greenlagirl's blog

Feel good chocolate: Fair trade s'mores and Halloween kits

2008-08-30T07:50:58-05:00

Camping over the long weekend? Make s'mores -- with fair trade chocolate -- then let your s'more be counted by registering it!

Why? Human rights nonprofit Global Exchange's trying to count up fair trade s'more lovers for its national fair trade s'mores action. Ideally, Global Exchange also wants videos of you making and eating s'mores too, but really, all you have to do to be part of this media stunt / solidarity action is enjoy a s'more by September 3.

Fair trade chocos are now more widely available than ever. You can find them at Whole Foods and many other stores (here's my list of LA stores that offer fair trade chocolate), or online at Global Exchange and other retailers. If you're looking for something healthier, Clif bar and Kopali Organics both offer yummy energy bars made with fair trade chocolate.

Want FREE fair trade chocolate? It's yours -- but only if you promise to give it way. Thanks to Global Exchange and some fair trade chocolate companies, fair trade chocolate advocates can get Reverse Trick or Treat Kits -- 20-25 pieces of fair trade chocolate along with fair trade information cards -- for just the shipping cost, $4.95. The one requirement is that these chocos must be given out by kids to adults on Halloween.

If you'd rather do the giving out yourself, order a regular Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit from Global Exchange (left). For $21, you get 42 pieces of Equal Exchange Fair Trade mini chocolates, a stack of festive Halloween postcards, traditional Papel Picado Mexican party streamers, a Fair Trade is Bootifull poster to hang on your door, and an eco-friendly mulberry paper Trick or Treat Bag from Thailand (not pictured). Plus right now, you get an additional bonus: a 9-piece Chocolate Gift Box (right).

If you've been reading this post cuz you heart chocolate but really don't get why fair trade's necessary: The basic reason's that abusive child labor is often used to harvest the cocoa beans on farms in Cote D'Ivoire. Fair trade activists are trying to put an end to that practice, but in the meantime, buying fair trade chocolate lets you put your money towards more ethical labor practices. Here's more history and background, and here's more on how you can get involved in this issue.

A coalition called STOP THE TRAFFIK -- a group that basically brings together organizations committed to stopping slave-like human labor -- also has some creative ideas for actions you can take in your community, though many of these are more involved and will require some real commitment.

The easiest -- and in some ways, the most effective -- action you can take is just stick to fair trade chocolate when you decide to indulge in the sweet stuff. Many women bloggers are going this route: Carrie of Carrie's Kitchen Creations says "Fair-trade is the only way to go," and Felice of What Gives!? says "Nothing beats the taste of sweet social justice."

Photos and images via Global Exchange

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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel likes Theo's fair trade and organic chocolate bars. She blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

My new green yoga mat -- plus a recycled vintage sari bag

2008-08-25T13:31:26-05:00

Finally, I've got an enviro and people-friendly yoga mat! It's ruddy, it's pretty, and it matched a beautiful yoga bag -- made by a local company in Venice, Calif., called Kismet that rescues vintage saris and recycles them into gorgeous products, made under fair trade conditions by women in rural India.

Until now I'd been using an old Nike mat -- from a time before Nike started phasing out the eco-horror that's PVC, aka vinyl, which creates all sorts of environmental problems and leaches phthalates -- a plasticizer linked to negative reproductive health effects -- to boot. Not only was the mat not eco, it was too thin and not grippy enough. Also, it was kinda ugly.

But since reusing's generally better than buying new (even if buying eco-versions of stuff), I'd resisted buying a new green mat. Then, I read Umbra of Grist's recommendation to replace PVC mats, even if it means sending yet another nonrecyclable hunk of PVC into the landfill.

So yesterday, before my yoga class at Yoga Works, I bought an eKo Lite Yoga mat by Manduka and tried it out. The 24x68 mat's very slip resistant and has good cushioning; the "ember" color also looks pretty atop hardwood floors.

The eco factors: Made mostly of natural tree rubber via a nontoxic production process, the mat's free of PVC, oil-based products, or other toxic plasticizers. Post-use, the mat's 100% biodegradable.

Want one for yourself? Manduka's got a good color selection -- and even has bigger sizes, though the eKo Lite's plenty big for me -- but do make sure you buy a mat from the eKo line, as Manduka also sells some less eco mats.

Of course, Manduka's eKo mats aren't the only green option out there. Many companies are coming out with eco yoga mats -- which can be kind of confusing for the average green yogi. Some factors to consider:

>> Jute mats are very eco, but tend not to be very grippy, according to Kate Schox of SchoxYoga who reviewed 5 green yoga mats for Freshtopia.net. I've also heard that jute mats tend not to last very long; they fall apart in humid yoga practice rooms, apparently.

>> Rubber mats are also eco and are often grippier, though the grippiness does depend on the mat's texture. The one downside: Rubber mats smell like rubber -- especially at first. My eKo mat came with instructions to leave it unrolled as much as possible at the beginning to air it out -- and to clean it with organic cider vinegar then rinse with cold water to speed up the de-scenting process even further. I'm actually not that troubled by the rubber smell -- it's noticeable, but not atrocious -- but will air out my mat on my balcony later today in case it bothers fellow yoga classmates.

>> Latex-free mats are widely available for those who want to avoid the stuff. My eKo mat has a note that says it's 99% latex free -- which I take to mean it's 1% latex and prolly not appropriate for those with latex allergies.

All in all, I'm v. happy with my eKo mat so far. Got a green yoga mat to recommend (or warn us against buying)? Share in the comments --
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel likes to rest in child's pose when she isn't blogging here or at greenLAgirl.com

Tomato balcony gardening

2008-08-24T02:54:48-05:00

Motivated by Kalyn Denny's "If You Have Ripe Tomatoes and Fresh Basil, It's Time for Caprese Salad" post, I decided to start a balcony tomato garden!

First stop: The Santa Monica Farmers' Market, where I picked up a high country tomato plant from a local farmer (right). "You got lucky!" he said, and pointed out that my lil $3 purchase actually had 3 separate tomato plants in it -- so I paid just a buck per plant! He advised me to separate the plants out and plant them v. deeply.

Second stop: Whole Foods, to pick up a couple pots -- I found biodegradable ones that look stylish too! -- and some compost.

Next, I tried to separate out the tomato plants as gently as possible -- They were really enmeshed together though -- then put each one in its own pot.

Wish me luck with these -- because my last tomato plant got strangely twisty. For encouragement, I read Jul of This Non-American Life's post about her balcony-grown tomato -- which has a cute lil nose! If I can successfully get my tomato plants to thrive on my balcony, I'll try branching out. Soli Deo Gloria at Heart and Hearth says lemongrass is easy to grow on her balcony.

If things don't go too well though, that's okay -- I'm actually encouraged by Kate at The Root's confession about her balcony gardening troubles, just cuz it's comforting knowing I'm not the only plant killer:

The carrots seedlings, such as they are, one centimeter tall, are yellowing, the chard has somehow mummified into tough little inch-long shoots, the lavender I had such high hopes for seems to think it has fall foliage, Freya’s little primrose plant is suffering through yet another cycle of flood and drought, and my Brandywine tomato is straining to produce its 20th leaf. It’s nothing good.

Got a balcony garden of your own -- or thinking of starting one? Then bookmark Grow Your Own, "a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products" organized by Andrea at Andrea's Recipes.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Save the rainforest, one shampoo at a time

2008-08-18T13:40:03-05:00

Get clean, save the rainforest. That's the message eco personal-care company Save Your World's sending out. Buy any shampoo, lotion, soap, or other pampering product -- all paraben-free, vegan, and made with fair trade ingredients -- and you'll save at least one acre of the Guyana rainforest in South America.

Yep -- unlike the vague promises of companies that say they'll send "a percentage of the profits" to an eco-org, Save Your World's promise is concrete and transparent. Basically, each product Save Your World sells sends between 15 cents to $4.50 (depending on the price of the product) to enviro nonprofit Conservation International, which uses the money to pay annual lease fees to keep the rainforest from logging companies. Incredibly, it only costs 15 cents to preserve an acre for a year!

And also incredibly, the eco-friendly products do their job! I especially liked the shampoos, which worked refreshingly well, especially compared to some of the disastrous results I got from other eco hair products. The shampoos cleansed, the conditioners detangled and moisturized, and the body wash lathered up nicely.

Even better, Save the World products all get a "low hazard" score of 1 or 2 -- except the lotions, which get a "moderate risk" 3 -- from Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database, Skin Deep.

My one qualm had to do with some of the natural fragrances, which some might find too strong -- or too funky. The "oasis fruit" scented stuff smells very much like Tang, for one! And the "rainforest" scented conditioner and shower gel had a strangely sweet, medicinal scent (though oddly, the shampoo did not). I also found that the lotions seemed thinnish and took a while to absorb -- though once absorbed, my skin felt v. well moisturized.

Diane at dkMommy Spot loves the entire Save Your World line, however -- especially the hair products: " I finally have soft, manageable hair, and the fragrance of the natural essential oils–heavenly!" Truth in Aging's marta wohrle isn't convinced that the fair trade yerba mate in Save Your World's body wash is really a "powerful anti-oxidant," and says the body wash is "All in all, not a bad product, but not a stand out one" (she doesn't actually seemed to have tried the product, however).

What I really, really liked are the exfoliating bars -- soap with a little scrubby grain to them -- and am planning to make a permanent switch to them (sorry Dr. Bronner's!). Save Your World products are conveniently available at Whole Foods and The Vitamin Shoppe -- as well as online.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Wear your Eco-Logical vote with Under the Canopy

2008-08-16T12:53:48-05:00

Right after my post about an organic cotton top that didn't fit right, a pretty one that fits perfectly arrived in the mail!

To the right's me in a small "Vote Eco-Logically" T-shirt, made by Under the Canopy, an enviro-conscious home and fashion company. 100% organic cotton and eco-friendly dyes make for a very comfy, soft, and light t-shirt -- that fits perfectly!

The design's cute too, despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of slogan tees. Here the text has been integrated to the design so it isn't so overwhelming. Plus, the message is timely -- Perfect for the political fundraiser I'm throwing next month!

Even better, 2% of the money you spend on the $28 T-shirt (Men’s cost $34) through Nov. 2008 will go to The Rainforest Foundation.

This T-shirt's just became available yesterday, so I think I'm the first person on the blogosphere reviewing it. But many other bloggers heart Under the Canopy!

>> Kimbui at Chic by Nature says Under the Canopy's Sara Tank is "Effortless, gorgeous and perfect with those jeans you should have thrown away years ago."

>> Jillian at Haute Mimi loves Under the Canopy's Organic Linen Pants which, unlike most linen pants, "are extremely soft and feel smooth against your skin."

>> Abbey Khan at Fushion Magazine goes so far as to say Under the Canopy's "Coining the term Eco-fashion."

While the "Vote Eco-Logically" statement's pro-environment, it doesn't endorse a particular candidate. Can't figure out who'd make the greener president? Check out Grist's interviews and info on the presidential candidates' environmental positions, including a handy chart that lets you see at a glance where the candidates stand.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel will wear her organic T-shirt to the beach after blogging at greenLAgirl.com.

Maggie's Functional Organics: Comfy camisole, eco-fugly shorts

2008-08-13T08:49:32-05:00

You might best know Maggie's Functional Organics for its organic socks and tights, available at Whole Foods and many eco clothing stores. But this green company makes more than just footwear. In fact, you could dress yourself up entirely in Maggie's, thanks to Maggie's organic cami-and-shorts set (left).

However, I'm not sure I'd leave home in this outfit, despite Maggie's contention that "These Lounge Sets are great for yoga, lounging around the house or running errands on the weekend!"

Lemme start with what I love about the 'fit. Obviously, Maggie's commitment to organic cotton and to Maggie's commitment to fair trade practices (this cami-and-shorts set is made in Costa Rica) makes me happy. Even better are Maggie's prices! Bucking the image that eco-fashions are only affordable to the rich, Maggie's offers its cami-and-shorts set for just $28 right now!

What doesn't work for me about this 'fit: It doesn't fit well. No, the outfit isn't too big or too small. I mean that the clothes don't look flattering on me -- or on most people.

To be fair, I'm okay with the cami. The organic cotton fabric's great -- soft and comfy -- and the lightweight cami kept me cool in my apartment on a sunny SoCal day. The one downside is that the fabric around the armpits just doesn't sit flat, creating an unsightly gap between your skin and the shirt, as you can see even on the model photos above (I added in the red circles to highlight what I'm talking about). However, I guess the degree to which this fit would be a problem depends on your unique size and shape.

The shorts (right), however, are another matter. They look like they were made by quickly cutting fabric roughly in the shape of shorts, then sewing up the edges and attaching a thick chunk of elastic up top. The shorts have little shape, hanging down loosely and bunchily in a manner that's not very flattering to my ass, hips, or any area it covers.

Sure, the shorts are comfily "functional" -- in the same way that an organic cotton sack with holes for the head and arms could "function" as a comfy dress. But they are not cute. It may be because I live in LA, but people here don't wear stuff like that to yoga class; they wear cute stuff, more like this.

Meaning that while Maggie's shorts avoid the eco equals expensive stereotype, they fall directly into the eco equals shapeless sack stereotype. I do feel that Maggie's has sort of lost a great opportunity here by ignoring design factors. Comfy clothes can look good too -- and I hope Maggie's will work on the aesthetics of its products more in the future....

However, if all you really care about is comfort, you can be good to your wallet, your own health and the planet's by getting some affordable loungewear from Maggie's Organics.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

De-Plasticking BlogHer 2009!

2008-08-09T07:15:40-05:00

This year's BlogHer Conference was greener than ever, thanks in large part to Zwaggle's recycling our shwag (pic below). Post-conference, I asked if you had suggestions about how we could make BlogHer Conferences even greener -- and got some v. innovative ideas!

The conclusion I've drawn from those ideas is twofold:

1 To green a conference, one needs to set v. v. specific goals -- i.e. something more specific than "go green."

2. A lot of people want that goal to be "get rid of disposable plastic."

I mean, BlogHer's started down the de-plasticking path already, what with making the BlogHer bags reusable cotton totes! The problem was that each of those contained a disposable bottle of water (I believe it was bio-plastic, but still!), much to the consternation of many environmentalists.

I ran into a whole buncha conference attendees who said they'd actually brought their own reusable bottle (One said she was instructed to do so in an email, but I don't remember getting said email. Do you?), but ended up grabbing the plastic bottled water in the bags or in the meeting rooms, simply because they were, you know, there.

I would like to point out, however, that no-plastic water options were very much available! Many meeting rooms had chilled water in metal coolers in the back -- although they were much less prominent than the bottled water option.

My point is this: Many people brought their own reusable bottles, and for those who didn't, one sponsor was giving out free reusable water bottles! We coulda nixed the disposable water bottles altogether, and no one woulda been parched due to their absence....

MamaBird at Surely You Nest echoes this sentiment. Her advice: "Easy one for next conference is obviously water. There were tons of glasses but instead of pitchers, plastic water bottles sitting next to them.... It drove me nuts."

My other point: Lunches don't have to be encased in plastic (or bio-plastic). What happened to good old brown paper bag lunches?

Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish noted that "There sure is a lot of plastic at this here conference. Somehow I thought there would be less." Let's make that happen at BlogHer 2009!

De-plasticking, some might say, could hurt BlogHer's chances of attracting sponsors. However, I think this is highly unlikely. While plastic bottle companies may, of course, be less likely to try to get their goods in our shwag bags, other companies will surely see BlogHer's de-plasticking as an opportunity to offer better-targeted shwag, i.e reusable water bottles!

In fact, BlogHer member Deb wrote that by communicating BlogHer attendees' preferences to the sponsors, those sponsors will be "better able to spend their money on swag people want!"

Those want / don't want messages came across loud and clear in this year's Zwaggle recycling room, where many people dumped off mostly plastic-based items. Says Deb: "As a marketer I have been in the unenviable position of designing and purchasing swag for different purposes, and I think your vendors are lucky to get feedback from the room--what bloggers kept, and what they recycled is useful information."

Which makes me think that one way we could sell this greening message to sponsors is by letting them know that, hey, you'll get a clear visual sense of the fact that BlogHer attendees aren't too keen on plastic just by surveying the recycling room.

Another sponsor selling point: BlogHer's greening efforts will actually help sponsor shwag go to the people who want them most! BlogHer's own Jory Des Jardins points out that while most people didn't want those tire pressure gauge things, others wanted two! "It's all about choice, the choice to take something, or two of something, if desired," Jory points out.

Of course, some enviros are more radical and want to go beyond reducing plastic to basically doing away with most shwag. Says Jenn of Tiny Choices: "Who needs all that swag, more totebags, and fridge magnets? I’m definitely on board for working with them next year!"

I'm with Jenn to a large degree -- After all, I kept v. little of the shwag I received. However, I do also get Jory's point that one gal's trash is another's treasure, especially since I give out tote bags all the time as freebies on my personal blog -- and those giveaways are always popular.

In any case, I think sponsors are important in making BlogHer conferences financially affordable to our community members -- and I do think some sponsors -- Zwaggle being a big case in point -- offer v. valuable goods and services to the attendees. As long as we do our best to encourage BlogHer sponsors to offer USEFUL, non-disposable-plastic shwag, AND offer attendees a way to easily recycle the shwag they don't want as Zwaggle did this year, shwaggin's alright with me --

Are you willing to de-plastic for the next BlogHer conference? Or have you got other greening suggestions for the next time we all meet up? Let us all know in the comments!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel notes that good wine and beer always comes in glass bottles, not plastic ones. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Two Green Girls on a gas-guzzling road trip

2008-08-04T13:29:46-05:00

If you're staycationing this summer, you can take a vicarious road trip by following Mary Logan Barmeyer -- National Geographic Green Guide research specialist -- and her cousin, Trish Harris via their blog, Two Green Girls on the Road.

These two girls took off from Atlanta on July 20 and have been driving across the country while trying to keep their eco-footprint as small as possible by crashing at friends', hypermiling, and spending just $25 a day. Their ride itself, a gas-guzzling borrowed Volvo, isn't green -- but the car's supposed to put the girls in the same boat as many American families traveling this summer.

Luckily, the girls are trying to take alternative transportation in the places they visit. In LA, for example, the girls took the Metro from Echo Park to Santa Monica beach!

I was supposed to meet up with these girls when they were in town last week week, but the time they were available -- Wed. morning -- conflicted with a Green L.A. panel I was on :( But I did get to chat with Mary Logan on her cell as the two drove out of the city.

Mary Logan says LA was "cool," though it seems they ran into some snafus: They got on and off the Metro 4 and 704 all day, checking out West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on their way to the beach -- but didn't save money by getting a day pass because they didn't know you could buy said passes on the bus. They also got turned away from The Echo because one of the girls forgot her ID --

But Mary Logan and Trish also got to check out Lovecraft Bio-Fuels, enjoyed some home garden-grown food, and visited Patagonia's headquarters. The girls are now in San Francisco -- and about to head back home. You can follow their progress on GeoMaps.

One odd coincidence, sort of: there are a couple dudes at CNN who're doing like the exact reverse of what the Green Girls are doing. CNN.com producer Cody McCloy and web developer Brian Hardy are in the middle of biodieseling from San Francisco Bay to Atlanta. At the moment, the boys are in Winslow, Arizona.

If you're planning a vacation of your own, Grist has a nice comprehensive guide on how to green your vacation. And greatgreentravel.com's full of ideas for the eco-traveler. Happy summer --

Photo from National Geographic
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge: A Bike ride a week keeps the CO2 away, sorta

2008-07-28T16:43:52-05:00

The Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge is back! The main idea of the challenge is to make all trips under 2 miles by bike, but this year's message is simpler and easier: Bike Once a Week to Fight Climate Change.

Still don't have a bike yet? The 2 Mile Challenge site features a Bike Builder, which lets you, you know, build your own bike -- then sends you a gear list and info on where to get the stuff.

I built myself a cruiser with a cute basket and blinky lights (above) and was v. tempted to buy it -- except oh wait -- I own one --

If you're lucky, the 2 Mile Challenge biodiesel tour bus'll come to your town, "loaded with trip-mapping and Bike Builder kiosks, an inspirational cycling video and the market’s best commuter bikes, along with CLIF BAR samples." Unfortunately, the bus won't be coming to my town, but will apparently be hitting "hotspots in the Midwest." There are hotspots in the Midwest? This is news to me --

No, those Clif bar wrappers still aren't recyclable in the traditional sense -- but Clif has teamed up with eco worm-poop company Terracycle to turn those wrappers into "unique accessories and other upcycled products." Sign up to collect the wrappers -- and a nonprofit org of your choice can get 2 cents per wrapper you send in!

Afraid a biking habit will mess up your 'do? Summer has a nice guide to looking hot while biking on BTC blog -- from the side-parted low hairstyle to bamboo denim trousers -- complete with diagram (right). Read and learn.

Top image courtesy of 2 Mile Challenge; bottom photo illustration by Summer Bowen
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel wants a lil bell for her pink townie bike and blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

How your BlogHer Shwag got recycled by Zwaggle

2008-07-27T00:56:08-05:00

If you were at the BlogHer conference, you know about Zwaggle, a site for parents who want to trade kids’ stuff -- because Zwaggle ran the recycling room for unwanted shwag at the BlogHer Conference last week. At that time, Zwaggle wasn't quite sure how they were going to recycle all the items, especially since the company didn't know what shwag people would be getting.

Post-conference, Adam of Zwaggle sent me an update. It looks like the recycling efforts were a huge success! If you've been curious about what happened to those trial DVDs and magic 8-balls, here's your answer:

>> A few items -- including the Quickbooks and Raggs DVDs, free panty offers, and CFL bulb recycling kids -- went back to the sponsors.

>> The Magic 8-balls, Boca burger magnets, T-shirts, and some DVDs were donated to Create Now, an LA nonprofit providing creative arts mentoring to kids. The shwag'll mainly be given out as prizes at talent shows or put in gift bags.

>> Must of the rest -- including magazines, fliers, and water bottles -- were recycled.

What remains, according to Adam, is just a "4 lb box of random one-offs (lotion, pens, small block, stickers)" that he's still trying to find homes for. This reduction's a grand feat, since the recycling room was very popular with Blogher conference attendees. I guess a lot of people really hate seeing all the shwag go to waste at other conferences!

Writes Amy Lenzo of Beauty Dialogues about the recycling room: "To me, this is a very good sign, and I'd love to see the practice adopted in all conferences." Stimey of The Junk Pyramid too loved how the recycling room helped her de-junk. Others, like Ariel of Inside Voice vowed to de-shwag further in the future: "Next time I'll be more judicious about what exactly I take home. Until then, anyone want a DVD of The Closer?"

All of this has me thinking about last year -- and how much more we can reduce the amount of plasticky trash generated at BlogHer. This year's greening efforts were a tremendous improvement over previous years, but many attendees still were bothered by all the one-use plastic containers and other items used and tossed at the conference.

Got a suggestion about how we could make BlogHer Conferences even greener? Comment or email me at greenlagirl@gmail.com with your ideas, and I'll compile them into an action plan of sorts as well as send on the suggestions to the organizers.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Eco-phrase "I Don't Need a Bag" gets an anthem

2008-07-21T17:26:38-05:00

Tired of getting a big plastic bag when all you bought is a pack of gum? A 10-piece LA band's taken up your cause! Soul Punk Swing's turned the phrase "I don't need a bag" into a song -- performed last week at Taix restaurant in Hollywood. (via Intuition)

Just say no nicely when you don't really need a bag. For those times you do, BlogHer conference attendees all got a reusable tote this year -- So use it! You'll be joining the ranks of famous fellow BYO baggers such as Diane Lane, Marion McMullen at Pass the Remote points out. If you need more totes, you can find some cute ones made by woman-owned companies here.

Take your BYO bagging to the next level by employing reusable bulk bags for grains, cucumbers, etc. You can enter to win 3 reusable bulk bags from Kootsac, thanks to Amy Purple at purplepinkandorange.com.

Reusing plastic bags, of course, also works -- especially for transporting "wet" produce (i.e. strawberries) and keeping veggies fresh in the fridge, as Umbra of Grist points out in her article today.

If you're still wondering about that paper vs plastic debate, you can find out more about the nitty gritties here. The real answer, however, is just to take your own pretty bag.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel totes a foldable Envirosax bag in her pre-loved Marc Jacobs purse. She also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Would you buy a Tahoe?

2008-07-21T11:41:44-05:00

Post BlogHer conference, we had to put $100 worth of gas in the Tahoe to get us home.

If you remember, GM was originally gonna lend BlogHer riders a much more fuel-efficient Malibu for our trip up to the conference. Unexpectedly, we got a Tahoe instead -- one that's a hybrid, but still only got 22 mpg.

In case you missed it, GM's not doing so well these days -- selling assets, laying off employees, closing a buncha plants that make big cars.

No, big cars aren't doing well. Which makes me think that -- if GM wants to sell cars -- it should be pushing its smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. But GM's still trying to push its humongo behemoths on a nation that, clearly, isn't interested.

On our way back, my carpool partner Kendra and I tried to identify types of people who might actually buy a Tahoe. We came up with two demographics:

1. People who have 8+ children.
2. People who need to tow boats.

One other demographic was people who are v. rich. However, that demographic just demonstrates potential, not desire, for Tahoe ownership -- meaning I just don't get why some rich person would buy a minivan vs. a sports car -- unless they have 8+ kids or a boat.

None of my friends have 8+ children or boats, as far as I know.

The Tahoe did its job, of course, which was to get us from LA to San Francisco and back. My point is that I think the Malibu coulda done that too....
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

How much does it cost to fill up a Tahoe?

2008-07-17T18:48:03-05:00

Arrived in San Francisco for the BlogHer conference -- Still have a third of a tank of gas left in the Tahoe hybrid!

V. glad GM's paying for parking, b/c at the Westin St. Francis it's $49 + tax per night per car -- and that's if you're a guest.
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Chevy Tahoe: A Very big car

2008-07-17T02:56:56-05:00

[Update: This car's a Tahoe, not a Malibu, as I thought it was called. Both headline and post have been updated to reflect the correct name of the car :P ]

Thanks to GM, I and some fellow BlogHers get a free ride up to San Francisco for the BlogHer conference. GM's lending us a Chevy Tahoe -- free of charge -- along with a full tank of gas and free parking.

Said Chevy Tahoe's taking up half my block at the moment.

Yep, the Tahoe's a hybrid, but a humongo one -- meaning it gets only 22 mpg.

Considering how expensive gas is these days, does anyone know how many miles a full tank of gas in a Chevy Tahoe will get us?

Don't worry -- I'm carpooling -- though now that I have a real sense of how big the Tahoe is and how low its mpg is, I'm thinking I really shoulda worked harder on getting more people to ride up with us --

I'm hoping we can scrounge up more people to ride down with us Sunday morning. Lemme know if you're coming back to LA post-conference!
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.

Go Green to $ave Green: How books, tools, furniture and more can cost less, even be free

2008-07-16T06:55:15-05:00

Back when I briefly worked at a bookstore, the manager once told me that during economic downturns, books still sell nicely. According to him, hard times make people look for brief respites from their money woes -- thus making them spend money on relatively affordable entertainment purchases, like books, DVDs, and CDs.

I haven't found any independent economic studies backing up said managers' assertions, but what I do know is this: There's no reason to pay full price for most books, DVDs, and CDs -- or really, most things. Here's a list of webby ways to get the stuff you want cheaply, organized from v. free to less free:

1. Freecycle and Craigslist. I've already sung the praises of Freecycle here -- and I can tell you I furnished most of my apartment v. cheaply via Craigslist.

If you live in a larger metropolitan area, the Craigslist listings are so huge that you can actually go shopping for v. specific items from specific brands on the cheap! My friend Summer had her eye on a certain IKEA wardrobe for storing the eco-fashions for her green online boutique, BTC Elements -- and found it on Craigslist for half price, basically saving herself half a grand.

Craigslist also has a free section that's fun to browse -- and very useful for getting rid of stuff you no longer want. David of The Good Human, for example, got rid of a whole lot of CDs and DVDs via Craigslist and Freecycle.

2. BookMooch. Exchange your used books for free (except for shipping costs). BookMooch uses a points system that basically lets you get a free book for every book you give away. In short, you're really expanding your library!

3. Swaptree. Trade or recycle your books, DVDs, CDs, and video games with other users -- free except for shipping. Just list the stuff you want to swap, and the site will use "two and three way trade algorithms" to instantly find all the people who want what you have, and have what you want. Shipping's made easy because Swaptree'll give you a postage label that can be printed from the computer, so you can avoid a trip to the post office. This YouTube video should give you a more detailed idea of what Swaptree has to offer.

4. Neighborrow. Borrow or lend tools and supplies to and from neighbors. Neighborrow's an interesting site that, sadly, hasn't attracted enough followers to make it v. useful yet. But perhaps BlogHer readers can breathe some life into this site! If you've ever needed some rather pricey piece of equipment -- say, an electric drill -- but couldn't justify buying it for a one-time project, Neighborrow's for you. In addition to borrowing / lending, Neighborrow lets you arrange permanent trades or giveaways for stuff you no longer need.

5. Half.com and Ebay. Some of the stuff on these sites are new, but you can find many pre-loved items at v. cheap prices on both these popular sites.

6. Throwplace. Get tax deductions by giving the stuff you don't want to charities. Throwplace'll let you list your unwanted stuff for charities in need to browse through and request. You will need to arrange for pickup or shipping -- but shipping's tax deductible too. The site also has sections for businesses and individuals, if you're just looking to unload the stuff and don't really care about the deductions.

Yep, there are other ways to get pre-loved stuff on the cheap. PennySaver and local newspaper / magazine classifieds are good options, as are libraries, used book stores, Blockbusters' used DVD section, swap meets, etc. However, I'm sticking to the more webby stuff here to get you started from the comfort of your own keyboard.

Back to the book thing: Here's a full list on how to green your reading practices. Got a good pre-loved eco-find story? Share it in the comments --
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel also blogs at greenLAgirl.com.