Worker Bees at Hip & Zen we're also interested in CityHippy's "eco-B.O.-busters" bit (naked in the office is nice as long as the as you keep B.O. on ice.) We found this crystal clear "Spray Mist" from TCCD International in Pampano Beach. Main benefits: contains no animal products nor do they test on animals, colorless, oderless and, the entire container is recyclable, pump and all. Works great so far - course, haven't hit our tropical season yet so... to be continued.
Posted by: Harlan | February 20, 2006 at 12:16 PM
Good job mon ami...great carnival...
Namaste
Al
Posted by: cityhippy | February 20, 2006 at 02:14 PM