elevision: Interview With A Treehugger
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under eCo TV | 7 Comments
Waylon Lewis of mindful life media machine, Elephant Journal, picks the brain of the biggest treehugger on the web, Graham Hill. This strikingly handsome founder of Treehugger.com gives his insights on revolutionizing the paper coffee cup, being bought by Discovery Channel, and the simple joys of watching his uber-green website’s traffic go through the roof. Ah, the joys of Google Analytics.
elevision interviews Treehugger.com’s Graham Hill from alex king on Vimeo.
Posted on July 23, 2008 |
Get The Dirt On Hand Soap
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, News & Reviews | Leave a Comment
Mothers, doctors, chefs, and hardcore germaphobes-listen up. You like clean hands, yes? With all the options on the market today from hand sanitizer to antibacterial soaps, you’d think that this society would have the cleanest hands in history. Not so. Many of today’s soaps contain some very unhealthy chemicals and surprising animal byproducts.
Soaps are produced by combining a fat source with an alkali, and unless the package specifically states that the product contains no animal ingredients, chances are good that the fat source in your soap is pig fat. Yum. In addition, the chemicals found in soaps penetrate our skin and can cause hormonal disruptions and even cancer. After the soap makes it down the drain, it ends up in our drinking water. Triclosan, the main antibacterial ingredient in many hand soaps, has been found in many streams and rivers and can disrupt thyroid hormone function in bullfrogs. When was the last time a bullfrog did you wrong? Exactly. So what’s the best option for getting your digits squeaky clean, while not wronging any innocent forest creatures or yourself? Steer clear of the antibacterial variety and purchase an all natural version that uses vegetable rather than animal fats as its base, and that doesn’t include any petrochemicals. Here’s our favorite hand soap finds…
Amlavi Hand and Body Wash
Amlavi’s mission is to build a collection of all natural bath products that maintain a connection to the earth, air, and waterways surrounding us. They’ve accomplished that through both their products and their practices (they offer bike-to-work incentives for employees, use recycled office supplies, and use compostable or plantable materials in their product packaging, among other things). Their hand and body washes are superb. They produce three aromatic blends, citrus, sandalwood, and floral. Each blend contains between eight and twelve very pronouncable ingredients in a base of coconut, avocado, sesame, or olive oil. There are no petrochemicals, no animal byproducts, no phthalates and no parabens.
This soap is a little bit less gelatinous than a more traditional, chemical-filled hand soap, but it feels smooth and silky, doesn’t dry out your hands, and smells natural and delicious.
MSRP: $15.95/bottle
Continue reading Get The Dirt On Hand Soap…
Posted on July 22, 2008 |
Skate Or Die
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, Sustainable Style | 2 Comments
Did you see Gleaming The Cube in ‘89 and wish it could have been you instead of Christian Slater? Do you still own all your back issues of Thrasher and Transworld? Do you see those kids tic-tacing past you on the sidewalk and think, “if only I knew how to skate, my morning commute would be so much cooler?” Regardless of why you may be interested in skating, if you don’t have a board and always wanted one, there’s no time like the present. With most vehicles releasing about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas used, it’s time to start getting around in a carbon neutral way. In the words of so many skaters before you…skate or die.
Three major eco skateboard companies are out there sourcing sustainable-managed wood, low-impact glues, soy-based resins and more to produce rad boards that rip with the best of ‘em. eCo Times caught up with all three of them: Dan Gesmer of Seismic Skate Systems, Jason Salfi of Comet Skateboards, and Bob Carlson of Arbor.
SEISMIC SKATE SYSTEMS///COMET SKATEBOARDS///ARBOR SKATEBOARDS
Company Founded: 1993///1998///1995
Location of Headquarters: Boulder, CO///Oakland, CA and Ithaca, NY///Venice, CA
Location of Manufacturing: San Diego, Los Angeles, Boulder, CO, and China///Ithaca, NY///San Diego, CA
Product Lines: Wheels, Trucks, Decks and Completes///Skateboards And T-Shirts///Skateboards, Snowboards, and Apparel
Company practices that need improvement: Integrating more green materials in production ///Sourcing raw materials within a 300 mile radius, green commuting by staff, using 100% renewable energy,eliminating scrap instead of just composting it///Using even more eco-friendly glues
What makes your boards eco?
SEISMIC: All of our decks are manufactured using FSC-certified woods. And we’re committed to staying on the cutting edge as green materials and processes become viable for the production of performance-oriented wheels and trucks.
COMET: 100% soy protein based resin, FSC-certified hardwoods, water based paints and inks. They are biodegradable. If you could chew them you could eat them. We compost the scrap.
ARBOR: 100% of the bamboo and wood used in our skates, including the all maple plys, is sustainably sourced and has been since we started making skates 10 years ago. We also use only water-based sealers during production. Further, all risers are made from recycled plastic. Finally, we reclaim and recycle all the wood and bamboo by-product created during construction for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies.
Continue reading Skate Or Die…
Posted on July 21, 2008 |
Art Impacts The Environment: Jeanne-Claude and Christo
By Melissa Vest
Filed Under Arts & Culture | 3 Comments
Imagine a sea of saffron colored panels blowing in the wind. They are almost as light as air, and they are in front of the trees, the sky, and the ground. They are impossible to miss. You move closer to them, and can hear them rippling over the sounds of cars, the birds, and the breeze in the trees. As you walk through each gate of panels you feel them pushing the wind across your face. Your awareness of the space you are in is heightened as you experience these panels, which reach as far as you can see.
The Gates, an artwork by Jeanne-Claude and Christo, transformed Central Park in 2005. Their work was met with a wide array of interest and speculation. No matter your opinion of the work, it certainly altered the way you would experience the surrounding environment. Jeanne-Claude and Christo’s work might be less common in a typical American home than say, the florescent light bulb, Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” or the hybrid car, but it has nonetheless had an impact on the environmental movement.
Continue reading Art Impacts The Environment: Jeanne-Claude and Christo…
Posted on July 18, 2008 |
Food Not Lawns
By Christy Rice
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 5 Comments
After months of purchasing the same bag of frozen organic strawberries, I recently read the label for the first time: Product of Turkey. Humbled as my presumably small carbon footprint doubled its size, I couldn’t escape this haunting realization, “I’ve never been to Turkey-why should my berries be so fortunate?”
In a nation where a mere 0.3% of land is cultivated for organic farming, petroleum-powered planes and trucks are a requirement in the delivery of my organic goods. After all, I live on a city plot just north of Seattle where most farmland is now cemented. When I heard about the concept of the “urban homestead” though, I realized that those berries could have grown much closer to home.
Take the Dervaes family of Pasadena. Modern society would say they are the exception to self-sustainability; my heart says they’re the rule. Practically having dubbed the term urban homestead, they produce three tons of produce a year from their one-tenth of an acre garden, handcraft their own honey and wine, and bicycle-power their blender. They have a biodiesel truck, solar oven, goats, chickens, and a driveway lined with strawberries. The Dervaes’ slowly began cultivating this property in the mid-80’s, and now own their home and live off of the $25,000 a year they make selling their goods. Certain variables, such as renting a home or apartment-dwelling, could dampen dreams of self-sustainability, but the Dervaes’ emphasize that there are degrees to this lifestyle. Each small step is a significant part of the journey toward urban self-sufficiency.
Continue reading Food Not Lawns…
Posted on July 17, 2008 |
6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The Planet
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 1 Comment
Are you ready to find out the 6 ways mushrooms can save our struggling planet? Paul Stamets, famed mycologist and founder of Fungi Perfecti, will blow your mind with how to use mycelia to create mushroom-based solutions to habitat restoration, biological warfare, petroleum spills, pest invasions, and peak oil.
Posted on July 16, 2008 |
Eco Toothbrush Review
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, News & Reviews | 2 Comments
Dentists recommend that you change your toothbrush every three months, so four times a year is apparently the minimum. If you brush hard and the bristles of your brush get all mashed down (you know what I’m talking about guys), you need to toss that brush out even sooner. Tons of toothbrushes in our bathroom wastebaskets means tons of toothbrushes in our landfills and oceans. All this discarded dental care amounts to 50 million pounds worth of waste every single year. And that’s just the brush itself. What about all the plastic and paper packaging, plus the poisons that go into the conventional plastic toothbrushes? Lucky for us, there are companies out there who care not only about our oral hygiene, but also about our health and the planet. Check out the lowdown on the most eco toothbrushes around.
Continue reading Eco Toothbrush Review…
Posted on July 15, 2008 |
About Face: Read Your Labels!
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 3 Comments
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body…for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” That definition covers a lot more products than just eye shadow and foundation. It includes everything from lipstick and lotion to deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste and mouthwash. Both women and men regularly use products that are defined as “cosmetics.” The average person uses as many as 25 personal care products everyday, coming into contact with as many as 100 chemicals before breakfast.
Continue reading About Face: Read Your Labels!…
Posted on July 14, 2008 |
Superfood News: Cacao
By Seth Braun
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
Superfoods
A superfood is anything that delivers the power of several foods in one package. They contain significantly higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances than regular healthy food. Superfoods are much better at filling in the gaps in our diet than vitamin supplements. Whether it is for aiding detoxification, replenishing reserves, improving immune system, increasing sex drive, or generating energy, superfoods make up for the lack of quality, nutrients, and vitality in the commercial food supply.
Raw Cacao
Cacao has been consumed for over 4,000 years, it is also known as “cocoa” or theobroma cacao. This seed of a tropical fruit tree, often referred to as a “bean,” is the most nutrient dense seed in our food supply. Raw Cacao is the number one source of antioxidants in the world; it is higher in antioxidants than acai, goji, blueberry, aronia berry, and every berry drink on the market! Cacao is also the highest food source of magnesium and chromium, which happen to be the top mineral and trace mineral deficiencies. Cacao contains over 400 distinct chemical compounds, making it the most chemically complex food on the planet.
Benefits
- Mood Boosting
Cacao contains phenylethylamine, or PEA. PEA is the famous “love chemical” in chocolate. Basically, the body and mind get really happy from it. - Brain Boosting
Cacao contains flavanols. Flavanols increase blood flow in the brain, according to research by Dr. Ian Macdonald at the University of Nottingham. Add in some theobromine, a mild stimulant, and you have an inexpensive and very enjoyable brain tonic. - Heart Health
Compounds in cacao reduce blood pressure, increase flexibility in arteries, reduce bad cholesterol, and open up blood flow in all systems. Magnesium, which cacao has more of than any other food, is in highest concentration in the heart muscle. - Sexual health
Lots of things improve when you increase blood flow. Add “the love chemical,” phenylethylamine, a big shot of magnesium to relax muscles and nourish the heart, and cocoa butter, which happens to melt at the same temperature as the tongue, and you have the world’s best aphrodisiac. (Note: If you really want to know if cacao is an aphrodisiac, try eating 1 ounce of raw cacao or 70% or higher chocolate for two weeks. Yes, is what you will conclude!) - Blood Sugar
Cacao contains 10 times more chromium than whole wheat, which benefits blood sugar metabolism. - Immune System
Cacao contains potent immune system boosting substances called epicatechins, which means you can save those allotted sick days for something much more fun.
Continue reading Superfood News: Cacao…
Posted on July 11, 2008 |
Top 5 Eco Cities In The US
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under The Big Picture | 19 Comments
The United States was recently rated as the 39th greenest country in the world according to a recent Yale study titled the Environmental Performance Index, an embarrassing score that paled in comparison to other countries including Costa Rica (5th), Columbia (9th) and Slovenia (15th). The U.S. has a long way to go in achieving environmental and social sustainability and it is important to recognize the importance of the role cities play in that equation. As more and more people migrate from rural to metro areas, it is essential that cities develop innovative plans to accommodate the influx, while also diminishing the damaging effects of population overload. With the federal government of the US refusing to participate in the Kyoto Protocol and surrendering leadership on so many environmental issues, American municipal governments are taking climate change into their own hands. Since 2006, more than 230 Mayors have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which fosters the goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
Continue reading Top 5 Eco Cities In The US…
Posted on July 10, 2008 |
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eCo Times reports the latest on sustainable lifestyle choices and the new green economy. This online magazine brings you the best in cutting edge green media, organic and Fair Trade product reviews, and insights into viable planetary solutions.
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