No Matter How Cute Your Tush Is, You Shouldnt Cut Down A Tree To Keep It Clean!!

I have been away for a very long time and I am sorry to have abandoned you, my loyal readers. Fear not! I am back and better than ever. I can't promise a blog every day, but I promise that whenever I see something notable relating to the environment, I will spread the word.

I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago about recycled toilet paper. We both use it, but were discussing how people seemed to be grossed out by the concept. We decided that people must wrongly think that it is recycled from used toilet paper? I dunno!?!? If anyone can shed some light on this matter, that would be great.

The reality is, recycled TP is made from recycled paper. No, you don't feel like you are wiping your butt with a cloud and a choir of cherubs won't sing when you use it, but you are not cutting down virgin trees in order to flush it right down the toilet. In other words, it gets the job done. Here are some stats I found on recycled TP and how this ONE tiny change can have a big impact:

If every household in America switched out just ONE roll of regular TP for recycled TP, we would:

Save 470,000 trees,
Use 1.2 million cubic feet LESS landfill space
Save about 169 million gallons of water

It is the responsible and right thing to do. I use Seventh Generation and I really like it (pictured above).

Hawaii, THE Better Place?

Find more photos like this on Planet Better Place


I came across this great article about a newish company called A Better Place, dedicated to installing recharge facilities worldwide which will make owning and driving an electric car feasible thus eliminating our dependence on oil.

They have chosen Hawaii as the first state in which to build these recharging stations. The power they use to recharge the battery is from wind or solar power so that their dependence on oil is ZERO!

They are a company that began in Israel and then spread to Denmark and Australia. The Founder and CEO, Shai Agassi has a blog called The Long Tailpipe.

Check 'em out!

TerraCycle Inc.

I came across this organization called Terracycle. They take all sorts of trash/recycleables and refilles them with worm compost and sells them to use as plant food. They also have sponsorships for each different item you can send in and you can choose to donate the money you would receive to a school or the Adopt A Classroom project.

My office building doesnt recycle and it pains me to throw away the many water bottles we all collect (we have no water fountain or water cooler so bottled water is really the only option). I have been keeping these bottles under my desk and have accumulated about 100 of them. I just became a member of the bottle brigade and I am awaiting boxed with pre paid UPS labels. All I have to do is fill the boxes with the de-labeled bottles and BAM! I have my leg room back, I am sending the bottles off to be reused AND the proceeds from the bottles are going to help a school. That's what I call efficient & sustainable!!

Also, it looks like this program is in desparate need of a sponsor. If you or your ocmpany would like to do something to really feel proud of, go here

Al Gore wrote an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times yesterday which included an inspiring 5 point plan for reversing the damage we have done to our Environment which he directed to Barack Obama. I found it motivating and hopeful. Click on the excerpt below to be directed to the full article.

To those who are still tempted to dismiss the increasingly urgent alarms from scientists around the world, ignore the melting of the north polar ice cap and all of the other apocalyptic warnings from the planet itself, and who roll their eyes at the very mention of this existential threat to the future of the human species, please wake up. Our children and grandchildren need you to hear and recognize the truth of our situation, before it is too late.

The Carbon Quotient Project

The Sea Turtles Need You!

It has been said by scientists that we know more about the moon than we do about the wide expanse that is the ocean! Can you believe that? That means that the oceans may offer so many undiscovered opportunities for science and medicine. The problem is, our oceans are in trouble. But it isn't too late to reverse the damage done if we act now.

I have been to the Bahamas. I swam with the dolphins and snorkeled amongst the beautiful sea life. The water is so clear it is will actually take your breath away. It always amazes me when places of such pristine beauty totally take their surroundings for granted.

What would our world be like if we had no coral reefs, if we had no fish or sea animals? We don't want to find out how much that would stink after it is too late! It is imperative that we preserve marine ecosystems now. Australia has made it a priority to restore their oceans and as a result the sea life is regenerating much faster than expected!

Apparently, in the Bahamas, it is completely legal to hunt any sea turtle except one species. As turtles are migratory, and the Bahamas is so close to the US, this is going to affect our marine ecosystems. Sign this petition and tell the government in the Bahamas to enact a law that outlaws the killing of all sea turtles. It is about respecting our environment if we want it to be around for future generations to enjoy!

Adopt A Turkey This Thanksgiving!

There is a great organization called Farm Sanctuary that advocates for farm animals' living conditions before they become our dinners. It is fact that if an animal is able to roam free and live a happier life, that will positively affect the quality of the meat that they produce. Farm Sanctuary, and all meat eaters, really, had a big win on election night when Prop 2 was passed enacting laws about the treatment of farm animals...Hopefully we are on our way to living a more conscious, animal friendly life style.

This bring me to my next topic...Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The stuffing, the sweet potatoes, the pecan pie...I mean, can anything be better? This is actually my first Thanksgiving since I became a vegetarian and I am eager to see if I am going to miss the turkey. My hunch is that, with the extra stuffing to compensate, I'll be fine.

Farm Sanctuary does an annual Adopt A Turkey Project where for $25 you can adopt a turkey, save it from the slaughter and give it, it's own yummy turkey-friendly Thanksgiving meal (veggies only!). I am NOT trying to turn you vegetarian. It isn't for everyone, and I understand that. What I am saying is, make sure your turkey comes form an organic farm where the turkey's lives aren't compromised in order for us to be able to indulge. Especially since there are alternatives i.e. buying organic!

Some horrible practices are in effect in "turkey factories" which include: de-beaking and de-clawing so the turkies can't peck each other in their tiny, confined spaces. This also makes it impossible for them to control food intake. This procedure is done without anestesia which causes pain, excessive bleeding that leads to infections and often times, death.

They are also genetically altered to grow way faster than is healthy for them. It is said that "If a seven pound [human] baby grew at the same rate that today’s turkey grows, when the baby reaches 18 weeks of age, it would weigh 1,500 pounds.” This can lead to cardiovascular disease and death.

I guess my point is, this Thanksgiving, when we are going over all of the things that we can be thankful for in our lives, let's not take the very meal we are eating for granted. Make the choice to support organic, free-range, turkey farms and then you can have one more thing to feel good about! Make this Thanksgiving a compassionate one for all!

I Was Just Sucked In!

Upon departing my office building to go grab a salad for lunch, I was stopped by the cheery-est, friendliest, and perkiest Greenpeace canvasser that I just had to stop. After a quick chat about my blog and Bike Stop and her background (she is an environmental activist who spoke before Congress last year!) I became a member. I couldn't say no!

When I was 12, I had a Bat Mitzvah. It is tradition to have a candle lighting ceremony to recognize family members and thank them for their impact on your life and their help in molding you into a productive human being. I, however, used this as a platform to discuss the causes that were important to me. I remember dedicating a candle to Greenpeace, ending world hunger, preserving the rain forest and a few other causes. Its true....I'm a nerd....

And that is why Greenpeace holds a special place in my heart. If you want to become a member visit their website . If we dont support this, and other great organizations like it, they will go bankrupt, as Greenpeace almost did a couple of years ago (more info from the canvasser!). I, for one, am happy that they are still around!!

Guest Blog: What Does 'Going Organic' Mean?

Hello my favorite environmental advocates! I have recruited a nutritional genius from across the pond. Amanda Miles lives in England and is a Nutritional Therapist. I had a few questions for Amanda on the benefits of eating organic and I thought 'who better to share this with than my favorites Greenies?!?!', so here you go! I will be doing a series of posts with Amanda so hopefully you find this information interesting and informative. Please feel free to leave any of your own questions in the 'comments' that Amanda will address right here!

And without further adieu, Amanda Miles' brilliance:

My organic journey started from a desire to maintain my own health and well-being. The more I thought about it, the more illogical it seemed to eat food that is sprayed with pesticides, which are designed to kill living organisms!

Organic certification means that the food is produced without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic farmers encourage crop rotation to produce naturally fertile soil and therefore also support greater diversity in the local environment.Organic certification also prohibits the use of GM crops, which are untested in regards to safety in long term use.

I made a decision to remove all food from my diet that is treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and to remove meat from animals that are routinely treated with drugs and antibiotics … i.e. to ‘go organic’.

After I had changed my food choices to organic, I changed the beauty products I use to more natural alternatives, as the toxic chemicals that are in many products are easily absorbed through your skin. I also changed all the household products we use, to really try to minimize our exposure to unnecessary chemicals.

After eating organic food for some time I started to think more about the global issues associated with food production … was it really right for me to eat organic beans that are flown in from Kenya? How much did I really know about the supermarket’s organic livestock supply chains?

Embracing the organic movement shouldn’t just be about eating organic food that has been air-freighted hundreds of miles from its origin, or being ignorant about the origins of your food; it should be about eating responsibly and with the knowledge that your choices are sustainable.

Green Up Your Holiday Festivities!

Eco- Libris (one of my favorite organizations) has done it again! They have collaborated on a great book full of green tips for the holidays. It is called Celebrate Green and here's what the authors had to say about why they decided to write this book:

"the reason it's important to green up our celebrations is that holidays and special days are plentiful...holidays and special days don't happen on one day only in one place; they occur throughout the year in homes, schools, and places of work across the globe."

Also, not to mention that greening up your holidays reconnects you with the Earth, makes you grateful for what you have, and what better way is there to recognize this than to make sure your celebration doesn't impact the Earth in a negative way! Being green conscious will also send a great message to the younger generation at our celebrations who will then be able to incorporate these great tips into their future celebrations with their families.

Also, the authors have started a website dedicated to Greening up your Halloween! Perfect timing!

Thanks for the tip Eco Libris! As always, keep 'em comin!

Nice one Charlie Christ: FL Voters, vote YES on Amendment 4!

Governor Charlie Christ, Governor of Florida, has endorsed Amendment 4 which will help in the conservation of all environmental refuges in Florida. A 60% vote of yes will ensure that the following will happen:

• Help preserve lands and waters with permanent conservation easements.

• Give incentives to protect wildlife and water resources on private land by granting tax benefits for landowners who choose to preserve their land.

• Reduce the need for costly public expenditures for public services such as police, roads and public schools that are required for suburban and exurban development.

• Supplement public land protection programs.

This is especially important because the Everglades National Park is deteriorating very rapidly and the State does not have enough money to really preserve it properly. This is resulting in the animal life and some rare plant life also becoming extinct. Click here for additional info on the Everglades deterioration. Having a tax break for all preserved land would help with the expense of upkeeping the natural beauty of Florida's Everglades Park.

I grew up in Florida and would often visit the Everglades with my science class or to go on air boat rides and visit the Miccosukee Indian Tribe reservation. The Everglades is one of the biggest national parks in the country and seeing it disappear would really diminish the quality of life for Floridians.

Follow Gov. Charlie Christ's lead and vote YES on Amendment 4. Do it for the animals!

Green Drinks

So I just recently learned about this excellent networking event where you can mingle with like minded environment lovers. They are held all over the world and are called "Green Drinks". This is an excellent way to meet people who work for environmental non-profits, have green careers or just plain love recycling! The next one in NYC is November 11th and you bet your sustainable-loving self that I will be there with bells on!! Click the link below to get to the Green Drinks homepage:

I'm Back!

I'm back after taking a week off from life to attend the CMJ Music Conference last week, in NYC. It was pretty fun and I learned lots of great info.

I will be back to blogging 3-5 times per week tomorrow, so please keep checking back. Also, I went to a FANTASTIC seminar on Green Careers on Saturday. I have a lot of excellent information to share if greening up your career is something that you are interested in.

Stay tuned...

Organic Shmorganic

We have all heard about the health benefits of buying food that is organic. We know that ingesting pesticides are bad for us, but we still don't make buying organic a priority. Why? Well some people tell me that the cost is prohibitively expensive. That if they bought everything organic, their grocery bill may jump up by $30 or more per week.

Well, if you have to prioritize what foods to buy organic, use this great tool created by the Environmental Working Group. You can print out the below from their website (click the image) so that you can see which foods are rated the highest and lowest in pesticide retention. The idea being that some fruits & veggies are more porous or their fuzz will now allow you to clean them fully, removing all of the bad stuff.

You can keep this conveniently sized organic "how to" in your wallet and the next time you are doing your food shopping, refer to it to do something good for your body!

Bike Stop NYC

Hello Fellow Cyclists!!

Please click the above logo to fill out a survey I created to help gather information for a start up business I am currently a part of. We are trying to collect data about people who cycle in NYC.

George Soros on Green Investing

Here is an interview with George Soros discussing how the business of green could serve as the new "motor of the world economy"

Happy Vegetarian Awareness Month!!

Try to say that 5 times fast!! So October is Vegetarian Awareness Month and I thought I'd blog about it because I am a vegetarian. I became a vegetarian about 9 months ago first cutting out red meats and then chicken and lastly, fish. I still sometimes eat fish but I try not to eat it too much. I have found the most difficult food to cut out, weirdly, to be cured meats. Not that I eat so much proscuitto or sopressata but it is just SO YUMMY! I still find that once in a great while, I will induldge with a bite or two.

In honor of vegetarians everywhere, here are some great reasons to eat meat-free:

• Reduction of the risk of major killers like heart disease, stroke and cancers while cutting exposure to food-borne pathogens.
• Offers a viable answer to feeding the world’s hungry, through more efficient use of grains and other crops.
• Saves animals from suffering in factory farm conditions and from painful slaughter.
• Conservation of vital, but limited freshwater, fertile topsoil and other precious resources.
• Preservation of irreplaceable ecosystems, such as rain forests and other wildlife habitats.
• Mitigation of the ever-expanding environmental pollution of animal agriculture.

Here is an INCREDIBLE vegetarian recipe that I learned last week at the Martha Stewart show. Just watching her prepare it made me hungry for lunch at 10:00am. October is the perfect excuse to put my kitchen skills to work and cook this yummy dish!

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 4 large bell peppers
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 4 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Slice a very thin layer from the base of each bell pepper so they sit flat. Slice off tops just below stem. Discard stems; chop tops, and place in a medium bowl. Remove ribs and seeds from peppers.
2. To bowl, add beans, feta, couscous, scallion whites, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Stuff peppers with bean mixture; place upright in slow cooker. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours.
3. Sprinkle peppers with scallion greens; serve with lemon wedges.

How easy/yummy does that sound? You can get loads of other great vegetarian recipes at Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Website and also at Care 2 Make A Difference.

Who Woulda Thought?

So, part of me writing this blog is learning how to approach everyday life tasks in a more green way. Today's topic is washing your car. Now, this is something that I won't have to worry about as long as I live in New York City, but I remember the days when I was a kid washing my parents car in the driveway and letting the water just run...and run....and run from the hose, down the driveway into the road/sewer drains.

If someone would have told me then that washing the cars at home can use between 80-140 gallons of water for each car and the commercial car wash alternative only used 45 gallons, I definitely would have chosen the latter.

BUT, it gets BETTER! I found this great article on how to wash your car WATERLESS! No excuses! We can all do this one!! Check it out. They pose some great questions for us to ponder:

I guess we are not off the hook so easily, because even 45 gallons of water to wash one car seems like a waste of this precious resource, especially because that 45 gallons is becoming highly polluted. Besides, how many car washes do you know that use a “green” detergent? The story gets even worse if you choose the waxing option. And how much energy does it take to wash one car? Some in the industry are making strides in using sustainable energy, but such places are still hard to find.

It also goes on to describe how fund raiser car washes can be "green". Give your local high schools an extra challenge and raise awareness about water conservation while raising money for their band trip, or whatever their cause may be.

You can also follow their easy recipe using everyday products to make your own non-abrasive concoction.

Winging It Waterless Car Wash
½ to 1½ cup baking soda (non-abrasive cleanser)
½ teaspoon jojoba (liquid wax)
½ teaspoon liquid castile soap or vegetable-based green detergent
2 teaspoons water

Or, purchase one of these no-water-car-cleaners for your home. Next time your car is looking dingy, make sure to take the water conservation route and help save the environment WHILE cleaning your pimp mobile.

Click the pictures below to find out more info about the products:

ABC won't air this ad!

ABC recently refused to run We Can Solve The Climate Crisis's "Repower America" ad, even though they run ads from oil companies that mislead the American people about the role fossil fuels play in the climate crisis.

Watch the ad and then sign the petition!

My TV Debut!!!

Hello Fellow Greenies!!

I am very pleased to announce that on Wednesday, October 8th, I am going to be on the Martha Stewart Show with my book club. We call ourselves the Health and Happiness Club because we read books focused on personal growth and education. We are a very diverse group who have passions for all different things and the best part about interacting with such an eclectic group is learning from each of them!

We have set up a website: Click here

I do a guest blog for this site a couple times a week, usually tied in to the topic of my Advocate of Green blog.

We are scheduled to be on at the very end for a couple of minutes. I am not sure that I am going to be able to give my greenies a shout out but I will try!!

Thanks for the dedicated reading!