In a time when federal public policy is crippled to deal with climate change, organizations, states, and municipalities are stepping up. Andrea Robinson is the Director of Greening for the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August. Her goal is to reuse, recycle or compost at least 85% of all waste generated during the convention. She has made the risky move of making some pretty strong statements on the conservation and sustainability efforts of the Convention.

When my son was an infant, people would ask, "Do you use cloth or disposable diapers?" My former husband would jokingly respond, "I'm studying that issue and will get back to you in about 2 1/2 years." For many of us being kind to our environment is a philosophy we endorse until it really makes our lives inconvenient. Of course we support the Green Movement but just don't make me sacrifice ...too much.

A long holiday weekend like we have here in the US leads many to think about life outdoors: barbecueing in the backyard, a game of catch or croquet.  But before we do those things, we must consider our lawns.  Do we really need all those swaths of green that require mowing, fertilizing, and pesticides? 

So we all should be purchasing organic food from farmers markets, adorning ourselves in bamboo and hemp fabrics and convert our homes to clean living domiciles? Hooey! Yes, I said hooey! One of my gripes about the 2008 incarnation of the so called Green movement is the emphasis on being "Green" without the acknowledgement of the expense of trying to implement a "Green lifestyle" on a fixed or stretched to the bone budget. Or trying to do that living in urban areas or places far away from Los Angeles or New York.

On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 13450.44 --that's a 1107.44 jump over the same time last year. Somebody must be happy. Ha! That could be the first --or definitely one of the very few-- reports on the comings and goings of the Dow Jones on the pages of BlogHer Business, Career & Personal Finance.

At its core, it is a brilliantly simple idea. Have one million women pledge to shift a thousand dollars of their spending from brown products to green ones. If there is one area where women can dominate the conversation its on what products consumers will and will not support.

This week's look around the net revealed an eclectic assortment of interesting items. Bioneers began working on environmental, economic and social issues in the 1990s. Over 3000 people now attend the annual Bioneers Conference with another 7000 participating via satellite. This year's conference will be in San Rafael, California, Oct. 19-21. Of 16 plenary speakers for this year, nine are women.