Green Thinking Blog

While at home this evening, I perused a book called A Little Green Book of Environmental Quotes and Comments.  Here is what I found:

A quote by Arch Buchwald, an author, stated in 1970.  How did he know what would happen back then?    (p. 89)

And Man created the plastic bag and tin and aluminum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper plate, and this was good because Man could then take his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He could save that which was good to eat in the refrigerator and throw away what had no further use.  And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bottles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and Man shook his head and cried: “Look at this Godawful mess.”

I also found a great lesson for us all.  Joseph Wood Krutch, a writer, was quoted in Time (p 97):

Don’t blow it - good planets are hard to find.

And Jacques Barzun, a historian, gives us hope from The House of Intellect in 1959 (p 87):

If civilization has risen from the Stone Age, it can rise again from the Wastepaper Age.

I believe Jacques also means we can rise from the Oil Age, the High Consumption Age, the Wasteful Age, the Ungrateful Age, we just need to try.

Thanks for reading…that equals trying.

I subscribe to Simple Shoes email updates, and I recommend you do too.  Today I received an interesting food for thought - about fish.  According to the email, an article in the journal, Science, has researchers predicting that fish will be obsolete by 2048. 

If you are anything like Laurel & I, we LOVE our seafood.  If we had a choice we would eat seafood everyday, but apparently, the idea of that happening is being threatened by unsustainable fishing practices. 

The Blue Ocean Institute has listed a guide of what fish are the most abundant and recommended for eating by the Marine Stewardship Council. 

The guide lists that Alaskan Salmon, Walleye Pollack, Sablefish, and Western Rock Lobster are among those certified as the best environmental choice.  These species are abundant and their fishing methods have little impact on their habitat or the environment.

On the other hand, farmed Atlantic Salmon, Snappers, Atlantic Halibut, Grouper, and Chilean Sea Bass are listed as having a variety of problems.  These species are either overfished, have poor management, or their farming methods cause a serious environmental impact.

Visit the MSC website to find out which fisheries are certified with safe practices, where to buy, and what to cook.  They also list delicious recipes, check out this one for MSC certified Halibut by Frosta (mmm):

Halibut fillets with Japanese mountain pepper and mango on rhubarb chutney

Serves 4

Ingredients

So, next time you go to the fish market, or the seafood counter, or out to dinner, do your research.  It could be one of your last delicious meals that has fish if practices don’t improve-and QUICK!

Attention eco-fashion lovers! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite earth-friendly clothes, shoes, and accessories for you. The best eco-friendly finds are vintage or second-hand items that don’t require new resources to make. But, there always comes a time when you need something new. Maybe you’ll find a little green fashion inspiration here. I tried to choose classic pieces that weren’t ridiculously expensive.

Chica Rosa Bag - This adorable clutch would be great for a night out or as a handy makeup bag. The outside of the bag is made from 200 recycled aluminum can tabs and nylon thread. The inside has a nylon liner and a zipper to close it. Get it at Elsewares for $36.

Women’s Yuri Jacket - I think this basic black jacket is worth the $116 because you could find SO MANY occasions to wear it. It would be great paired over a button-down for work, or you could be saucy and wear it alone like the girl in the picture for a night out. Available in black or white, the jacket is made of 100% hemp muslin with a 100% silk lining.

Women’s Del Forte Denim Daphne Shorts - I love the dark denim and the cuffs on these long shorts. I also love how the girl in the picture is rockin’ some pointy toe pumps with them. They’re made of 99% organic cotton and are on sale for $68. That may be too pricey for a lot of people, but these were too cute for me not to mention!

Women’s ‘Cushee’ Flip Flops - These casual flip flops are made from hemp and recycled rubber. They come in sand, chocolate, or black colors. They look super comfy too! I really like the sand ones with the pink sole. $25 from Simple Shoes.

Women’s Organic Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T - I bet this baby-tee is super comfortable with its organic fine jersey material. The little green contrasting stitch on the shoulder is a cute touch too. $18 at American Apparel (a sweatshop-free company).

Women’s Loyale Temalpaid Pant - These yoga/dance/workout pants are low-rise and come with free shipping. Grey with purple or blue stripe at $55 from Pangaya. 92% Organic Cotton.

Men’s CAReen Shoes - These kicks are made from recycled tires and organic cotton. They come in muted colors including classic taupe, olive, espresso, and black. $65 from Simple Shoes.

Men’s Gap (PRODUCT) RED™ empowered T - I really like this basic off-white tee with the subtle block letters that spell “empowered.” The material is 100% cotton, and half of the proceeds go to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS. $24.50 at Gap.

Men’s Mossimo® Organic Shirt - Brown Suede - This classic button-down shirt is on clearance at Target for only $15.39 ($16.70 for XXL). Other available colors are blue stripe, green stripe, or taupe stripe.

Men’s Minimalist II Board Shorts - These solid color board shorts have a durable water repellent finish and are made from 100% recycled polyester through Patagonia’s Common Threads Recycling Program. Available for $55 in the following colors: meditation green, carbon, low tide, mars red, and blueblack. Patagonia gives 1% of profits back to the planet and is LEED-certified. Random note: Any guy who wears classic board shorts like these gets a thumbs up from me. I really dislike those cheesy hawaiian shorts.

I recently posted 10 inspirational nutrition quotes on my health food blog, so I figured that green thinking blog needs its own list too. Here are my top ten quotes on being green, loving Planet Earth, and doing something to save it. Got quotes of your own? Drop us a comment.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.” – Albert Einstein

“There are no passengers on spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” – Marshall McLuhan, 1964

“You must become the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Ghandi

“If the future of all human civilization depended on me, what would I do? How would I be?” – Buckminster Fuller

“I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use our natural resources, but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 1900

“We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every other species, even the Earth itself, has cause to fear our power to exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it chooses to do so, will go to great effort to save what it might destroy.” – Wallace Stegner

“It is our task in our time and in our generation, to hand down undiminished to those who come after us, as was handed down to us by those who went before, the natural wealth and beauty which is ours.” – John F. Kennedy

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” Robert Redford, 1985

“How many generations in human history have had the opportunity to rise to a challenge that is worthy of our best efforts…that has a challenge that can pull from us more than we knew we could do? I think we ought to approach this challenge with a sense of profound joy and gratitude that we are the generation, about which a thousand years from now philharmonic orchestras and poets and singers will celebrate by saying “they were the ones that found it within themselves to solve this crisis and lay the basis for a bright and optimistic human future.” Let’s do that.” – Al Gore, 2008

Today I got a glimpse of a huge, beautiful sparkler of a diamond on some lady’s hand when I was standing in the checkout line at Publix. After I shook off my mesmerized stare (I’m a sucker for anything shiny and sparkly), I made a mental note to write this blog for our Green Thinking readers.

Is it possible to “green” your engagement or wedding rings? Well, first we have to put aside the fact that rings are not a necessity to life and they do require resources, energy, and transportation. But it got me thinking that in 2008 there must be sustainable or eco-conscious ways to adorn your finger (or your partner’s). The truth is that rings are pretty and most girls really look forward to the moment when we’ll get one. Can I get an AMEN?!

As usual, I did a little research, and here’s what I came up with:

Brilliant Earth - I found out about this company from my friend Melanie in California who recently got engaged. Her guy surprised her with a non-traditional, but oh-so-classy platinum sapphire ring from Brilliant Earth. All the company’s jewelry is made using socially-responsible methods, the diamonds are certified conflict-free from Canada, and they donate 5% of profits to “communities who have suffered from unethical practices in the jewelry industry.”

GreenKarat - I read about GreenKarat jewelry over on TreeHugger. They have some ready-made selections (check out that simple, but gorgeous canary diamond), but the best feature is the custom jewelry page where you can tell them exactly what you want, and they’ll make it for you in 2-8 weeks time. GreenKarat makes ecologically and socially responsible jewelry, and the company is also a big supporter of recycled gold.

Another option is to buy a “recycled” ring from the classifieds or a vintage/antique store. It would take some searching, but you never know what you’ll find. You might come across something special in the classifieds if someone is getting divorced and wants to get rid of a ring (seriously)! As for vintage/antique jewelry, you may have a great store right in your city or you can browse online. A few good sites I found are: Sylvia’s Antiques, Fay Cullen, and Dover Jewelry (wowza they have some ROCKS). On these sites, you can find rings from $400 to $80,000! Another option: take a diamond that’s been in your family and have it re-set in the style and setting that you want.

Pictured: Platinum sapphire ring from Brilliant Earth.

Just about everyone is annoyed with junk mail. We don’t want to see it in our email boxes, but its even worse in our physical, snail mail boxes. How many days a week do you get junk mail? If you’re like me, you get it every day and there’s at least two pieces that you have to shred or throw away. So what can we do about all the wasted paper resources and piles of trash that junk mail causes?

First, go sign the petition to stop junk mail at DoNotMail.org. You can remain anonymous or you can include your info and rant about why the junk mail really makes you angry.

Second, take some action to “opt out” of the junk mail you receive. Visit the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service page and follow the three steps to register. The service costs $1.00 and its estimated that it can reduce your junk mail by 75%. PrivacyRights.org also has an informative page about reducing your junk mail from specific types of business or services. They usually advise you to contact companies directly and ask to be removed from their contact list.

Third, designate a box in your home or a corner of your desk where you can stack junk mail. As long as it doesn’t have any of your personal information, toss the mail in that pile and drop it off for recycling once a month. Of course, if it does include your personal information, shred it and throw it away.

Have some ideas or advice of your own? Share with us!

Happy Thursday everyone! I’m feeling very festive today, and I’m looking forward to a great 4th of July weekend. To feed my appetite for fun, I found some great green products to share with you. Maybe you’ve been looking for a gift for a friend, or maybe you just need a little something for you. Either way, I hope you enjoy my eco-friendly finds.

I Am Not A Cup - Say goodbye to disposable cups at work. This porcelain coffee or tea cup has built-in insulation and a silicone lid that keeps your drinks warm.

Egglings - These ceramic egg look-a-likes actually sprout plants when you crack them open and water them (check out the 10 pictures on the site). Choose from basil, petunia, mint, chrysanthemum, spicy red pepper, wild strawberry, or prickly cactus. After three months, the plants can be replanted in soil.

Euro Cloths - The happy medium between a sponge and a paper towel. These dishwasher-safe cloths come in a three pack for $4.00. I’m definitely getting some of these so I can finally knock my paper towel habit.

SunNight BOGO Solar Task Light - This flashlight is powered by rechargeable batteries and sunlight. Take it out in the sun (even with clouds) for 8 hours and its ready to go! I’m sure Kate would love to sport this one on her next camping trip.

PLENTY Magazine - Grist.org recently named Plenty the best green lifestyle magazine. It’s winning over readers with recycled paper, bold design, and a mix of reading material including political matters, green lifestyle, tip sheets, and beautiful images. I’ll be subscribing to this one fa ’sho.

Also, check out this article to find out what chemists are doing to make fireworks more eco-friendly!

I originally posted this information on my health food and nutrition blog: Laurel On Health Food.

Women’s Health Magazine says grass-fed beef is where it’s at. Did you know that the majority of U.S. bovines feed on a mix of grains (mostly corn) instead of grass? Forcing cattle to eat a diet full of grains allows ranchers to fatten them up quicker and get the meat to our stores faster and cheaper. But, the quality of life for the bovines suffers as does the quality of our meat. Compared with a serving of grain-fed beef, healthier grass-fed beef has 1/3 less fat, almost twice the amount of omega-3s, twice the amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLAs), and fewer cases of E. coli. (Ref: Women’s Health Magazine, July/August, p. 86-93)

Women’s Health says to look for black and white labels on your meat that say “GRASS-FED AND USDA PROCESS VERIFIED.” Also reach for labels that say “organic,” “antibiotic-free,” and “hormone-free.” The healthiest cuts of beef are: top sirloin, 95% lean ground beef, top round roast, sirloin tip steak side, bottom round roast, and eye round roast.

Grass-fed beef is also significantly better for the environment. Growing corn for feed produces a ton of greenhouse gases and also adds more chemical fertilizers to the soil. Every year, the U.S. grows 1.5 billion bushels of corn strictly for cow feed. Yikes! It takes 50% less fossil fuel energy to produce grass-fed beef as it does grain-fed.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, grass-fed beef is considerably more expensive. But, consider that the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends that you eat less than 18 ounces per week. Save that steak dinner for special occasions or when you’re really having a craving. When you do, go ahead and splurge on the top-quality grass-fed kind. It tastes better too!

Yeah that’s right…I can’t get that Britney Spears song out of my head! Today, I’ve got toxins on the brain. One of the things I’m learning in my green thinking and nutritional studies is that we are flooded with toxins on a daily basis. Take a minute and think about how many unnatural things are entering your body, through your mouth or skin, on the regular. Are you eating lots of pre-packaged foods? Do you work in a “sick” building? Is the air in your city heavily polluted? Do most of your beauty products contain a lot of chemicals? Do you eat non-organic meat and dairy products? Do you consume a lot of artificial sugar?

If you answered yes to most of these, you are probably pretty toxic. But, the truth is that it’s incredibly hard to avoid a lot of this stuff considering how busy our lives are in 2008. So what can you do? Well, there’s not much you can do about a sick work building, but you can try to be more aware of the toxins around you and make the switch to natural and organic products when you can. It’s good for you and for Mother Nature.

If you’re up for a little self-pampering, try this four-step, at-home natural purification process that I found in The Body Shop’s Spa book. It’s really relaxing too!

Step 1: Sea Salt Scrub

Take a 3-5 minute hot shower to open your pores and improve your body’s circulation. Turn the water off, and then exfoliate your skin (everywhere except your face) with a sea salt scrub in circular motions (see below for my homemade salt scrub recipe!). Rinse with warm water (no soap) and then towel dry.

Step 2: Seaweed Mask

Mix seaweed powder with hot water to create a paste (you can find seaweed powder at health food stores or buy it cheap online). Thinly slather the paste all over your skin including your feet (avoid the face). Let the paste begin to dry while you prepare the next step.

Step 3: Body Wrap

Spread out two heavy blankets on a bed and lay a sheet on top of the blankets. You can spray the sheets with a lavender aromatherapy spray if you want, or just leave the sheets dry. Lay on top of the sheets and wrap the blankets around you (snugly). Rest or take a snooze for a half hour. Then rinse off in a hot shower and use your hands to help rub off the paste.

Step 4: Drink Water

Drinks lots of water throughout the rest of the day to help your body flush out impurities.

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Laurel’s Homemade Salt Scrub

• 1 ½ cups coarse sea salt
• ½ cup almond or grape seed oil
• 5-10 drops of essential oils

Take out a medium to large bowl. Put in three cups of coarse sea salt. Add one cup of almond or grape seed oil to the salt. Mix until blended. Add 5-10 drops of essential oils for fragrance (or as much as you want). You can choose whatever scent you want, but some of my favorites are peach, lavender, and grapefruit.

Here’s a little video of me making the homemade salt scrub. I tried to set it up the best I could, but I think I’ll have Miss Kate film me next time so I can get better angles. Well, enjoy it friends and I hope you take some time out to pamper yourself!

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A week into summer, I am all the wiser for what activities can be done that won’t contribute to the destruction of the world, but may actually enhance it.

I have listed some activities below that may give you some exercise and are sure to give you enjoyment.  Please, we are encouraging you to try these at home!

1.  Bike ride!  Whether you have a destination like your favorite neighborhood hang-out,  are just roaming to check out the architechtural beauty of your neighbors’ homes, or trekking down a trail, a bike ride is an excellent activity.  You are working-out, you don’t know it, and you aren’t putting polluntants in the air by taking an afternoon drive to see the scenery.

Here is a picture of my pride & joy:

This gift has made me very aware of safety features that bikes come with and their importance.  Please notice, a pedal-powered generator on the back wheel illuminates the front headlight, so I am not riding in the dark.  I have ample space in my basket and on my back rack to carry bags, freeing extra weight from my back.  A built in tire pump on the rack is there for emergency situations of a flat tire. It’s most unique feature, as you may have guessed, is the lowered bar that allows to me ride in a skirt/dress without as much risk of it getting entangled in my chain…  Enough about that :)  But, please wear reflective clothing and follow street signs accordingly: Safety first.

2.  Kayak/Canoe. Pick up trash as you go.  Orlando has an excellent non-profit organization called ECO-Action that sponsors weekly canoe clean-ups.  They have recently completed their 500th clean up! Whoo Hoo! This promotes a pride in your lakes and waterways, camaraderie, and of course - a great arm work-out!  Do some research to see if one of these organizations is in your area, or create your own and tell us about it.

3.  Visit your local botanical garden.  Laurel and I are lucky we have one in our backyard.  This is a great date spot *wink *wink, and the first Friday of the month, they feature a movie under the stars.  Again, an inexpensive afternoon or evening that supports the preservation of b-e-a-utiful flowers, plants, and insects, and could get anyone to appreciate what we have in this world.

4. Volunteer.  Whether it be at a nursing home, an animal shelter, your neighbor’s garden - wherever!  Just do it.  You are making someone, something, anything feel better, and trust - it will come back to you 10x over.  To make this tip associate with the summer:  Bring that person some lemonade to enjoy while you play checkers on the porch.  Take that puppy to a dog park to enjoy the beautiful day too and make new friends.  Plant a tomato plant for that neighbor to promote sustainable living.

5. Take a Pickinic aka Picnic lunch.  Not just any picnic.  First, you must visit your local organic grocer/farmers’ market/co-op for the freshest, mostest bestest choices of cuisine that support your community. Check out some recipes at ChefMD or Epicurious to be conscious of what you putting into your bod.  Done.  Second, you must pick the location.  While your backyard is a perfectly acceptable choice, try to get a little more creative.  Maybe placing that lunch in your bike basket and taking it to #2,  #3, or #4.