Archive for April, 2008
April 30th, 2008
Bioneers & Ed Begley Jr.
Last night I had the good fortune to go to an event hosted by the L.A. Bioneers and featuring enviro-activist Ed Begley Jr. It was held at the Electric Lodge in (where else?) Venice, which is a solar-powered theater. How cool–er, hot–is that?
What is a Bioneer, you may well ask? Their formal mission statement says that “Bioneers is a forum for connecting the environment, health, social justice, and spirit within a broad progressive framework.” The Bioneers was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit organization that promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth. They have a cool tagline: “It’s All Alive, It’s All Intelligent, It’s All Connected.” Makes sense, eh? Learn more about the Bioneers here.
From what I could tell of the group (and this was my first time joining them) it’s comprised of 40-70-year-olds who are very informed about environmental issues and work as activists to spread the gospel of sustainability. Some folks are really into food issues, others into water, and some into transportation. Many of these folks are ex- and current-hippies and God bless them for it. Their questions were spirited and wide-ranging. It was a potluck affair complete with composting.
And Ed Begley Jr. was the main event. For any of you who have not had the chance to see Ed speak, definitely do if you have the opportunity. He is an old-school environmentalist who really walks the talk– not like some of today’s “green celebrities” who fly around in private jets. Ed bought his first electric car in 1970 (yes, 1970) and has made his home a shrine to sustainability. He walks everywhere he can, usually refuses to fly to events (due to the carbon emissions load), and eats organic. (Learn more about Ed here.)
But wait– better than all of this– there is not a SHRED of self-righteousness to him. He thinks what he has done is important, yes, but he is here to encourage all to do as much as we can to lower the impact of our daily lives. He said he got his inspiration by running in Los Angeles as a young man in the ’70s and doubling over choking from the smog. “I said enough! I have to do something!” That’s what got him to buy an electric car and became a vegetatrian. Eventually he worked his way up to a wind turbine on his house and then solar panels. He grows some of his own food, he composts, and he wears clothes until they fall off his body.
In spite of all the growing bad news on the climate change front, and our increasing water shortages, Ed remains hopeful. He wants people to remain active and remember that we really do have an impact. “We have four times the cars in LA that we did in 1970 and now only 1/2 the smog. We made changes and they have had a positive impact. We outlawed CFCs and stopped the depletion of the ozone– and we all thought it was a battle we couldn’t win.”
And did I mention he’s hilarious? One of his best lines about reducing our constant cycle of mass consumption: “Remember that bumper sticker from the ‘80– ‘He who dies with the most toys wins’? Well I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hearse with luggage racks.”
April 30th, 2008
The AIA and Dwell Magazine Team Up To Spread The Word About Sustainability
By Kristin Dispenza courtesy of GreenBuildingElements.com
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has ambitious goals for reducing carbon emissions related to the built environment: it hopes to make all buildings carbon neutral by 2030, and aims for a 50% fossil fuel reduction by 2010. But to accomplish what is, in effect, a complete overhaul of the way the construction industry operates, the AIA must make sure that its message is heard by people outside its own membership. Toward that end, the group announced its “Walk the Walk: Architects Leading the Sustainable Evolution” campaign On January 15th of this year.
Intended to “inform the marketplace” on the benefits of green building, the initiative sets forth a multifaceted communications strategy. Christine McEntee, Executive Vice President and CEO of the AIA, is quoted as saying, “As America continues to be saturated by messages of ‘going green,’ there is a general lack of understanding that buildings are one of the primary sources of the greenhouse gases contributing to global warming and climate change. The ‘Walk the Walk’ program will raise awareness of this issue and provide practical energy saving solutions for people who build, work and live in buildings of all shapes and sizes.”
The marketing firm Giant Ideas was hired to orchestrate “Walk the Walk,” and their website has a blog detailing the campaign’s development. One component of the campaign is the AIA/Dwell “How Green are You” contest, which focuses on sustainable home design and renovation. Tapping into Dwell’s audience should be a strong move for the campaign; the research company Erdos & Morgan found that Dwell magazine reaches an affluent, professional readership, and has the unique duality of appealing to consumers and trade members (in a 60/40 split). Dwell has received many awards and honors, including a 2005 National Magazine Award, a 2003 Circulation Excellence Award from Circulation Managment, and a Top 10 listing in Capell’s “Best Performers in Circulation for 2005″.
“How Green are You” is open to anyone and the entry period is from April 5th to June 20th, 2008.
Judging Criteria include:
- Sustainability
- Functionality
- Originality
- Cost effectiveness, and
- Design
To enter the contest, click here.
Image credit: AIA
April 29th, 2008
April Environmental News Review
Here is a selection of the leading new stories on environmental topics from the month of April. As always, we welcome your comments.
McCain, Clinton support summer gas-tax rollback — Grist.org–April 29, 2008
U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain have said they support temporarily suspending the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel over the summer to ease the impacts of high fuel prices on consumers. McCain indicated he would shift revenue from other sources to cover the estimated $9 billion dip in highway infrastructure funds that would result; Clinton has proposed enacting a windfall-profits tax on oil companies to make up the shortfall. Both Clinton and McCain attacked Barack Obama for opposing the tax suspension.
Artic Ice Shelf Seen Melting Faster Than Anticipated — Reuters– April 24, 2008
Arctic ice may be melting faster than most climate change science has concluded, the conservation group WWF said in a report published on Thursday. It found that ice in Greenland and across the Arctic region was retreating “at rates significantly faster than predicted in previous expert assessments.”
Security Risk from Climate Said Underestimated — Reuters– April 23, 2008
Countries around the world have hugely underestimated the potential conflicts stemming from climate change and must invest heavily to correct that mistake, a report said on Wednesday. The report for Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) by environment expert Nick Mabey said the response had been “slow and inadequate” and to rectify it spending needed to surge to levels comparable to sums spent on counter-terrorism.
Treading Lighter with Low Carbon Diets — Los Angeles Times — April 22, 2008
Conscientious consumers who want to tread lightly are increasingly concerned about their own carbon footprints. They’ve changed lightbulbs. They covet a Prius more than a Porsche. Now their anxiety over global warming has shifted to the supermarket and dinner table. The global food and agriculture system produces about one-third of humanity’s contribution to greenhouse gases. So questions about food are shifting from the familiar “Is this good for me?” or “Will it make me fat?” to “Is it good for the planet?”
Bee Colonies Continue to Decline — The Alternative Consumer– April 21, 2008
Honey bee population declines continue to trouble the U.S. agricultural industry. America’s honey bees are responsible for pollinating more than 100 different crops worth $15 billion annually and continue to experience population decreases as evidenced by a study commissioned by Apiary Inspectors of America, (AIA).
Bush Calls for Flat US Greenhouse Emissions by 2025 — New York Times Dot Earth– April 16, 2008
President Bush, in a Rose Garden speech on climate change, challenged the world’s biggest (and most polluting) countries to immediately end trade barriers on energy-related technology, beef up a fund to help bring less-polluting energy options to poor countries, and commit to curbing their greenhouse-gas emissions.
Bush’s Climate Speech: Too Little Too Late — World Wildlife Fund– April 16, 2008
Dr. Richard Moss, Vice President and Managing Director of Climate Change for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and member of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, issued the following statement today in response to President Bush’s speech on climate change:
President Bush is not offering a realistic policy proposal. His plan is so lacking in substance, it seems designed only to undercut efforts in Congress and at the international level to reduce climate emissions.
Agriculture: The Need for Change — United Nations Environment Programme– April 15, 2008
The way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with a growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse. That is the message from the report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development, a major new report by over 400 scientists which is launched today. The assessment was considered by 64 governments at an intergovernmental plenary in Johannesburg last week.
Climate Change Rises on World Bank Agenda — Reuters– April 10, 2008
Climate change is now one of the World Bank’s top concerns because of its expected impact on health and economic growth in developing countries, the bank’s lead environmental economist said. Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are where global warming’s damage will disproportionately be felt, and that makes it a key issue for the World Bank and other financial institutions aiming to foster development, said Kirk Hamilton, co-author of the Global Monitoring Report.
April 28th, 2008
The Low Down on Tankless Hot Water Heaters
Tankless hot water heaters are becoming a must-have appliance in homes these days. They purport to offer many benefits 
- instant and endless hot water, less wasted space, and a smaller carbon footprint as well. They can even be used to power radiant underfloor heating that is a luxury found in many green homes.
But are they truly the best option? What can you expect from one, and what do you have to worry about with installation? Finally, are there other options available that offer the same benefits without some of the challenges? We’ll try to cover most of that in this piece.
April 28th, 2008
Eco-friendly Catering for Your Wedding or Special Event
Written by Sharon Troy, courtesy of GreenOptions.com
It’s springtime and love must be in the air! Check out some green wedding tips here on Feelgood Style as well as some sources for eco-friendly wedding bands on Crafting a Green World. My own green wedding took place last summer, and I return to writing about it now because my husband and I were honored with being featured in this month’s issue of VegNews Magazine.
The publication profiles several weddings every year. I highly recommend picking up a copy (because I also love their recipes and features.) If you can’t find it at your newsstand, here’s a scan of the article where I’m featured.
I’m not just posting this to brag. I also wanted to point you towards some green catering resources. Whether you’re planning a wedding, a fundraiser, or any other special event, we all know that large groups of people can create a lot of waste. So choosing caterers who specialize in local, organic food is one way to lower your event’s carbon footprint.
When shopping around, we were excited to find just that type of service with our caterers, Back to Earth located in Berkeley, CA. In addition to our buffet dinner, they made our fabulous cake pictured here (flowers, courtesy of Oak Hill Farm). While our menu was all vegan, they work with all kinds of menus. From their website:
“You can taste every element of our food - the organic free-range chicken roaming free in Marin, perfect strawberries from Fully Belly Farm, the fresh spring greens from Riverdog Farm in Mendocino, Wild Salmon caught just miles from the San Francisco Bay, juicy portobellos from Solano Mushroom, artisan organic cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, and a rustic fresh baked organic bread from the Acme bakery, a local Berkeley treasure.”
Not only is their food spectacular, but a number of the vehicles they use for transportation run on biodiesel, and they can help you “green” a number of aspects of your event.
Some other catering companies I’ve found from across the U.S. with a commitment to the environment include:
Seedling Catering in Los Angeles focuses on vegan and macrobiotic menus.
Gail’s Vegetarian Catering in Washington, D.C. does a variety of events, but specializes in vegetarian weddings.
Eco-Goddess Edibles in Aspen, CO bills itself as “organic vegetarian cuisine” although their sample menus featured a number of fish dishes.
Phresh Organic Catering in Portland, OR caters to a more omnivorous crowd, and features a “commitment to sustainability” on its website.
Chowgirls in Minneapolis, MN has an adorable website, and puts a unique spin of things, with a section of “Retro Fare” on their diverse menu.
Pharm Catering in Chatanooga, TN was a bit light on the veggie options, but specializes on organic, local foods.
Herban Feast in Seattle, WA was my favorite of the caterers I looked at in Seattle, which has a number to choose from! Also worth a look is Ravishing Radish.
Lucid Food in New York, NY seems to have primarily done large upscale events, but also does corporate lunches.
There are dozens more in the Bay Area, and plenty more around the world. I’d love to hear your recommendations if you know of any. In the mean time, I’m going back to drooling over pictures of my vegan chocolate wedding cake… mmmm…
April 28th, 2008
Art from Recycled Goods = Divine Decor
We have recently come across the outstanding artists who are using found and recycled objects to create their masterpieces. Their work is gorgeous, intriguing and sustainable– what could be better?
The first we want to highlight is the “mosaic fusion” of artist S A Schimmel Gold. She collects junk mail and incorporates it into her stunning portraiture. Some are pure pop, some are moody and moving. I saw them “in person” at the AltBuild Expo last week and was floored. The artist says of herself and her work, “I am a rabid recycler - I am compelled to upcycle unusual resources to create my art and give others’ images and words a new life in my work. Look closely for menu items, cruise itineraries, gallery openings… stand back to view the sum of the parts - a textural representation of beauty.” Please review the Schimmel Art collection here.
The second artist we love is Tammy Roy, who is the founder of OneEighty, an eco-art studio. Tammy takes used washers, rebar and other found metal objects and welds them into compelling pieces. She makes lamps, bowls, wall pieces– and the amazing fireplace screen shown here. Tammy and her mom love to go dumpster-diving together– she says, ”Unlike most mothers and daughters, you won’t see us in the malls, but instead pulling scraps of steel from salvage yards!” See the entire OneEighty collection here.
If you have not seen the plastic bag mandala art of Virginia Fleck, you have a real treat in store. Fleck collects brightly colored plastic bags and turns them into spiritual post-consumer gems. She is grounded in both the traditions of American quilting and the mandala art of Tibet. Some of the pieces are fanciful (including images of Scooby Doo’s face) and some are more abstract and modernist. Fleck’s work has met with great critical acclaim, and once you peruse her collection, you will have no question as to why.
Kwytza Kraft was the original idea of founder Bryan Parks, an American who lived in China for several years. He became disturbed by the refuse created by single-use chopsticks, and decided he needed to do something about it. Now he collects chopsticks, sanitizes them, and creates stunning lamps, bowls, and other objects. He even makes purses and necklaces out of chopsticks. Please take a look at the Kwytza Kraft collection.
