Hi Green Thinkers!  Remember our friends at Rapanui? Check out the press release below on their recently  received RSPCA Good Business Award.  For the American readers out there the RSPCA is comparable to our ASPCA to help prevent cruelty to animals, they are just located over the pond in England & Wales.

Rapanui Win Highly Commended Award at the RSPCA Good Business Awards

Rapanui has won a highly commended prize at the annual RSPCA good business awards for their contribution to sustainability, animal welfare policy and for fulfilling their ethos of ‘doing business the right way’.

 The brand, founded by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 aims to make eco fashion cool and to inspire people to make changes to their wider lifestyle by being open and honest about their supply chain. In response to the current state of the clothing industry they say that “It’s not that people don’t care, it’s just that they don’t know” and have designed an innovative Traceability tool and Eco-labelling initiative, aiming to inform and inspire people to go green by making it easy to find out where their clothing comes from and how it is made, “helping people shop quickly, with a conscience.”

The RSPCA chooses expert judges for their awards ceremony, including Wayne Hemmingway, co-founder of Red or Dead.

“…there is a real commitment within the industry to improve animal welfare, and it’s reassuring to see big brands at the forefront of this change.”  Mr. Hemmingway said.

The brothers have already won the 2010 Sustainable Business Awards, a finals place at Enterprise UK’s Enterprising Young Brits and a nomination for next year’s ISPO Brand New Award. They hope their recognition at the RSPCA Good Business Awards will inspire other young people to consider entrepreneurship. Now 25 and 23 respectively, Rob and Martin Drake-Knight founded their company with £200 of savings and are now listed on the Future 100 list of top young entrepreneurs.

“We hope our business can inspire other young people, even if they have no job and no money, that they can be a success too – whether you wear a suit or flip flops”

Find out more about traceability and Rapanui at: http://www.rapanuiclothing.com/eco

About Rapanui:

Rapanui is about making cool eco-fashion for young people; that means clothing that is eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable: Made from natural organic fabrics in a Fairwear Foundation audited, wind powered factory. Through surfing the brothers saw and experienced the changing environment and climate at their local beach and as inspired, unemployed graduates in a recession, they took a different path; if you can’t find a job, make one.

Rapanui has held Seminars and Lectures at UK and EU universities and multinational companies such as Centrica PLC on Sustainable Business and sit on the Panel at Plymouth University’s All our Future Conference.

Rapanui has made bespoke versions of its clothing for multinationals and charities including Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and the Marine Conservation Society.

Rapanui was set up by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 with £200 of savings and was listed in the Top 100 Startups of 2008. Rob and Martin are listed on the Future 100 List of Top young Entrepreneurs and were recently finalists in Enterprise UK’s Young Brits awards. Rapanui was the youngest company to win the Sustainable Business Awards in May 2010 and has recently been nominated for the internationally-recognised ISPO Brand New Award.

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Do you have something you want to swap?  Do you have something you need?

XX…….XX…….XX

Got to Swapmamas.com.  This is an online community dedicated to swapping goods.  How it works is:  You post what you have in one of the various channels, and you look for what you want.  You can only swap or gift on this site – no $$$ no paypals and all shipping coordination takes place offline.  Rules have it that the giver pays the shipping deal.  Easy-peasy, green & fun!

What I love about this is that it goes with the GTB philosophies of not buying new when you can get something used in perfect condition, plus, you create a sense of harmony by the people you meet through your transactions, and it make the old cliches true: What goes around comes around; One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

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With the weather cooling down and football back in season, this week’s Carnival of Green Thinking has been dedicated posts that focus on all aspects of eco-friendly sports.  Remember, you too can share your favorite posts for the weekly Carnival of Green Thinking!

Picture courtesy of Fair Trade Sports

EVERY GAME NEEDS A MASCOT!!!

The best way to tell you about Leave No Trace  is to share their Mission Statement:  The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.  According to the Leave No Trace Community Blog, this ethical outdoor group has just gotten their very own mascot!  Chipper is a super cute chipmunk who gets to educate kids on being eco-friendly!  …The Company sells the physical products along with providing in school story times, kids nature zones, and event participation with its live mascot – Chipper. IAGmedia received iParenting Media’s “Hot Product” award for the series, and recently teamed up with Leave No Trace as a Small Business Partner in the Spring of 2010…

FRIENDS!

No sporting event would be complete without your buddies!  Here we are featuring a blog that we hope will be our friend – Your Green Ability shares a post on eco-friendly sports equipment.  …The time that you need to think “eco friendly” is when you are buying sports equipment. Remember, every piece of equipment can be found in an eco friendly form if you keep an open mind and are willing to spend just a little bit more money in some cases. For instance, you will find everything from reusable water bottles to organic clothing and much more. If you are interested in eco friendly sports equipment you should begin your search online. You may find a few items at a local sporting goods store, but the selection is not going to be that great. The good thing is that this is bound to change in the future…

SNACKS THAT PACK A PUNCH!

What sporting event wouldn’t be complete with some delicious snacks?  Check out the Chef MD’s vegetarian salsa - tri-benefits!  1. delish yums in the tums  2. clear a runny nose 3. remember that a vegetarian diet takes less of a toll on the world around us – and remember, buy your ingredients from your local farmer’s market or co-op for a great impact!

Chili Chili Bang Bang: Poblano Salsa

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 344 per serving
Percent from Fat: 9%
Cusine: American, Vegetarian
Course: Soups – Meal
Diet: Vegetarian
Food as MedicineSM Ingredient: Chili Pepper

Food as Medicine^SM Tip

By making your nose run, the hot and spicy chili pepper can prevent chronic sinus infections. And it’s all thanks to capsaicin, the active ingredient in the chili pepper that makes your mouth feel like it’s on fire. Studies show that capsaicin has cancer fighting health benefits. And it can help to kill the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Culinary Taste Tip

Dried poblano chilies are called anchos, and toasting an ancho for just a few seconds over an open flame brings out the dark, brooding fruit of raisins, cherries and blackberries underneath.

Culinary Technique Tip

Do not touch your eyes when working with chilies. When you can, slice the pepper in half lengthwise first to scoop out the seeds and the seed pod. Then work.

Ingredients

2 large poblano chili peppers, seeded, chopped*
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. frozen beef flavored crumbles (a soy based meat substitute), such as Boca brand
1 tablespoon chili powder, such as ancho or chipotle chili powder by McCormick brand
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano * *
1 cup chipotle salsa, preferably Frontera brand
2 (15 or 16 oz.) cans no salt added kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup water
2 medium yellow summer squash or yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Preparation

Cook chili peppers and garlic in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add frozen crumbles, chili powder and oregano and continue to cook 1 minute. Stir in salsa. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes or until chili peppers are tender. Stir in beans and 1 cup water. Stir in squash. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, if desired. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with sour cream and cilantro or parsley.

Substitutions

* If fresh poblano chili peppers are not available, substitute 1 or 2 jalapeno chilies, minced and seeded, and add 1 large green bell pepper, diced. If chipotle salsa is not available, substitute your favorite salsa and add hot pepper sauce to taste. Ancho or chipotle chili powder will give the dish more heat than regular chili powder. Beef stock may replace the 1 cup water.

Tips

* * Look for Mexican oregano in Hispanic markets and some large supermarkets.

Nutritional Analysis

Total fat (g): 4; Fat calories (kc): 33; Cholesterol (mg): 10; Trans fatty acids (g): 0; Saturated fat (g): 2; Polyunsaturated fat (g): 1; Monounsaturated fat (g): 0; Fiber (g): 20; Carbohydrates (g): 53; Sugar (g): 6; Protein (g): 31; Sodium (mg): 571; Calcium (mg) 260 

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Today marks our fifth installment of the Carnival of Green Thinking.  I feel like it is a little birthday or something   Before we get down to business, I know you have been on the edge of your seat for the answer to yesterday’s GeoQuiz question - so here it is:

We asked:  True or False? 

The stability of the climate is related to the concentration of greenhouse gases.

The answer: TRUE!  The stability of our climate is related to the concentration of greenhouse gases.

Now, let’s get down to the good stuff. So many kids went back to school this last week, the theme of our posted blog articles is going to follow suit. Don’t forget, if you come across an eco-friendly blog post during the week – share it with us to share with the world!

HOW MUCH PAPER DO YOU USE IN SCHOOL?!

ClimateProgress.org reports on plenty of green options to choose from when going back to school – including starting your own paper recycling program…Paper will probably be one of the first items on most back-to-school shopping lists, and it’s usually one of the biggest sources of preventable waste in school supplies. Schools throw out an average of 38 tons of paper every year. That’s 8 million sheets per school—enough to save 646 trees if recycled…

 YOU’RE GONNA WEAR THAT ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?!

Low Impact Living has some great perspective on the back-to-school fashion trends this year for the eco-happy student…First, the most important category to many kids: clothes. Of course, the greenest thing to do is to wear last-year’s clothes. Exaggerated eye roll. Hand-me-downs? Irritated stare. Thrift stores? “Gah-ross!” (Hint: try calling it “vintage”–much cooler.) And so the challenge begins…

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF SCHOOL: LUNCH.

Nature Moms have the firsthand scoop on eco-friendly things for kids to get their learn-on, you gotta eat right & you gotta do it in style!…The Laptop Lunchbox- This is my all time favorite lunchbox. It is an American style bento box and I LOVE bentos. They also promotes waste free lunches because each compartment eliminates the need for plastic baggies. They also come with real flatware and a cloth napkin can be put inside it too. This lunchbox helps me pack healthy and environmentally friendly meals for my kids. You can see some of the lunches I made here and you can read a more detailed review here…

JUST FOR FUN!

As you know I love my little puppy Rigby so so so so much!  This week we are celebrating her getting her stitches out from her spay surgery last week – YAY!  So, just for fun, I thought I would share this great video that combines things I love: Puppies & Yoga.

Thanks to Care2 Green Living for sharing! 

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Summer is here, in full swing. 

There has been a lot of talk about the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, which hasn’t brought much positivity to the beach scene this season, but Rapanui Clothing may just have something to hang-ten about.

This is a company based out of the U.K. that practices sustainability  for the entire life cycle of surf clothing.  They feature organic fabrics, employ fair trade labor, and use renewable energy to power their machines.  The company was started by  brothers Rob & Mart Drake-Knight with the philosophy that making something that would be trendy and environmentally friendly would help it catch on – thus Rapanui Clothing was born.  The brothers must be doing something right, they were  listed to the Future 100 List of Top Young Ethical Entreprenuers in 2008.

What I love about their site is that you can click on an article of clothing you are interested in, then see how it is made.  Simply click on the link and a map will appear to show you the direct path it takes from creation in a fair trade fabric factory to the transportation route, including the amount of carbon used on its travel all the way to the Rapanui store.  NEAT-O!

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Have you ever felt like you were almost at a stopping point in your life?  Like your days just melt together and then you wake up to realize you are another year older?  I hope you haven’t had this feeling, but most of us have at one point or another – it like adult growing pains.

I recently had this experience, and it occurred to me that I just may need to do something a little radical to break the spell.  What I chose to do was an all-natural detox, this was the Spring Slim Down Detox, courtesy of Laurel from GTB’s favorite blog: Laurel On Health Food. 

It totally worked…in every aspect I was looking for.  By providing myself with the 7 day challenge to eat completely different than my normal diet I proved to myself that I have the power to make a difference.  In the instance of an all-natural detox, the outcome provided benefits to myself:

• Weight loss
• Mental Clarity
• Clearer skin
• Improved attitude (also a benefit to my friends & family)
• Some new breakfast & lunch options to continue with…

Last night I watched No Impact Man, a documentary about a family who decided to challenge themselves to create zero impact on our world for a year!  That is 365 days people, my challenge was one person, benefiting one person, for 7 days.  The Beavan Family was challenging three people, benefiting thousands if not millions, for 365 days.  They win. Hands down.

Colin Beavan created this challenge as a way to create awareness.  Granted, they went to the extreme by eliminating all forms of carbon producing transportation, including elevators, as well as eliminating dispoable toilet paper from their daily use (it really does affect our tree population), and all forms of electricity – which eventually converted to the use of a solar panel, but this family grew closer and changed their way of thinking during this experiment. 

 That is my favorite part.  Through living this way, by not adding any waste & contributing to the good in the world, they impacted so many people and probably had at least 100 people who saw their media coverage commit to making a change they could live with to help our environment – so, in my opinion, No Impact Man should have been called:  Impact Thousands of People -Man!

My other favorite part is that they discovered it wasn’t easy, but that they enjoyed their time along the way.  People gave the family some pretty tough critiques, but I think that is only because those with the criticism hadn’t had their minds open yet to the importance of the experiment.

Sure, it was radical, but in the end, the family decided on a few key things they could commit to doing on a regular basis, and it will make a change to our Earth.  It will. Seems to me they have the GTB philosophy down to a pat, just making the efforts to get their arms around the tree.

I would strongly recommend you consider giving yourself an eco-conscious challenge for the summer.  Consider biking to the farmer’s market each week or volunteering  with your favorite non-profit.  Maybe even just carrying a reusable bag is something that will work for your life, but see what you can do within your limits to help contribute to the preservation of our world.  Get those arms around the tree.

P.S.  They did take toilet paper back into their lives.

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For high school students, this time of year means an evening where anything can happen!  That’s right, Prom!

I will never forget my proms:

Prom of 1999: I went with a friend of my boyfriend since my boyfriend at the time decided to bring someone else. (this Prom didn’t count because I attended as a sophomore the junior and senior prom)

Prom of 2000: Again I went with a friend, a different friend. I was single at the time, and oh how I wished my crush would ask me to go -rumor has it, he was going to, but alas, he asked another one of my friends…If you are reading this, you know who you are, and yes, I still remember.   But I ain’t mad at ya!  So, just the same, I got ditched at this prom. I turned around and my friend was gone. 

Prom of 2001:  I went with a boyfriend, finally! Someone very special.  I wasn’t ditched, he actually asked me, we had a great time.  One out of  three ain’t so bad. 

Anyway, kids these years are greening-out their prom and I couldn’t be more pleased.  Obviously these are memories we remember forever, so why not remember the way you helped to contribute to the earth as well.

Here are 5 ways to Green Your Prom:

1. Are you helping plan the prom?  Back in my day, our tickets were often some sort of keychain or trinket we had to bring with us and then just ended up losing or throwing away.  This year, why not make the ticket be something special, for example, you could use a photo booth that takes the 4 little snap shots.  A special keepsake for each person on the date, but they also create an electronic version that could be displayed at the check-in. No one needs to remember to bring anything on prom night and it could be pretty hilarious to play those photos at the 10 year reunion. 
2. Ladies need a dress, gents need a suit. For us gals, you normally only wear this dress one time.  (in my case, I couldn’t fit in it again within a year – sad, but true) Why not consider borrowing a dress from a friend?  Or, check out local thrift stores, for basically the cost of a drycleaning, you have a basically brand new dress ready to go!  Or, get creative and make your own dress from upcycled items.  Burlap could make a beautiful gown natural looking gown, old tees could make a very comfortable shrug.  See what one teen from Iowa did for her prom, made her dress out of gum wrappers! 
3. Often crazy kids like to rent a limo.  Excellent! Load ’em in! The more the merrier.  Carpool all the way, not to mention, make it more affordable.  Minimum wage can’t possibly pay for a limo for just you and your honey, share the fun! Keep the wealth!  Make it more ecological by using an eco-friendly limo service. Check out Eco-Limo services by Avalon transportation that uses hybrid vehicles.
4. Do you eat at prom?  or before?  We always went to dinner beforehand, and I wish I would have thought suggesting an organic meal somewhere outdoors.  Wouldn’t that make beautiful photos?  A personal fave would have been to go to the Whole Foods to-go section and get my favorite smorgousboard for a great picnic!
5. Use your resources!  TeensTurningGreen.org sponsored a website, Project Green Prom that is jam-packed with tips and ideas of how to make your prom the greenest yet!

I am always impressed with the strides young adults are taking to be green. If you recently went to prom or are on your way, share some of your green tips! We would love to hear them!

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I’ve come across a little story with some pretty cool merchandise available. 

HotChicksReycle.com is a merchandise company that was started by Alessa, age 12.  Along with help of her sisters, their company has the goal to help everyone realize the importance of recycling.   To achieve this goal, they have designed a line of t-shirts, reusable totes, and reusable water bottles with artwork designed by themselves to send a message. 

I just love seeing little people realizing their potential to save the world at a young age!

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I just found out that Target will sell an eco-friendly clothing line from April 19th (Earth Day) through May 16th. Designers Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn created the sustainable fashion line called Loomstate for Target. The line will have items for men and women including t-shirts, skirts, shorts, dresses, bikinis, and jackets made from 100% organic cotton.  All the items will be priced between $14.99 and $44.99.

I found a sneak peak picture on nitrolicious.com if you want to check it out.

If you’re interested in this line, you’ll need to act fast because it’s only offered for a month! Items will be available on Target.com and some Target stores. I would bet that this line sells out quickly, so mark your calendar for Earth Day if you want your piece of the pie.

Update: This post was featured on the All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Fourty Two.

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As Laurel mentioned, we will be doing a variety of articles from now through the beginning of the year to help greenify your holidays, and my first contribution has to do with STOCKINGS. 

Warning:  This is another article about foot products.  You might think I have a foot fetish by the way I have plugged Simple Shoes so many times, and now I am going to plug socks.  While feet are important, not only for standing, a mode of transportation, toes as cute decorations, create your own unique scent, I do not have a foot fetish.  At least I don’t think so.  If you have one, glad I can help!

The stocking tradition started way back when little children would hang their snow drenched, wet stockings from the fireplace hearth to dry & someone got a clever idea to fill them with goodies.  Stockings can now be as simple as a sock with a hole in it, or as ornate as a homemade quilted sock the size of my leg that has embellishments of gold and diamonds. 

What I would recommend is checking out the eco-friendly variety on SockDreams.com.  This female owned company out of Portland has every kind of sock that you can imagine!  Long ones, short ones, striped ones, lace ones, hemp ones, organic fiber ones, and socks that use 80-85% recycled cotton! 

This year, go for the stocking you can wear and wear and wear & will do just as much good on your feet as on your hearth.  I think Santa has a soft spot for sustainable fiber socks – you are sure to get a spot on the Nice List this year.

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