greenlagirl's blog

Cheap, easy and green: Keep your electronics efficient

2009-11-07T21:43:36-06:00

When shopping for electronics, we tend to be swayed by the the initial sticker price without looking at long-term costs -- both for our wallets and for the planet. Try these tips to save your hard-earned money while feeling good about reducing your carbon footprint too:

1. Think long-term energy savings. Shopping for a new TV? That energy-sucking plasma TV on sale may save you some cash today -- but will cost you a bundle later via your electric bill. In fact, some TVs are so energy-inefficient that California's looking to ban them! After all, greener TVs are already on the market -- and the California Energy Commission says simply getting people to opt for those "could have an estimated net benefit to the state of $8.1 billion," according to the L.A. Times.

2. Slay vampire power. Another problem with plasma TVs: They suck up a helluva lot of energy even when they're not being used. Check out this handy illustration from GOOD to see just how much! Avoid paying for the unnecessary energy-suck by using a power strip to cut the power your TV -- and other electronics -- when they're not in use or charging up.

3. Make the batteries last. An easy tip's simply to follow tip #2, since avoiding overcharging will help make your batteries last longer. But Salon.com's Farhad Manjoo's put together more detailed "four essential tips for extending the battery life of your computer, cell phone, and every other gadget." If your laptop battery tends to die before you're ready to replace the laptop, read the well-researched tips to figure out how you can save yourself some money -- and reduce e-waste -- by making the most of the battery you've got.

4. Fight planned obsolescence. Resist the continuous call to upgrade from the companies selling you electronics! If your cell phone's working perfectly well, why get a new one just because your annual contract's up? I get my cell service through CREDO, which gave me the option to save $10 a month on my phone bill for 6 months simply for renewing my contract without getting an unnecessary new phone. Don't be a sucker to advertisers and marketers, and love your gadgets for as long as they last.

5. Get money for old gadgets. Even if you use gadgets until they die, you might still be able to make money selling it to a refurbisher -- or at least save money on a new gadget by taking advantage of rebate recycling programs at the company or retailer you bought the old gadget. PC Mag's Electronics Recycling Superguide should help you figure out how to make the most of your old eletcronics. These programs also make sure your no-longer-functioning gadget will be disposed of properly, so you'll be doing good for the planet while being kind to your wallet.

Got more money-saving gadget-friendly tips? Share them in the comments --

Related links:

>> Sierra Club's The Green Life blog advises: "The greenest choice is to stick with that old black box until its end, but when it's time to switch, opt for Energy Star-labeled TVs."

>> Jaymi Heimbuch at Treehugger gives us yet another reason to hold on to the working gadgets we alredy have: The Digital TV Switch Causes 70% Rise in e-Waste.

>> Jenn at Tiny Choices shares cheap eco-DIY home improvement tips she's tried herself -- including getting a new-to-her TV stand through Craigslist. She even resold her old TV stand for the same price she originally bought it -- also on Craigslist.

Photo by David J
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Cheap, easy, and green: Get on a bicycle

2009-11-02T13:14:04-06:00

Cycling has well-known health, social, and environmental benefits too, but the transportation mode's money-saving qualities may trump them all in this economy! If you're tired of paying at the pump, get a bike for nearby errands and pay quite a bit less -- or maybe even get rid of a second car or go car-free altogether for maximum savings! Some ways to get started, eco-nomically:

1. Get a cheap bike. Not willing to make a huge upfront investment? Check Craigslist or sales at neighborhood bike shops to get a great deal on a used bike. You can even join Freecycle and try to get a free bike -- I have a friend who put in a "wanted" request and got replies from generous neighbors willing to part with their unused two-wheelers!

2. Don't get your bike stolen. Nothing will drive up the cost of bike ownership as having to replace bikes due to theft. Luckily, if you already got your bike pre-loved, you likely already have an advantage since shiny new expensive bikes are what most bike thieves are really after. But if you live in a theft-prone area, consider ugging up your bike for maximum safety!

Don't know how best to lock up your bike? Streetsblog's put together a video featuring Bicycle Habitat mechanic Hal Ruzal-- who grades bike lock-up jobs. Watch it to learn both how to lock up your bike properly -- and how to half-ass it and attract thieves.

3. Stay safe. Try to avoid costly bike-wrecks or health care fees by doing your part to stay safe on the road. I've written before about bicycle safety for those who feel squeamish about sharing the road with cars, but I also highly recommend a bicycle safety class, where you'll learn not only how to bike better but also make some fellow two-wheeling friends in your neighborhood. There's more safety in numbers! The League of American Cyclists keeps a calendar of upcoming bike safety classes around the U.S.

4. Fix it yourself. Bike maintenance is helluva lot cheaper than car maintenance even if you outsource the work. But finding a bike co-op near you, or taking a bike fix-it class, can give you more cycling independence while also saving you a little cash. I picked up a few tips at my local bike co-op, Bikerowave, though I have yet to learn out how to fix a flat...

5. Get cicle chic gear on the cheap. I'll be honest and say that I've yet to buy any fashion item specifically to wear while bicycling (my helmet doesn't count, as it's not fashionable). But April Streeter at Treehugger's looked into cyclist-friendly accoutrements -- like shiny scarves that'll keep you stylish and safe and DIY seat covers that'll give your tush more cush.

Got more cycling on the cheap tips? Share them in the comments!

Also on Blogher:
>> 9 Steps for bicycle happiness
>> Electric bicycles: Greener transport for hot environmentalists
>> Bike to Work Day: Many Advantages to Climbing in the Saddle
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel rides a pink Townie around town. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

3 triple-certified coffees with an extra fun cause

2009-10-31T23:11:12-05:00

Today marks not only Halloween, but also the last day of the Eat Local Challenge -- and the last day of Fair Trade Month too. So I thought it'd be the perfect day to highlight some of the most eco-ethical coffees out there to go with your local, organic meals or fair trade chocolate desserts. Here are 3 tasty coffees that are not only all triple certified -- but have an additional little story to make you feel good about what you're drinking while jolting you awake too.

Arbor Day Specialty Coffee. Here's a coffee literal treehuggers will adore. Yes, it's organic certified, fair trade certified, and Smithsonian Bird-Friendly certified -- but the eco-goodness doesn't stop there. The proceeds from this coffee go directly to the Arbor Day Foundation's Rain Forest Rescue Program to preserve rain forests.

In fact, according to the foundation, a single cup of this coffee will preserve more than two square feet of rain forest! The coffee's crown by the ISMAM Co-op in Tapachula, Chiapas in Mexico. Take the online tour to see how the coffee gets from the sustainable forest to your cup.

Eco-altruism tastes good too. Coffee Review gave the Arbor Day Blend a 92 rating -- and having tried the yummy coffee myself, I'm seriously considering buying a membership to Coffee Club. That would get me a 10-ounce bag plus an Arbor Day mug for $6.95 -- with two more bags sent every four weeks at $8.95 per bag. You can also just buy a single 10-ounce bag for $8.95 if you want to try out the coffee for yourself -- or commit to the 5-pound bulk bag if you'd like to reduce packaging and shipping costs.

Little Feet Coffee. Athletes and sports fans -- This coffee's for you. If you've got fond memories of playing in Little League or other kid sports teams, here's your chance to give a little kid with fewer privileges a taste of the fun opportunities you got. Buy your morning brew from Little Feet Coffee Company, and you'll be helping to deliver soccer balls to underprivileged kids around the world.

The tasty coffee -- which Coffee Review rated an 88 -- is also impeccably eco-ethical, since it's shade-grown by the Las Capucas Cooperative in Honduras and organic, fair trade, and Rainforest Alliance-certified. But it's the soccer story that's really heartwarming. Yes, there is a girls' team!

I discovered Little Feed Coffee at Whole Foods, where a 12-ounce bag (also available online) costs $12. Right now, you can also get a bag of coffee with a soccer ball for $30. A monthly subscription program's also available, though it doesn't really save you money (12 ounces of coffee for $13.95 every month including shipping).

Caffe Ibis' Cafe Femenino. Feminists who want to help underprivileged women succeed economically should brew this coffee as their morning pick me up. The Cafe Femenino Coffee Project's "a social program for women coffee producers in rural communities around the world," giving women economic power in what tends to be a male-dominated profession in male-centric places.

Cafe Femenino coffee's actually roasted and sold by a number of eco-ethical companies -- but Caffe Ibis adds a triple-certified element to the mix. As you can tell by the name of the company, Caffee Ibis is all about birds -- and offers a whole list of triple certified coffees -- organic, fair trade, and Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified -- to prove its feather-friendly commitment. Caffe Ibis' Cafe Femenino coffee's grown by woman-owned and operated farms in Peru. Get it online at $9.99 for a 12-ounce bag.

Confused as to what all these certifications mean? Here's a quick guide:

>> Organic certification, whose guidelines in the U.S. are set by the USDA, basically ensures that dangerous pesticides weren't used in growing the coffee. Yes, there are many legitimate controversies about whether or not these standards are tough enough.

>> Fair Trade certification for coffee, provided in the U.S. by nonprofit TransFair USA, ensures that the coffee's grown by cooperative farms that receive a more economically sustainable price for their coffee and a social premium to invest in farmers' communities. Again, yes, there are many legitimate controversies about whether or not these standards are high enough. Some activists are pushing for higher minimum fair trade coffee prices, others for more co-op centric standards (tea producers, for ex, don't have to be organized into co-ops).

>> Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification ensures that the coffee's not only organic but also shade-grown -- with the money from certification fees going towards funding bird research. Word on the street is that this is one of the most expensive certification seals to get -- though also one of the most rewarding for bird and rain forest lovers.

>> Rainforest Alliance Certification provides some environmental guarantees -- but tends to be controversial as it makes vague economic and environmental promises without actually guaranteeing price premiums for farmers. While Rainforest Alliance certification helps some companies make greener steps, the certification program is often criticized for helping greenwash some of the biggest, most abusive corporations (Chiquita, Dole, Kraft) that refuse to commit to more stringent standards demanded by other certifications.

Related links:

>> EcoSaon's got a list of 18 favorite triple-certified coffees.

>> Sally Kneidel at Wellsphere's Green Living Community has a list of bird-friendly chocolate and coffee.

>> Gina Telaroli at Take Part put together a shortlist of restaurants and retailers carrying fair trade products.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Images via Arbor Day Foundation, Little Feet, and Caffe Ibis

Chill out with a cool green drink -- that has an eco-ethical mission too!

2009-10-26T23:27:32-05:00

I hear it's gotten cold in some parts of the country, but we had a perfect summer day in Los Angeles today. So for those who live in similar weather -- or who just love chilled drinks whatever the temperature is outside, here are my top 3 recommended eco-ethical drinks to quench your thirst while supporting a good cause:

Adina Holistics. This organic, fair trade drink company has a Google-esque mission: "Drink no evil." And Adina's latest concoctions are about embracing organic yumminess with a dose of Ayurvedic health!

Each certified organic Adina Holistics drink's infused with herbs -- which Adina claims are "adaptogenic ingredients that put the body back into balance." How much you believe that claim will depend on how much faith you put in Ayurveda. But undoubtedly, Adina includes some ingredients like green tea and açaí that are known to have healthful effects -- and excludes weird synthetics, high fructose corn syrup or other excessive sweeteners.

A bottle has 90 calories -- and all seven flavors are concocted from real organic ingredients. My favorites are the Peach Amalaki and Mango Orange Chamomile -- mainly because peach and mango are some of my favorite fruits!

And kind of like Snapple, the bottom of the lids have "herbalisms for life" imprinted on them, like "If at first you do succeed, try to hide your astonishment." That one made me smile --

Guayaki Lemon Elation. I first got to drink these at the Blogger Beach Cleanup volunteer event I organized for the International Day of Climate Action on Friday! Guayaki -- an organic, fair trade company -- kindly donated the drinks for our volunteers who gulped them down. The yerba mate goodness fueled them to pick up almost 40 lbs of trash in just 20 minutes!

Guayaki's a company with a mission to save the rain forests -- so much so that the Lemon Elation drinks have the number 350 -- which stands for 350 parts per million, the upper limit for carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere that many scientists say is necessary to achieve ASAP to avoid runaway climate change -- incorporated onto their can design.

But Guayaki's efforts don't just stop with the design. The company gets its fair trade organic yerba mate from sustainably tended rainforests -- made possible because Guayaki pays for environmental conservation and restoration through its products. Farmers get a monetary incentive to conserve the rainforest that’s there and to restore what’s been lost.

Steaz Teaz. Don't want sweeteners in your refreshing tea, even if it's organic? For eco-ethical chilled unsweetened teas, Steaz is one of the first go-to companies. Steaz now also has an Organic Iced Teaz line, available both in one-serving cans and bigger bottles -- and the Green Tea with Lemon flavor's completely unsweetened. That means 0 calories!

Other 8-oz cans contain just 40 calories each, so even the slightly sweetened flavors are not going to as sickly-sweet as your average iced tea drink or soda pop. Steaz is perhaps best known for making the first organic, fair trade energy drinks. But the eco-ethical community's expanded its organic and fair trade certified product line to include these "teaz" -- also available in sparkling form.

Want to try Steaz for yourself? Here's a free coupon (PDF) to get you turned on to eco-ethical chilled teas.
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When I first started blogging, drinks that were both organic and fair trade were pretty much limited to plain coffee -- bought whole bean and brewed yourself. Now, you've got lots of options. And while I honestly have been getting more queasy about the carbon footprint of transporting these heavy drinks in one-use (albeit recyclable) bottles, I'm very glad that these three companies are making eco-ethical drinks available to the average consumer.

Got your own organic, fair trade chilled drink to recommend? Let us know what's quenching your thirst in the comments!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Too green a thumb? Put your excess backyard bounty to good use!

2009-10-19T23:50:42-05:00

Got an overabundant backyard garden or fruit tree? Don't let the extra food go to waste! In addition to sharing the bounty with your neighbors -- or getting really serious about canning and jamming -- here's how you can put your produce to good use:

1. Make money off your homegrown produce. Veggie Trader lets you buy or sell your backyard produce -- or even trade what you've got for what you want! Turn lemons into limes by signing up and finding fruity neighbors near you."Imagine posting your wish list for eggplants, paid off in broccoli, without exchanging one cent," writes Kim O'Donnel in A Mighty Appetite about Veggie Trader. "Let the produce bazaar begin!"

Don't have a garden? You can still be a Veggie Trader, as Dawn at The Daily Table points out:

Since I have no garden, I can log on to Veggie Trader (it’s free to register), and type in what I am looking for – tomatoes – and my zip code, the distance I’m willing to go to get those tomatoes, and my search will bring up people in my area with extras and what they want in trade.

Homegrown has a great interview with Veggie Trader's co-founder Rob Anderson, who says while Southern California has the most trading activity, "But we’ve also seen a lot of activity in states as diverse as Texas, Washington, and Indiana. The site has been popular in our hometown of Portland too!"

2. Join a neighborhood produce exchange. Neighborhood Fruit lets you find neighbors with too much fruit near you -- or public trees with fruit free for the taking! The site will soon start charging a membership fee, so join while it's in beta to get in on the free deals.

More local initiatives like the Portland Fruit Tree Project has fruit harvesting parties, where neighbors pick and take home the bounty from overabundant local fruit trees -- and donate the rest to local food pantries.

For those seeking fruit instead of getting rid of excess stuff, L.A.'s Fallen Fruit also maintains maps on where to find fruit trees near you -- since all fruit overhanging public property's free for your taking!

In northeast L.A., we have the Hillside Produce Coop, self-described as "a free neighborhood monthly exchange of all the FRUITS, VEGETABLES, HERBS and FLOWERS we grow in our yards" (via LAT). Participants join an email list that lets them know when and where to drop off the excess produce -- then get a mixed bag of neighborhood-grown produce delivered later that day! The service is free, since people volunteer to bag and deliver the goods in exchange for a share of the bounty -- something you can opt to do, if you don't have extra garden produce to share.

3. Donate your food to those in need. Ample Harvest lets you quickly search by zipcode to find a food pantry near you eager to take extra produce off your hands. The goal's to reduce food waste while also reducing hunger in America -- all through backyard produce!

I also recommend searching for more local produce-to-food-bank programs near you. Oregon Food Bank, for example, encourages people to plant an extra row of produce for the hungry and donate the harvest to local hunger relief agencies.

Don't even have time to harvest your excess fruit? In the L.A. -area, we have Food Forward, a volunteer group that goes to properties they've been invited to, to pick excess fruit and giving the bounty to SOVA Community Food and Resource Program and MEND (via LAT). Just let the group know you'd like them to come by your fruity property to arrange a picking. You can volunteer to be a picker too!

The easiest -- and perhaps most fun -- way to get rid of your produce may be to simply throw a themed party. There's a guy in Mar Vista with avocado trees who throws a backyard avocado-guacamole party every year, with guests invited to bring over chips! Know of other ways of putting your excess harvest to good use? Let us know about the resources you use in the comments.

Photo by Gabriela Camerotti
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel grows chard on her balcony garden and eats it all herself. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

How to kill a turkey, forage for fresh clams, and get organic local lunches in schools

2009-10-17T19:44:16-05:00

If you've watched Food, Inc., you likely have a pretty good, overall sense of what's wrong with our food system today -- which helps put all the continued news reports of foodborne illnesses and obesity problems in context. Of course, all that continued bad news still gets depressing even if you know what's creating the problems. So with this post, I'm focusing on what good foodie things are happening in the world today -- and the films and books that'll get you excited about these happy developments!

1. Urban homesteading. The current queen of this eco-trend's Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, a book about her experience growing her own food and raising everything from chickens to pigs at her home in Oakland, Calif.

I've yet to pick up the book -- but Chow's put together a quick video about Novella's urban homesteading ways that could sort of serve as a preview for Farm City. Perhaps the 12-minute video could inspire you too to fish out fish guts from the dumpsters to feed your homegrown pigs!

Novella also blogs at Ghost Town Farm -- and her latest post reveals she's going to be teaching a class on how to raise -- and kill! -- a turkey! If you're a would-be homesteader in Austin, Texas, just $30 gets you into The Complete Turkey class.

2. Foraging. Why pay for high-priced sustainable seafood at Whole Foods when you can go clam digging? Jenni P. at Ethicurean did just that -- with the help of Langdon Cook, author of Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager. Writes Jenni about the excursion:

As we enjoyed our clams with a cold beer, the tide rolled in under a warm sun and we watched an osprey carry food to its young. I felt blessed to live among such beauty and bounty.

Jenni's post's both about her own experience with foraging -- and a review of Cook's book. Click over to read about this "testament to the power of food to root a person in the context of family, friends, season, and region" -- and to get a tasty recipe for Steamed Clams with Sausage, Tomato & Garlic.

3. Local school lunches. A title like Food Beware doesn't exactly promise a happy story, but this French film's apparently an uplifting one, since it shows the yummy things that happen when a French town called Barjac decides to go organic. According to NPR's review, the kids in the town get the first benefits of this decision, because the mayor and city council decide to make school lunches both local and organic. (via re-nest)

The film's apparently full of heartwarming scenes, like "a clamoring crowd of second- and third-graders growing their own produce in the school's gardens, digging into Cobb salads with enthusiasm, and talking about drinking-water purity at the foot of an ancient Roman aqueduct." That said, the film isn't just cuteness and fun -- Cynthia Fuchs at PopMatters writes that the film often overlays scary stats on top of cute images of kids:

As children playing hopscotch are observed from a scary overhead camera, titles note the damage done: “In Europe, 70% of cancers are linked to the environment,” and again, “In Europe, every year 100,000 children die of diseases caused by the environment.”

Still, the film sounds pretty inspiring -- and I hope to catch it when it plays in my area. Right now, Food Beware's only playing New York City -- but will be available on DVD next month.

Now that I've added 2 more books and a film to my fall reading and film list, I'll close by noting that Slow Food USA's continuing to work on revamping school lunches in America. Congress is expected to focus on school lunch in early 2010, so sign up for Slow Food USA's Time For Lunch campaign to stay in the know.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Yard sharing: Find a space for your own edible garden

2009-10-12T16:36:59-05:00

Still don't grow any of your own food? Even if you don't have a front yard, backyard, or balcony to call your own -- and even if the waiting list for a plot in your city's community garden's a mile long -- you can still grown your own food, thanks to the generosity of your neighbors.

Yard-sharing's a new big trend in locavoring -- and a bunch of webby resources are popping up to help you get started -- which is a good thing, except at this point there are so many websites eager to connect gardeners that it's tough to know which are worth joining. Here's what I would do to wade through the garden web:

1. Ask your landlord for gardening permission. That's how Jenn and Nat got permission to turn the front yard of the Santa Monica apartment complex they live in into an edible garden! Assuming you get along with your landlord, there's nothing to lose in asking nicely.

2. See if a city community garden plot's available near you. Sure, many of these plots have years-long waiting lists -- but you could get lucky!

3. Look into local garden-sharing sites, since these are often the easiest ways to meet neighbors passionate about the same thing you are. Live in Santa Monica? Check out the Santa Monica Garden Sharing Registry run by the city. The Seattle area? Visit Urban Garden Share, started by some friends over a glass of bourbon. Portland? Try Portland Yard Sharing, and get the web administrator to correct the typo in "'what' is yars sharing" while you're at it.

Can't find a city-specific garden sharing site by googling? Try visiting Sharing Backyards, which features a handy Google map mashup so you can easily see if any open plots are near you before signing up. That said, you'll need to sign up not through Sharing Backyards itself, but with one of its locally-oriented community partners. Just scan the list on the right side of the Sharing Backyards page to see if a partner exists in your city.

4. Try a nationwide garden-sharing network. You'll probably want to poke around a bit to find out which network's got the most people signed up in your 'hood before committing:

>> GrowFriend. Sign up on this free site -- a free public service of Windowbox.com -- to start finding a could-be-garden near you -- or to rent out your front yard to a would-be-gardener. GrowFriend has a lot of helpful resources for those with questions about garden sharing, ranging from a downloadable garden sharing agreement a list of topics to discuss before starting the eco-neighborly venture.

>> Hyperlocavore. Join this free Ning group to find your next garden plot -- or an entire community garden! Started by Liz McLellan, the goal of Hyperlocavore's to "help you get in touch with like minded people who are hoping to set up a yard sharing arrangement, a group garden or a urban CSA of linked yards." Sign up and you may find not just a plot -- but an entire network of neighborhood gardeners to help you on your gardening way.

Related links:

>> Hyperlocavore founder Liz McLellan also keeps a blog, also called Hyperlocavore.

>> At Take Part, Tami O'Neill writes about how "Urban gardens are sprouting worldwide, creating affordable options and stronger communities wherever they’re found."

>> Shannon at Richmond Food Collective recommends Sharing Backyards: "For inspiration check out the Map for Vancouver BC! you can hardly see past the mass of spots identifying land givers with potential gardeners!"
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel grows chard on her balcony. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Sustainable eats and photo-activism: Andrea Bakacs' eco-inspirational food pics

2009-10-06T02:19:55-05:00

Can good photography change the way we eat? That's the idea behind photo activist Andrea Bakacs' work -- and it's gently shifting the way I think about food.

A pretty photo of freshly-laid eggs makes me hungry for a farmers' market omelet -- while a too-plasticky photo of a grocery store aisle makes me want to grow all my own lettuce. Andrea, one of six Earthkeepers heroes selected by Timberland, took both those pictures -- and both tell pretty complex stories about today's environmental movement!

The eggs photo is one Andrea took at a sustainable Welsh farm with sheep that do the mowing, a compost pile that provides natural fertilizer, and a wind turbine that produces 80% of the energy the farm needs! Writes Andrea about this green energy source:

Currently, the family sells the energy back to the grid, as Britain has just again increased its buying rate. This means not only is the meter not adding any electrical costs, even though it’s not quite making 100% of what its electrical needs, but it’s actually spinning backwards! A few more yeas of this and the turbine will have not only paid itself back, but also provided a safe haven should uncertain times in the future require immediate access to alternative energy.

The windmill tells the story not just of the farm's eco-efforts, but about Britain's energy policies and how they can affect people's eco-choices and efforts.

The plasticky grocery aisle, too, tells a bigger story -- because that aisle's actually from an eco-friendly supermarket called Waitrose that's known for its commitment to local produce! Unfortunately, would be local-foodies had to take the plastic packaging with the yummy eats:

Every head of lettuce, vine of tomatoes, sprig of thyme, bunch of grapes, or anything else along these lines was packaged in none other than—you guessed it-- plastic.... It felt strange, knowing I was doing a good thing supporting not only the local economy and limiting my miles to table distance and therefore reducing the overall carbon footprint of my dinner, but also supporting the increased consumption of needless amounts of plastic, Satan’s resin if you will.

Andrea's photography's not just about food-- She tackles many environmental issues with the hope they'll "inspire and empower other urbanites towards building a sustainable future for their communities." If great visuals are what'll inspire your eco-activism, follow Andrea's work by reading her Earthkeepers-related photo-activist blog at Changents, her blog about the intersection of photography and environmentalism at Photography for a Greener Planet, or her fine arts website, andreabakacs.com.

Related links:
>> EarthPromise writes about Andrea's work: "Bakacs’ photos will not only captivate you with awe and (possibly) disgust, but with enough sensibility to be effective to spread awareness."

>> Blogher contributing editor Beth Terry photo-documents her plastic trash every week at Fake Plastic Fish, as a way to track her own eco-progress as well as to inspire others.

>> Erica Velasco of Vision Photographs offers Tips for Greener Photography at Professional Photographer.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel's glad her local co-op's not as plasticky as Waitrose. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

thredUp: E-swap for adventurous eco-fashionistas who love surprises

2009-09-28T17:42:07-05:00

Sure, you could take painstaking pictures of your pre-loved fashion duds and auction them off on e-Bay -- or get a few dollars by taking the pieces to Crossroads. But if you want fashion swapping to be almost as easy as Netflixing a DVD, here's the latest idea green fashion mavens have dreamed up: thredUP.

Don't wear most of your closet -- but don't want to spend money on a new closet? Think of thredUP as a Netflix-like fashion service, except instead of a library of DVDs, we have a fashion library created by thredUP members -- which adds in an element of eco-fashionable surprise.

How does it work? You list on the thredUP library the fashions you no longer want -- and mail them to eco-fashionistas who need those pieces. In exchange you get back new-to-you pieces from eco-fashionistas who wear your same size and share your sense of style.

No, you don't have to painstakingly take photos of every item you want to trade; you simply name some basic wants, and expect to get something within that category. That's where the element of surprise comes in!

What does the service cost? Basically, you get 3 fashion exchanges for $25. Pay that fee, and you'll get 3 envelopes -- and addresses of the like-minded fashionistas to whom you should mail your pre-loved clothes. Mail those off and wait for 3 new-to-you pieces to arrive.

Says James Reinhart, Chief Knitwit at thredUP: "Depending on the items you have, turnaround times can be less than a week to longer for more obscure things.... You only exchange items within the same tier (based on retail prices; so no Ann Taylor for Old Navy)."

Of course, you should only thredUP clothes in good shape. The Golden thredUP Rule, according to the website, this this: "Send only what you'd be willing to receive." If other fashionistas break this rule and leave you victim, never fear. "Every item is review by the member who receives it," says James, "so if you get an item that doesn't meet our strict quality standards, we basically remove the bad apple who sent that from the system and we credit you for another swap."

Ready to thredUP? You can first calculate how much your closet's worth via a 60-second calculator on thredUP's site. Then sign up! The site's currently in Beta -- but the first 50 BlogHers can sign up now by using the code "ecoBlogHer" minus the quotes -- that code will also give you your first 3 exchanges for $12.50, half price. I've just signed up -- and I'm waiting for more people to sign up so I can start swapping!

Related links:

>> Tracey Lomrantz at Slaves to Fashion: Would You Trade Clothes With A Complete Stranger?

>> Kristin Underwood at Treehugger: thredUP: Like Netflix, But With Clothes

>> gplata at Handbago: Handbago Wants You to ThredUP!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Eco-fashion in transition: The pre-organic, transitional cotton trend

2009-09-26T08:06:06-05:00

Can buying conventional cotton support an eco-cause? Yes, according to new Los Angeles-based fashion brand 9Planet Universe, which debuted its "pre-organic" cotton pieces earlier this month at a swank, star-studded launch party and fundraiser Zune LA.

What's "pre-organic" cotton, exactly? If you've heard of transitional cotton, pre-organic's just the same thing with a different name: cotton grown at farms that are transitioning from conventional to organic farming methods. The conversion process usually takes 3 years -- during which farmers have to deal with dramatically lowered harvests yet can't get the price premium that certified organic cotton fetches.

The financial crunch posed by those transitional years keeps many farmers from making the switch to organic -- which is where 9Planet Universe steps in. The new fashion brand buys the cotton at a premium rate from farmers making the switch at Raj Eco Farms in India -- helping to make up for the smaller harvests during the 3-year transition.

To help popularize both the brand and draw attention to pre-organic cotton, 9Planet Universe combined art, fashion, and celeb-appeal for its launch party dubbed Event999 (held on Sept. 9, 2009). Fashionistas -- including Jewel, Stephanie Pratt (The Hills), and Jessica Stroup (90210) -- milled about nibbling one of 9 appetizers, sipping from a selection of 9 drinks, and bidding on the 9 items in the silent charity auction, which included clothes and art printed on pre-organic cotton, photo portraits of celebs wearing 9Planet Universe T-shirts printed recycled billboards, organic perfumes, and jewelry -- with all proceeds going toward building a medical center in the farmers' community.

Want a 9Planet Universe pre-organic cotton of your own? The limited edition T-shirt will go on sale in the next week or two at 9planetuniverse.com.

9Planet Universe isn't the only fashion brand using transitional cotton -- though it's perhaps the hippest one so far. Eco-fashion company Anvil Knitwear, for example, makes T-shirts with a mix of recycled bottles and transitional cotton -- but doesn't promise to pay a premium for the cotton. H&M too pledges its support for transitional cotton -- also without any commitment to premium prices.

Walmart says it pays organic cotton prices for the transitional cotton it uses to make its Faded Glory brand T-shirts, as Allison Mooney at PSFK points out. Leah Ingram at Suddenly Frugal says these $6 shirts are "wicked cute"; the Boho Mama raves about how affordable these T-shirts are.

Of course, those prices make me curious about the labor practices that went into making those cheap Ts -- a question to be asked of any company you plan to buy your organic or transitional organic shirts from.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama: Why buy clothes when you can swap for free?

2009-09-21T08:06:06-05:00

How to get new fashions for your closet without spending any money: Organize a clothing swap -- or just go to your nearest Swap-O-Rama-Rama event!

For those who always MEAN to organize a clothing swap but never quite get around to it, Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a fun, organized-for-you, economical and eco-friendly fashion event -- and a great way to meet eco-fashionistas beyond your existing circle of friends.

In essence, Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a huge clothing swap. Show up with a bag of unwanted clothes and you'll be granted admittance to the event, where you can dig through everyone else's pre-loved clothes and select the treasures that'll work for you.

The new-to-you duds a bit too big or small? DIY stations -- with sewing machines, silk-screening tools, or even glitter -- will help you re-size or re-fashion your newly-acquired pieces to your heart's desire. Oh, and the Swap's got no mirrors -- a tactic to encourage interaction and intimacy -- so you'll need to ask newly-made friends how you look when you try on the clothes. A fashion runway at the event also lets you show off your new finds and creations to fellow swappers.

The Swap was started by Wendy Tremayne, who was experimenting with living currency free for a year. "There is no creativity in consumerism," says Wendy. "The consumer is largely asked to express their uniqueness by being selectors.... Makers don’t make good consumers. The less you know, the less you can make, the more you’re going to buy." Learn more about how Swap-O-Rama-Rama came about in this short video interview with Wendy Tremayne, created by Ryanne Hodson at Ryan is Hungry:

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Swap-O-Rama-Rama's a Creative Commons event -- which means you can organize your own! Contact Wendy, and she'll be able to hook you up with Swap-o-Rama-Rama sponsors who provide sewing machines silk screen making machines, plus help with your event organizing.

Megan Nicolay at Generation T went to a Swap-O-Rama Rama in Brooklyn, which she describes as "a fascinating whirlwind of recycling, spring wardrobe shopping, screen-printing, sewing, and composting galore":

A fellow from the Botanic Gardens taught us about composting your textiles. (So, next time you’re wondering what to do with the T-shirt scraps ... and you’ve exhausted the smaller accessories projects, don’t throw them away! You could help fertilize a garden come spring!)

The Scrap Exchange has great photos of the Swap-O-Rama-Rama in Durham earlier this month:

Of course the main point of our Swap-O-Rama Ramas is to put clothes that are languising in closets back into circulation -- so all of us can get new (to us) stuff! But it’s also to promote “creativity over consumerism.”

Ready to start creating? Find a swap near you! Swaps are coming up in Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and even Huntsville, Alabama.

Image via Swap-O-Rama-Rama
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Ready to try The Great American Apparel Diet?

2009-09-19T09:07:06-05:00

Frugal fashionistas with an environmental conscience -- or credit card debt -- can slip into a new challenge with the potential to reshape closets, lives, and bank accounts:The Great American Apparel Diet.

Call it The Compact Lite for eco-fashionistas (The Compact, by the way, is a hardcore challenge started by a bunch of people in Northern California who decided to go without buying anything new for a year). Sign on to The Great American Apparel Diet, and you're committing -- along with a lot of other women around the world -- to not buy any new clothes for a year!

Rules are fairly lax. First of all, new shoes and accessories are allowed -- so the Carrie Bradshaw-esque shoe-obsessed will need to high heel it elsewhere to curb the stiletto habit. Second, gifts of clothing are allowed. Plus, some women are giving themselves the luxury of buying pre-loved clothes -- or making their own clothes.

Why a closet diet? Laura Cassidy at Where What When has an interview with Sally Bjornsen, the diet instigator, who says:

I found I wasn’t wearing about 80% of what was in my closet. I gave away clothes to my mom, my sisters, and to friends. I occasionally consigned. I was disgusted by my own consumerism, and then the idea occurred to me: What would happen if I gave up shopping for apparel for a year? Would it make me feel like a schump or a reasonable person? “Who am I,” I asked, “if I am not wearing something new?”....

Dieters range from Sally Bjornsen in Seattle who wants the time and energy once spent on her closet "re-focused toward other creative endeavors" to Rebecca Kotch in Southern California who decided to sign up as a sponsor for a child in Cambodia -- and needs to redirect her clothing funds in that direction. As Kristin Underwood at Treehugger points out, :

The women involved in this experiment (and anyone can join) are not women living on the edge of civilization, ready to give the finger to the man and live off the land. In fact, they are women who are used to buying, shopping, swishing, swapping and consuming. Each of them began the project partly as an environmental choice to consume less and partly to see how they will view themselves and the world when they have to make do with what they have.... Other women are simply taking on the diet for financial reasons and can't wait to be free of debt from overconsumption.

Of course, every experiment has its naysayers. Alison Brownrigg at Minding the Store sounds almost horrified, arguing that consumers need to hold up "their end of capitalism." She connects less shopping to everything from ruined local economies to barren neighborhoods:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If we don't shop, the stores that make our neighborhoods so vibrant will disappear. It's already happening; have you taken a look at the number of empty storefronts in your neighborhood lately?

This does force me to point out that, um, our economy tanked basically because we were holding up "our end of capitalism" a little too well. Plus, many of the women who joined the challenge pointed not to cute boutique, one-of-a-kind neighborhood shops as their shopping spots of choice, but to J.Crew and other national chains -- as well as over-zealous online shopping while drinking at home....

Want to join The Great American Apparel Diet? The diet officially started Sept. 2, 2009 -- and you're welcome to join anytime -- but the experiment will come to an end Sept. 2, 2010.

Image via The Great American Apparel Diet
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel is ready to start the diet! She blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

The Age of Stupid premier: An eco everywhere event with Franny Armstrong, Thom Yorke

2009-09-14T22:18:39-05:00

Eco-leaders always get this inevitable question at Q&As: What's one thing that I can do to combat climate change (or save the environment)? Ask eco-inspirational director Franny Armstrong, and you'll get perhaps the most inspiring -- and toughest -- answer of all: Examine your own life -- and maybe change it, big time, to do what makes a difference.

That's what she said at a small press screening in L.A. for The Age of Stupid, a new enviro-documentary directed by Franny that'll hopefully get people to actually act on what they learned after watching An Inconvenient Truth. And thanks to everyone from Thom Yorke of Radiohead to former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan planning to show at the star-studded, action-oriented premier next week, the film will hopefully get the attention and viewership it deserves!

Unlike most eco-documentaries, The Age of Stupid isn't a film full of talking heads predicting doom and gloom. Instead, the film's set in the future where humans have pretty much self-destructed. As Kate Andrews at Inhabitat describes it:

In this epic tale, Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Peter's character flips through film footage that shows how we allowed our own demise by doing nothing, despite full knowledge of the climate catastrophe on the way. That footage shows actual documentaries of what's been going on here the last few years -- from the building of budget airlines to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- told in an engrossing, multi-storied, Traffic-esque fashion. Watch the preview!

"The campaigning film of the year," is what Lucy Aitken-Read at Oxfam News Blog calls The Age of Stupid

This film made me chuckle and cringe and, if I had watched it at home and not in a public space, weep and swear. The Age of Stupid took me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, dumping me in the plunge pool of reality, making me absolutely determined to do something.

And you -- yes you -- can be at the global premier of this film -- or at least the first-of-its-kind simulcast premier event and screening. The big event happens September 21 at 7:30 pm Eastern at a solar tent in New York City. That's where Kofi Annan, The X Files' Gillian Anderson, and Pete Postlethwaite will arrive via alternative transportation, walk down a green carpet made of recycled soda bottles -- then chat about the film on a panel -- before a performance by Thom Yorke.

You don't have to be in NYC to enjoy the show, however. The event will also be simulcast to 444 movie theaters nationwide (6:30 pm Central, 5:30 pm Mountain -- or 8 pm Pacific and in more than 30 countries via tape delay -- hopefully making this premier event the biggest ever!

Find out what theater near you's participating (PDF) -- then get your ticket! And if you can't wait until the premier, watch short videos about The making of The Age of Stupid at The Guardian Environment, to learn about how the filmmakers got through everything "from kidnap threats in Nigeria to 'crowd-funding' in London" to make this moving eco-documentary.

And after the film -- Examine your life, as Franny advises. Are you spending 40+ hours a week doing what's meaningful to you, what makes the difference you seek in the world? Here's what Franny has to say about her film -- and the environment -- at Huffington Post:

I was born in the '70s as part of the MTV generation who were told by a squillion adverts that the point of our existence was to shop more. Daunting though the task ahead may be, I feel enormously inspired and quite relieved that it turns out that we have something important to do. The people who came before us didn't know about climate change and the ones who come after will be powerless to stop it. So it's down to us. Other generations came together to overturn slavery or end apartheid or win the vote for women. There is nothing intrinsically more useless about our generation and there is no doubt about what we have to do. The only question which remains is whether or not we give it a go.

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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Photos via The Age of Stupid

Cute everyday shoes for eco-fashionistas with style

2009-09-07T08:06:06-05:00

Not too long ago (okay, a year and a half ago -- time flies when you're blogging!), I shared my best eco and economical shoe-shopping tips for cute high heels. By going for quality, classic styles, then scoring bargains at consignment stores, pre-loved designer shoes can be had on the cheap -- and are worth fixing up so you collect compliments year after fashionable year.

With comfy, everyday shoes though, thrifting and consignment shopping doesn't come so easy, since most people wear sneakers and other casual shoes until they're worn out. But while you'll likely have to get these shoes new, you'll be happy to know that many companies are working to put greener kicks out there for the uber-eco-conscious consumer. And some are quite stylish! Here are a few pairs to consider:

Simple Shoes Retire. Last year, I bought a pair of these Simple Shoes -- with a "Stop Global Warming" tie-in -- for $60. I logged on today to find that these greener kicks are now on sale for just $9.90! It appears that Simple Shoes is trying to get rid of this line -- which bodes well for would-be eco-fashionistas who haven't been able to afford Simple Shoes' designs. The shoes are made with hemp and organic cotton, recycled PET, recycled car tire, and 100% post-consumer paper pulp foot forms. I love the comfy pair I got and still wear them all the time!

Keds Green Label. I don't think I've actually worn Keds since junior high, but I guess these basics are still popular because new lines are still coming out! Keds Green Label launched in March this year, featuring greener classic Keds made of organic cotton and recycled rubber, in 6 colors that get their hues from non-toxic dyes.

If those basic colors don't suit your style, you can get more colorful Keds designed by eco-fashion company Loomstate at Barneys New York. Pick from five designs, but be prepared to pay more for the branding ties. The one-color Keds Green Line shoes cost $55 a pair, while the Loomstate-Keds sold at Barneys cost $75 a pair.

TOMS Shoes. This eco-ethical company's well-known for tying philanthropy into its business model: Buy a pair of TOMS shoes, and a pair of shoes will be given to a child in need! A few of TOMS' styles are made of eco-friendly materials — hemp, recycled PET, and recycled rubber -- though these can be a bit tough to find. Try looking for them at Whole Foods stores. Cost: $44 - $70 a pair.

New Balance 070. Environments who love the outdoors have a greener shoe option for light hiking and trail running. The New Balance 070, new this summer, are airy, comfy and light. Green features include textiles made with recycled content, water-based adhesives, rice husk fillers, and an “interlocking design” that's said to reduce material waste during manufacturing. Cost: $79 a pair.

Related links:

>> MissMalaprop shares her thoughts on the recent TOMS shoe drop in her neighborhood:

Apparently their state-side shoe drops work a little differently than when they distribute shoes to children outside of the US. The thinking is that kids in the US, even if they’re living below the poverty line, probably have at least one pair of shoes, but they might be hand-me-downs. So TOMS fits them with a pair of brand new white canvas shoes along with art supplies to encourage the kids to decorate them and make them their own. I love that concept.

>> Lil Sugar names Simple Shoes for kids among her five favorite things to make a mom's life easier.

>> Don't wear flats? EcoStiletto always has a drawing for a free pair of greener high heels. Enter to win -- and good luck!

Top two photos by Simple Shoes, Keds; bottom two photos by Siel
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Electric bicycles: Greener transport for hot environmentalists

2009-09-05T13:52:39-05:00

Many a cyclist will mock electric bikes. The point of bikes, they'll say, is human-powered transportation. What's the point of biking if you're moving via an electric assist? Why forego the natural exercise bicycling provides while sucking power from the electric grid?

Other cyclists admit that sometimes, we need a little help.

After all, some of us live in hilly areas -- and others of us live just too far from work to self-propel ourselves the whole way. Many people may be willing to bike 2 miles to work, but not 5 or 10 -- though obviously hardcore cyclists that really do bike 10+ miles to work certainly reap the benefits of ther commitment to cycling. Plus, most of us don't have showers at work -- and can't ruin our work attire with daily buckets of sweat -- or go about our workday looking soggy from our morning commute.

If an electric bike gets even people with longish communites out of their cars and onto bikes -- thereby reducing pollution and congestion and carbon emissions -- that's a win win. As Trevor Reichman points out in Treehugger, "An electric bicycle is about 100 times more efficient than a car carrying one person." Plus, on a practical level, electric bikes are "allowed in bicycle lanes and anywhere else a regular bicycle is allowed" -- so long as they don't move faster than 20 miles per hour.

I don't actually own an electric bike, but I recently got to try out a PEDEGO electric beach cruiser (above) -- which has a comfortable, sleek bike with a powerful motor that lets you go up to 20 miles per hour -- for as far as 30 miles per charge!

The fact that the particular bike I tried was a "boy" bike (PEDEGO also has girl bikes, a.k.a. "step throughs," available) and only had hand brakes (I generally use foot brakes) and was too big for me, scared me a bit at first -- but I got over it! Since my own bike's basically a beach cruiser, I loved the comfy feel of the PEDEGO. I got on and turned the throttle on the right handlebar for the electric motor -- which propelled me around electric-style!

I will admit though -- I was so enamored by the fun boost from the electric assist that most of the time I was on the bike, I didn't even put up a pretense of pedaling. But I'd like to think that once I got over the novelty of the electric motor, my quads would kick in more effort!

Honestly, I don't need an electric bike. I live in a very flat area of Santa Monica, and work at home. Who might need an electric bike? Trevor says he got one during an extremely hot summer, when he had to commute up a giant hill to work. "Being that I had to wear a suit and tie, my sweat almost gave me hypothermia due to the unnatural and artificial arctic conditions inside capital building which directly followed my commute. Not only were there no showers for cyclists, but there weren’t even bicycle racks!"

Trevor also points out that many people with non-electric bikes use their bikes only for recreation, not for general transport -- and I have to empathize with his frustration. I've met a serious competitive cyclist who seemed blindsided by the suggestion that he might actually ride his bike to get around town, instead of just transporting the bike in his car when he wasn't officially "training."

One thing to keep in mind with electric bikes: The battery must be handled responsibly. An Associated Press article notes that 98% of electric bikes in China use lead-acid batteries -- which unfortunately aren't always disposed of safely. Part of e-biking green, then, includes opting for greener batteries like nickel-meter-hydride and lithium-ion batteries -- PEDEGO, for example, uses lithium batteries -- and disposing of those batteries safely once they're dead.

PEDEGO Cruisers retail for $1,595 -- not cheap for a bike, but a helluva lot cheaper than a car, if the e-bike can propel you into a car-free lifestyle. Plus, you'd be riding in style. Here are what other bloggers have to say about electric bikes:

>> Chile Chews uses the electric assist -- provided by the eZee Complete Electric Motor Kit -- to work on her TITS (Time In The Saddle).

>> Renee Benson at Envy put together a roundup of customized bikes -- including a $789 Hybrid Electric Bicycle by iZip.

>> What about bicycling bloggers on the go? Yanko Design writes about a new electric bike design that includes with laptop case under the seat!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel rides a non-electric pink townie and blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

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