Wecanlivegreen’s Weblog

The holiday season. For most it conjures up fond memories of warm family moments, childlike joy and…sheer panic. We’ve felt the sheer panic at trying to find the right gift for our special someone without breaking the bank and (for all of us eco-conscious folks out there) not hurting the planet. Holiday shoppers have no fear. We have a few options for you that are sure to please. Just make sure you order in time to avoid the holiday rush!

For the Chocolate Lover, try Dagoba Chocolates. Dagoba’s organic, full circle sustainability chocolates are a delight to the senses. Winner of the EPA’s Green Power Leadership Award, Food and Wines’ Tastemaker Award, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Best Dark Chocolate Award, these chocolates are a true work of ‘Art of Chocolate Alchemy.’ We recommend the Hot Chocolate Trio gift box for cold nights by the fire and the Dagoba Organic Dark Chocolate Lavendar Bar for a decadent afternoon treat. (http://www.dagobachocolate.com)

For the Spa Guru, try Hugo’s Natural Botanical Apothecary skin care and spa products line. Hugo’s exquisitely scented line of products are soothing, moisturizing, all natural, organic and vegan approved. Hugo Saavedra, owner and creator of Hugo Naturals says, ‘Be good to your skin, be good to the earth.’ With these fantastic products, who wouldn’t? Our favorites: the Brown Sugar and Kumquat Body Scrub, Lemon Verbena and Bergamot Shower Gel, and Vanilla & Sweet Orange Effervescent Bath Salts. (http://www.hugonaturals.com)

For the Highly Fashionable, try a design from Linda Loudermilk’s Fall 2007 collection. Her incredibly creative, always lovely and amazingly fashion-forward garments include such fabrics as sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell and soya. With her Luxury-Eco designs and fabrics, Loudermilk is proving that Going Green is necessary, attainable and hyper-cool. Check http://www.lindaloudermilk.com for stores near you.

For the Philanthropist in your life, try giving a charitable gift that will make a big difference - the gift of livestock. Heifer International, an organization committed to ending world hunger by providing needy families with livestock, focuses on providing communities sustainable resources so they can become more self-sufficient. Their specific focus is livestock, which are an integral part of the family unit, providing food security and nutritional self-sufficiency. To learn more, please visit http://www.heiferinternational.com.

For the Outdoorsperson, try the InfoMate World Band Solar/Generator Portable Radio, a solar-powered, compact and lightweight radio. You can listen to AM/FM radio, short wave foreign radio, VHF bands, television audio and the National Weather Service. Check http://www.survivalunlimited.com to order online.

For the Beer Lover in your life, try Wolaver’s Organic Ales. Located in beautiful Middlebury,Vermont, Wolaver’s Organic Ales blend a love for great ale with a love for sustainable production. Brewed in small batches to ensure freshness and quality, Wolaver’s Organic Ales are made with no less than 98% certified organic ingredients. For a retailer near you, go to http://www.wolavers.com.

For the Kid(s) in your life, try Progressive Kid. An amazing website with a tremendous assortment of eco-friendly, progressive and organic products for children of all ages. For more information, try http://www.progressivekid.com.

For the Pet Lover, explore EarthDog and Purrfectplay, two companies committed to making sure Fido and Fluffy are organic too! Their pet products include natural organic beds, organic toys and treats and much more. For more information, go to http://www.earthdog.com and http://www.purrfectplay.com.

For a New Baby in the family, shop at Little Twig. These fun and trendy items are great for baby and the environment. We suggest the Bath Time Basics Bath Kit, the Bumblebee Travel Basics Kit and Scrubby Bug Mitts. To order, go to http://www.littletwig.com.

For that Special Someone in your life, try Jurlique’s Almond Carrier Oil for massage and relaxation. Pair this with a little quality time, and your special someone is sure to thank you. Go to http://www.jurlique.com for more details.

For a Fabulous Stocking Stuffer, try the Go! Towel. This poker-sized 100% bamboo fiber towel expands to 14” x 20” when water is added. This natural antibacterial/microbial, organically grown, unbleached, undyed and unscented towel promises to revolutionize the way you look at tissues, paper towels and paper products in general. Oh, and did we mention they are machine washable and completely biodegradable? For more information, go to http://www.luxebamboo.com.

Tom Jones is anything but your average guy. He is an extreme athlete, but extreme might not be a strong enough word for what this man is capable of doing for a cause he believes in. Tom has committed his life to furthering causes through his athletic skills, his most recent endeavor taking him down the coast of California, one paddle at a time. Armed with a paddleboard and a conviction to raise public awareness about the disturbing trend of increasing levels of plastic pollution in our oceans, Jones set out to fight this problem by paddling the entire 1,250 mile coastline of California.

His journey started on August 7 at California’s northern most tip and concluded on November 9, at Border Fields State Park, south of San Diego at the south-western most part of the United States. During his world record-making endeavor as the first human being to ever paddle the entire coastline of California, Tom endured winds over 50 mph, the rugged, sharky waters of Northern California, swells that took his board and smoke from the Southern California wildfires, not to mention the grueling physical exhaustion from such an extreme athletic challenge.

He was supported along the way by local beachgoers, lifeguards, the coast guard, and perhaps most appropriately, a host of oceanic creatures including pods of killer whales, elephant seals and schools of dolphin.

His mission received significant media attention as news spread of Tom’s journey. Following is an interview with Tom Jones, who We Can Live Green honors as our Green Pioneer for November 2007.

WCLG: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Tom: I try to be a good father, husband and humanitarian.

WCLG: What do you do and how did you start doing it?

Tom: I am an extreme endurance athlete. That means I take athletic sports like running, biking, paddleboarding, and fighting to extreme levels.

WCLG: When did you begin to ‘go green’?

Tom: I think that I’ve been pretty “green” most of my life by instinct.

WCLG: Was there a turning point for you in your life that started you on the path you are on now?

Tom: Yes, I started to paddle board in harbors and the ocean so that I could get better at surfing. When I started to paddle, I noticed an unacceptable amount of trash in our water and decided to do something extraordinary to bring attention to scientific facts that I discovered while doing some casual investigation on plastic content in the water.

WCLG: What do you see as the biggest priorities of your generation?

Tom: Making a change in the way that we co-exist with nature. We must be much more in harmony with nature that we currently are, I believe.

WCLG: What three things do you think all people must learn to do?

Tom: Respect, Research and Restore the environment.

WCLG: Do you have any advice for our readers?

Tom: Go to www.CaliforniaPaddle.com and join the “Campaign for a plastic free ocean”. Help me continue to get the word out. When people find out and investigate the facts, they tend to get involved.

WCLG: Is there anything you would like to add about yourself?

Tom: No…….Just a good guy trying to make a positive difference in the world around us.

WCLG: Who inspires you and why?

Tom: Everyone, because everyone that I come in contact with teaches me something about myself.

WCLG: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Tom: Doing the same thing, just getting better at it hopefully.

With the holidays comes the usual onslaught of ’shop till you drop’ pressure from retailers, shopping centers and the media at large. With this much pressure to just buy, buy, buy!, how can a girl stay green?

The question begs that we first delve a little deeper into the history and psyche of the American shopper…

The notion of retail therapy originated in an article written by the Chicago Tribune in 1986 in which the writer wrote: “We’ve become a nation measuring out our lives in shopping bags and nursing our psychic ills through retail therapy.” (Wikipedia) Retail therapy is a phrase Americans throw about casually (often even comically) in conversations, without really thinking about the meaning behind the phrase. How many times have you said you needed to go shopping after a long day or a particularly bad workweek? (Be honest with yourself here!) If you have said it or acted on it, you’re guilty of retail therapy.

The thought of having to buy ’stuff’ to feel better is really just crazy if you think about it. Add to that feeling the intense pressure to buy, buy, buy! for the holidays…and no wonder people are ramming each other with shopping carts at the local Target and sheriffs are called to Best Buys across the nation for crowd control on ‘Black Friday’.

As a staffer here at We Can Live Green, I need to first say that I am not promoting consumerism (See Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses‘! ). But to be fair, I realize that we no longer live in a world where we can walk to the local artisan for a loaf of bread, or barter a bar of soap for a gallon of milk. We live in a world in which we must purchase products from stores, whether in our city or town or online. I also realize trying to convince little Tommy that Santa isn’t coming this year because we live in a consumer-driven society where the dollar is king probably isn’t realistic either. I accept these facts and call on consumers to use their consumer voice for change.

But how do you use your consumer voice for change? Here are a few quick ideas to think about this holiday season.

1. What about giving the gift of time to someone you love? Time together, time apart, time to work on a project together or just to sit and visit with one another. Time is perhaps the most cherished gift of all…and it doesn’t cost you a thing.

2. What about making gifts for the holidays? A few years ago, our family tried out a new holiday rule - No store-bought gifts. The new rule brought with it some of the most memorable gifts of our lives, as well as some of our most touching moments and the best laughs during gift-giving time.

If you are purchasing gifts this season, keep in mind that you cast your consumer vote every time you spend a dollar. When you cast your consumer vote and exchange your hard-earned dollar for a product, you are in essence stating, “I approve of this product. I believe in what it stands for.”

Here’s the deal. You can use your consumer voice for change this holiday season. You can be green this holiday season. You can. And the great thing is, there are varying degrees on just how green you want to be. If you purchase products this holiday season, please take a look at this green directory.

I personally challenge you to be sure that the products you purchase stand for what you personally believe in…Who knows, we might just start a whole new kind of retail therapy. Happy Holidays!

Penelope - the Newbie and Staffer at We Can Live Green

I have to admit that attending the 1st ever Presidential Forum on Global Warming and Renewable Energy was a bit exciting, even for a jaded die hard greenie like myself. Seeing presidential candidates (Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards) debate on the environment was encouraging. In fact, it was downright exhilarating. And the level of enthusiasm emanating from a completely packed house at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles helped to amp up the evening even more. Sitting there, listening to the speakers and looking around, I kept thinking, ‘Yes, we can do it. We can, and will, fix our planet.’

Excitement and optimism aside, trying to get down to the nitty-gritty of each candidate’s specific policy on global warming and renewable energy was a little more difficult than I had hoped. Perhaps it was the timed ten minute speech accompanied by the three to five questions from the panelists. Perhaps it was simply that this issue is too big and too complex to address thoroughly in a half-hour time slot. Whatever the reason, I left wanting to know more.

For those of you not in attendance and curious to know the outcome of the speeches, here’s a brief rundown:

Dennis Kucinich

• The U.S. must abolish all nuclear weapons.
• The U.S. must participate in all global treaties such as the Landmine Treaty, Small Arms Treaty.
• The U.S. will institute the ‘Works Green Administration’ which will infuse ‘green living’ in all aspects of the administration. A few examples he cited are as follows:
• The creation of a new Department of Energy which would provide disincentives for oil, coal and nuclear energy and incentivize wind and solar technologies.
• The creation of a new Department of Health which would create not-for-profit healthcare for the masses with an emphasis on preventative healthcare for all.
• Spending money into circulation to create the infrastructure for these new initiatives.

Hillary Clinton

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050.
• Cut foreign oil by 2/3 by 2030.
• Move from a carbon-based economy to a fuel efficient economy.
• Create 5 million ‘green collar’ jobs.
• Create US Bonds (a similar strategy as what was utilized during World War II through War Bonds) for green initiatives nationwide.
• When asked how she would address increasing climate change-related disasters in poverty stricken areas, Senator Clinton stated that her foreign policy would likely include the following:
• 1. Create a process where the U.S. can take a leadership role globally.
• 2. Convene international meetings on a three month basis with the global contributors to climate change.
• 3. Create a forum (composed of scientists, American government officials and more) to address the issues related to climate change and renewable energy.
• 4. Encourage countries like India and China to jumpstart their development by moving to renewable energy technologies.

John Edwards

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
• Create the New Energy economy and 1 million new ‘green collar’ jobs.
• Create a New Energy Economy Fund ($13 billion fund for new energy technologies).
• Invest in renewable energy (25% of energy will be alternative, renewable energy by 2025).
• Give automakers $1 billion a year to create new alternatively fueled vehicles. Reduce oil consumption by 7.5 million barrels of oil daily by 2025.
• Open the electricity grid to innovation through inventions like ‘Smart Grids’, allowing local communities and homes to develop better, more energy-efficient power.
• Achieve zero growth in electricity demand with efficiency for the next decade.
• Cut carbon subsidies to raise money for alternative technologies.
• Provide seed innovation for green small businesses and homeowners who want to make changes to their homes to improve energy efficiency, etc.
• Call on states to separate energy profits from energy sales.
• When asked about his foreign policy on climate change and countries affected by climate change, John Edwards stated “The world has to see us (the United States) as a force for good again.” And then, “To be worthy of leadership, the world must see us as meeting not only our selfish needs, but also the needs of humanity.”
• He also stated that our foreign policy must include not only policy regarding climate change, but other large scale global issues so that these issues might be approached in a more cohesive manner.

Maybe not as many specifics on environmental policies as I’d like from each candidate, but it’s a start. And I’m happy to report that at least someone is talking about it on the campaign trail.

Chase - Die Hard Greenie and Staffer

http://www.wecanlivegreen.com

Welcome to We Can Live Green’s Weblog.   The staff of WeCanLiveGreen.com has decided to join the blog community to share their thoughts, struggles, reviews, events, products and ideas for going green via the blogosphere. Each blog entry will be signed by the staffer from WeCanLiveGreen.com.