Eco Travel Heaven: Costa Rica
By Katy Pollock
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
Just south of a tiny surfing town of Domincal, in the southwestern corner of Costa Rica, is a haven of nature unlike any other. Abundant wildlife fills the jungle and primary rainforest soars over secluded beaches along the world’s first and only marine national park that protects both land and sea, Morino Ballena National Park.
At the northernmost tip of the preserve is Playa Ballena (ballena is Spanish for whale) which, in my opinion, should be added to the “wonders of the world” list. At low tide, the sandbar peeks above the surf and displays a natural phenomenon resembling a whale’s tail. It’s a 30-minute walk to the end of the “tail” where you can snorkel and swim with all sorts of majestic sea creatures.
Established in 1990, the marine park protects nearly 100 square miles, spanning roughly ten miles along the coast and ten miles out to sea. The park is home to the largest coral reef in Central America’s Pacific coast and a variety of mangrove species. Each year the area welcomes nesting sea turtles and migrating whales. Continue reading Eco Travel Heaven: Costa Rica…
Posted on May 16, 2008 |
Bike To Work Week
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
Bike To Work Week is upon us once again! This is the best time of the year to experiment with the bicycle commute you’ve been thinking about, or to be super psyched on yourself that you already do get to work on your carbon neutral bicyclette. Depending on what type of job you have and how far your commute is, you may want to put your work clothes in your bag to avoid a super sweaty start to your work day. Believe me, figuring out the clothing bit is well worth it…How often do you get to show up to work in the morning feeling exhilarated? This Friday is the big Bike To Work Day, so pull out your cruiser, BMX, fixed gear, electri-cycle, ten-speed, or mountain bike and get to pedaling!
Need to take this step with a group of Bike To Work enthusiasts? Check out the many Bike To Work events taking place around the country and around the world
Posted on May 15, 2008 |
Barack Obama On The Environment
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 6 Comments
As Barack Obama takes the lead with super delegates, it seemed an appropriate time to broadcast his stance on the environment. Controversy has recently circulated over Obama’s support of “clean coal” (an oxymoron), while his evangelism of renewable energy sources like wind and solar remain admirable. If Barack Obama wins the presidency, is he capable of leading the US government to reverse the environmental fallacies of the last administration and manifest bold legislation that will help our planet to heal? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Posted on May 14, 2008 |
The Art Of The Buycott
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 2 Comments
It comes down to awareness.
Many of us know what is happening. We are living out of balance with the natural world. Our culture gives us carte blanche to throw away plastic bottles after drinking water from the other side of the planet. Our TV tells us that we’re never going to find true love unless we choose the right toothpaste. We listen to music protected by lawyers on iPods built in sweatshops while driving SUVs shipped across oceans fueled by diesel that funds dictatorial regimes. It’s not cool, it’s not natural, it’s not fair, and both “the piper” and “the fat lady” are tuning up off-stage.
Had enough? It’s time to do something.
The real power you have, I have, we all have, is in our wallet. The economic puppeteers know it to be true. Like it or not (and I’ll go on record in the ‘not’ column), consumerism is the lifeblood of America. It fuels our entire economy. And the only thing that is going to create lasting, sustainable systemic change starts and ends at the cash register. In the 21st Century, it’s no longer about political protests and angry boycotts, it’s about economic leverage and focused BUYcotts. Why the change? It’s more effective. Plain and simple. Continue reading The Art Of The Buycott…
Posted on May 13, 2008 |
American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 2 Comments
American Apparel, a company well known for sexual harassment suits, scandalous barely-legal marketing imagery, and de rigeur retro basics, is quietly known among environmentalists for something different…setting the bar for fair wages in manufacturing and incorporating solid steps towards environmental sustainability. Yes, that American Apparel.
Now clearly, a manufacturing behemoth is going to have a tough time calling itself “sustainable,” but American Apparel doesn’t even try. They do. Since 2006, 20% of their electricity for their factory in downtown LA is produced by solar energy, there’s recycled content in their shopping bags, and a majority of their manufacturing scraps get reclaimed for the making of their smaller items, like thongs and such. They launched their 100% organic Sustainable Edition in 2003 and now they’re trying to get the rest of their line in check. American Apparel recently announced its purchase of 30,000 lbs. of Cleaner Cotton to incorporate into their non-organic line. “Cleaner Cotton” also called B.A.S.I.C., uses approximately one-third the amount of pesticides of conventional cotton. The Cleaner Cotton Campaign was started by Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP), which is a farmer-based, non-profit organization that reeducates farmers on how to reduce their toxic chemical usage without genetically-modified seeds, while maintaining profitability. An ongoing partnership with American Apparel is certainly a great way to do just that. Continue reading American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)…
Posted on May 12, 2008 |
World Fair Trade Day
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 1 Comment
World Fair Trade Day is celebrated every second Saturday of May. It is a day devoted to bringing awareness to the what, where, why and how of Fair Trade. Where we get our morning cup of coffee directly effects farmers and agricultural communities all over the world and can mean the difference between an impoverished community and a thriving one. Whether it’s coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice, sugar, handicrafts, or even sports gear, asking for Fair Trade at the stores you shop at is key. Check out this beautiful piece on Fair Trade coffee by eq.tv.
Take Action: Support Fair Trade in your community.
- Celebrate World Fair Trade Day at an event near you
- Buy Fair Trade products
- Look for the Transfair USA Fair Trade symbol on imported staples (coffee, tea, sugar, rice, and bananas)
- Ask your grocer what Fair Trade products are available in their store
Posted on May 10, 2008 |
Yoga Mats Go Eco
By Glennie Rabin
Filed Under Green Living | 5 Comments
If you’re in the market for a new yoga mat, get your asanas on an eco mat! Nearly all of the leading makers of yoga mats now offer earth-friendly options in their product lines. Selecting an eco yoga mat is a perfect choice as you pose your way to enlightenment and inner peace in your yoga practice.
The typical yoga mat is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which not only pollutes the environment, but also can pollute your body with its known cancer-causing potential. An eco yoga mat is biodegradable, recyclable, and most are made from rubber (a renewable resource) and other natural materials, like cotton and jute. No PVC here!
Before you start om’ing your praises for all eco-branded yoga mats, there are two things to keep in mind. Not all are actually 100% environmentally friendly, so be sure to look at exactly what materials the mat you choose is made up of. The second drawback is the initial odor. Much like a new car, these mats all have that “new mat smell.” The aroma of natural rubber is not so nice a scent and it tends to linger… but after a few yoga practices and airing the mat out unrolled for a couple of weeks, the smell fades.
Jade Yoga / Harmony Professional Yoga Mat
The Jade Harmony Mat is a high performance mat that would suit a practitioner in any style of yoga. The mat is very tactile, with open cell rubber that provides great grip for all poses. My knees were comfortably cushioned in pigeon pose, and the mat stayed sticky even as I worked up a sweat through my sun salutations. It should be noted that the Jade Harmony mat is part latex, in case you have an allergy.
As if the Harmony mat didn’t make me a happy enough yogini on its own, Jade Yoga also has partnered with Trees for the Future and will plant a tree for every yoga mat purchased. Applause! Continue reading Yoga Mats Go Eco…
Posted on May 9, 2008 |
Myanmar Cyclone: Time to CARE
By admin
Filed Under Modern Philanthropy, The Big Picture | Leave a Comment
We often go about our daily activities - consumed with our careers, family obligations, and entertainments of every kind. It’s easy to exist in the bubble of our own lives. But there are moments that by their sheer awfulness, jolt us out of our insulated reality. Catastrophic events like Katrina, 9/11, the 2004 Tsunami have forced us to take pause and become aware of our greater global community.
According to the UN, the Myanmar Cyclone has killed as many as 100,000 people, and left hundreds of thousands of people without food and water. From so many miles away, we can not fix it all, but we can definitely help. We can CARE. Continue reading Myanmar Cyclone: Time to CARE…
Posted on May 8, 2008 |
Threadheads: LA Hipsters And DIY Stencils
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
What do an exacto knife, a can of spraypaint, and Batboy have to do with transforming your most banal garment into your most prized possession? Find out in this episode of Threadheads, when Corinne Leigh and Rob Czar get a lesson in stenciling and explore the dicey world of the LA hipster. Reduce, reuse, recycle, revamp!
Posted on May 7, 2008 |
The Natural Evolution Of Business: Introducing the B Corp
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
Historically, progressive business leaders had a few different ways to create companies. The Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), ‘S’ Corporation, and ‘C’ Corporation are the most common legal forms of business. Some of the most socially minded business people have chosen to start ‘earned-income non-profit corporations.’ Without devolving into a Latin-laden deconstruction of these choices, each of the existing options includes some major flaws for this generation’s greatest heroes, the social entrepreneurs.
Our friends at B Lab have set out to change that, with the formation of the B Corporation (B Corp). The ‘B’ here stands for Beneficial. B Corp provides a comprehensive ratings system and certification to help both businesses and buyers distinguish “good companies” from “good marketing.” Founding B Corporations include eConscious Market, Method, Seventh Generation, and Dansko. We spoke to Andrew Kassoy, one of the B Lab founders, who explained their purpose as a way to support “the power of business to create benefit, and to ‘be the change.’”
The socially conscious business movement is by no means limited to a handful of lefties in Boulder and San Francisco. According to Kassoy, there are approximately 60 million ‘green consumers’ in the US today (roughly 20% of the population), 30-40,000 businesses that identify themselves as socially-driven businesses, and over 2.5 trillion dollars has been assigned to “more conscious investments” which span a diverse group of investors and strategies. Continue reading The Natural Evolution Of Business: Introducing the B Corp…
Posted on May 6, 2008 |
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