Earth Divas Fair Trade and Natural Fiber Bags

Good morning all! I’ve been a busy little bee lately with work and finishing up my book but now that things have settled down some I can get right back to doing reviews and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than Earth Divas!

I was contacted by these folks directly and sent a super fun, practical, functional and great looking tan bag, hand made by a talented artist in Nepal, from rapidly renewable hemp fiber.

With two very generous outside pockets in chocolate brown and three inside pockets (in addition to the main bag) I will certainly not run out of convenient spaces for my smaller items. With magnetized snaps or zippers the pockets will keep everything safely tucked away. And the bag is sturdy too.

The casual messenger style is great for me because I always have a couple checkbooks and my day planner with me so the roominess is great too.

The company is a wonderful model -- they provide free training and pay their artists direct under fair trade practices. With a 10% donation that goes right back to the artists Earth Divas claims to pay 10-25% higher than the standard labor rate, 30% above the local wage rate. At the end of the year all profits are paid direct to the artists and the owner of the company, Ed Edmundson, doesn’t even draw a salary!

The price is not outrageous for such a well made, socially responsible item either. The bag I was sent retails at $29.99 but their catalog is chock full of items that run under $20 too. The range in price does not diminish the quality or functionality however.

With so many positives -- natural/renewable fiber, social responsibility, training and encouragement of the artists, sustainability, functionality and durability -- and such a wonderful company model overall I am granting Earth Divas a Four and a Half Leaf Rating!

Now for the best part…for those of you who stuck around to read the whole review, Green Leaf Reviewer, in conjunction with Earth Divas, is doing a giveaway of one of these awesome hand made bags! That’s right and you could win it!

Here are the rules:

Get on over to the Earth Divas website.
Find your favorite bag.
Come back to GLR and leave a comment about which bag is your favorite.
Tell me why you think hemp is a smart choice for the planet.

I will be picking the winner on Tuesday July 6 at 6:00PM EST so get your votes in now and you might just find a super cute, well made, socially responsible bag on your front doorstep!

Thanks Earth Divas for helping to make this planet a better place ♥love♥

CVS Joins the Growing Trend with Earth Essentials Sugarcane Dishware

These CVS Earth Essentials plates and bowls are not the first I have seen created from sugarcane and because it is such a lowered impact on the planet to use this type of disposable dishware, as opposed to paper or plastic, I hope they are not the last.

With cookouts and parties, as I have said before, comes the disposable dishware option. Most people use these due to the sheer convenience of knowing they do not have to wash dishes at the end of the party. The good news about these disposables is that they are created from the rapidly renewing resources of sugarcane.

At only about $2.50 per pack (15 nine inch plates or 20 seven inch bowls) the cost is reasonable and right in line with other brands that may or may not be eco-conscious. They are sturdy too, with a fairly deep well on the plate and a nice wide double ridge rim on the bowls these plates will stand up to just about anything put on them.

I did not see these items available for purchase online, only in store, so their availability may vary from area to area. They are water and oil resistant but can not be washed and reused as the underside is not coated. As I have said before, the items are still disposable so it is not the best choice for day to day use, but if a commercial composting facility is available in your area they will break down quickly and with less of an overall impact. Otherwise they must be tossed in the trash like a standard paper plate.

Overall even though the availability of types and sizes is a bit limited I am happy to know that when shopping for this type of convenience item there is a more beneficial option out there so I am granting the CVS Earth Essentials dishware line a Three Leaf Rating!

Day two of being impressed by this exclusive line CVS! ♥love♥

Coming up tomorrow, the final installment: CVS Earth Essentials line bathroom tissue and paper towels

Going Green with Solo Brand - Bare

I know what you are all thinking - ‘how can a company that makes disposable products possibly be considered Green?’ and if you saw my leaf rating tag at the top of the post you might be even more curious. Well read on to learn about the entirely new, environmentally responsible side called Solo Bare™!

We have likely all had experiences with the Solo brand; their plastic cups have practically become synonymous with the word ‘party’ in the past 73 years since the company’s inception. Their cups are instantly recognizable for their shape and color. They can be rinsed and reused, or even recycled, but more often than not they are simply tossed into a garbage bag and thrown away. The centuries it will take for this plastic to degrade times the number of parties Americans throw every year equals a huge landfill problem.

But most party goers want something convenient and easy, something they can simply be done with at the end of a night full of laughter and fun.

Enter Solo Bare™ (Bringing Alternative Resources for the Environment).

With plates made from sugar cane and bamboo in the Bare dinnerware line, and cups created from either plant based materials or 25% post-consumer recycled content in the Bare drinkware line, Solo just put a new twist on the old stand by!

The compostable** sugar cane plates come in three sizes for all party needs and are square with high edges so food will not spill out. They are free of chlorine, ink and dye and are cut resistant as well as microwave safe.

The renewable plates created from bamboo fiber are a khaki color, round, and also have a deep well for food. They are also microwave safe and take advantage of a fiber sourced from a rapidly renewable resource which can sustain a new crop in approximately 5 years as opposed to tree based paper which can take upwards of 40 to fully mature.

Solo Bare, 14 oz cups are created from plant based materials, (likely corn starch in the US) and are either compostable or recyclable. The larger 18 oz clear drink cups are made utilizing 25% post consumer recycled content and are also recyclable.

Now it would be imperative to recycle the 18 oz cups as they are PET based plastic and without a commercial composting facility available it would also be difficult to ensure suggested disposal of the sugar cane plates or 14oz cups, so this is my only reservation. Party goers and hosts would need to be diligent in practicing proper recycling disposal of these items.

But with such a progressive concept, especially where the bamboo plates are concerned, I am impressed with this giant leap forward from such a well known company as Solo and am granting a Four Leaf Rating to the entire line!

Keep the innovation for new and eco-forward™ concepts flowing Solo and you will remain the number one purveyor of party products for a long time to come!
♥love♥

Visit the Bare by Solo website for coupons and to find a retailer who carries the product in your area as well as to read about the Keep America Beautiful campaign which Solo is a big part of sponsoring and taking action with. Hooray!


** all composting of materials must be done in commercial facilities. Bio-plastics will degrade in approximately 90 days in this type of environment as opposed to upwards of 500 years for petroleum based plastics sitting in a landfill.

From Burning Coal to Wind Power: A Weekend in PA Part II

Locust Ridge Wind Farm

After leaving Centralia we headed up the ridge to find the turbines we had seen the day before from the highway on the way in. What I never expected to find was that the project was so large or so accessible!

The Locust Ridge Wind Farm is a project consisting of approximately 51 turbines including 13 which were already put in place two years ago during the first phase of this extensive project. The ground covered by the entire project stretches over 10 miles which is why it is not only visible from the highway but from the back roads as well.

I snapped this shot on the way up the mountain. I am calling it my “money shot” because I feel it fully encapsulates rural Pennsylvania’s efforts to be environmentally responsible through the addition of this wind farm.


Once we arrived at the site there was a small entrance on the right. We are natural explorers so since the no trespassing sign was long worn we figured it was no big deal to check it out. Hey I’m a journalist after all!

Here is a shot that gives the idea of the scale of these babies from the ground. I have pointed out the top of Matt’s head; the full blade doesn’t even make it into the picture.

Iberdrola Renewables is the company behind the wind project which is slated to provide power to over 20,000 homes. Cool! This company is fairly innovative in their approach as they don’t just provide electricity but also natural gas, natural gas storage and energy plans to their rapidly growing customer base. They currently operate in 23 countries world wide and can supply their clean energy to over 800,000 people in the US alone.

Locust Ridge was the first wind farm Iberdrola initiated in the United States.

This project at Locust Ridge was only completed within the last year but the turbines are spinning and energy is being stored to provide a new and renewable, natural resource of power to the people of Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania. And they are certainly impressive to look at.

One of the communities who could take advantage of the 70,000 megawatt hours of power produced by this farm is Pottsville, the very town we stayed in this past weekend. After driving around the general geographic area for a couple days it is clear there are a vast number of valleys with homes and the rising ridges above them which could certainly benefit from such a resource.

With such a small footprint (only 150 square miles out of 5700 is actually utilized for the placement of the turbines) power could conceivably be supplied to all homes in the great state of Pennsylvania! And this is only one farm in one state; similar projects and those even larger are all over the country now.

As we were leaving the base of the turbine Matt said something so right on I had to write it down and quote him here:

“Pennsylvania is clearly making up for its dirty industrial past in places like Centralia with a Green future with this wind farm.”

Yes, they certainly are.

Why not check to see if your power company can get its supply from wind power and switch today? To see if Iberdrola supplies your company’s power check out this page. If they do not serve your area call your power company and ask! The more of us who request these natural resources the more likely they will be provided, lowering costs and helping the Earth one spinning blade at a time.

Resources for statistics:
National Wind Watch

Bamboo Might Just Be the Coolest Substance Ever

Readers of this blog know that I love all things bamboo from tee shirts to flooring but there are so many more amazing things created from this rapidly renewing resource it is almost mind boggling! I started to research just what we could begin using in our day to day lives and the answer is if you use it, there is likely a manufacturer who will construct it out of bamboo.

Since my internet access is still moderately limited until later this week when our network is up and running full steam, I am going to simply link-list a whole bunch of cool stuff here. I hope everyone has a chance to check out these fun, funky, and functional products created from this strong and hearty grass.

Bicycle

Utensils

Bedding (side note -- bamboo is inherently antibacterial & soft, perfect for bedding!)

Furniture

Dishes

Drums

Makeup Applicator Brushes

Garden Gloves (for men!)

Eco Friendly Musical Instruments Green Drums

For many thousands of years, percussion instruments, known as drums, have been used for various forms of communication, ritual and music and are a prominent piece to the rhythm of many songs. Modern, standard drum kits generally include approximately seven pieces including drums and cymbals of various names. In thousands of colors with varied accessories from many manufacturers, this instrument can be personalized into just about anything a drummer desires.

Most drums on the market today that are sold in kits containing snare, tom-tom (2 pieces), floor tom and a bass drum but additional accessories (ie. sticks, cowbell, cymbal, pedal, high-hat, etc.) are also sold to compliment the sound that the drum produces. Since sound is the number one most important factor in any instrument, a drum is no different and because this instrument makes up a good portion of the rhythm / beat of a song, it is imperative the quality of that sound is in line with the style of music. The shell holds everything together; the most crucial aspect is that at the point where the shell meets the head forms a perfect circle.

Although many kits are created from formed metal or plastics, a large percentage of shells are beautifully crafted wood. Just like the guitar, the most popular woods are standard tonewoods such as maple, birch or mahogany. But there are growing concerns regarding the availability of wood species and one of the top manufacturers of drums, DW Drums, has begun an innovative journey into the sustainable market by utilizing a hybrid of bamboo and birch for their shells.

They are called the ECO-X series for the company’s use of cross lamination with their hybrid material. They are further environmentally friendly because of the water based top coat used on the shells, soy based inks on the hang tags and their donation made to American Forests Association to further sustain our wood resources. There are two options of color, one is shown in the photo above.

In the market to pick up some drums and want to give the planet a break while pounding away? Amazon carries this kit from DW Drums but be warned, unlike a guitar which is less expensive when created from bamboo, creating these shells is a lengthier process and cost can be upwards of three times that of a similar sized kit created from a different wood source (such as birch & basswood) from a different manufacturer such as Pearl.

Do you know of other drum manufacturers who are Earth friendly and proving it through their use of materials? Let us know!

Up next -- Eco-Fashion Friday features awesome accessories for musicians or music lovers!

Eco Friendly Musical Instruments Green Guitars

No matter what you call it -- axe, six string or Lucille -- the guitar is one of the most widely recognized and oldest instruments still played today. With a history of over 4000 years to back it up, this instrument certainly has gone through many incarnations over the centuries to become the modern purveyor of musical melody. But in today’s world with its growing concerns of deforestation, what is the future of such an instrument whose primary construction material is wood; often times exotic woods nearing extinction.

Let’s explore a little history of how wood relates to a guitar.

The main concern for any acoustic guitar player will always be the sound the instrument makes. Different models, manufacturers, woods, etc all resonate with a slightly different tone and musicians become loyal to brands due primarily for their own love of the sound quality. The woods used in the construction of a guitar’s soundboard (the top piece where strings generally stretch over the sound hole) Some of the most popular woods used in acoustic guitar manufacture are spruce, red cedar, Brazilian rosewood, mahogany and Indian rosewood while maple, ash and poplar are some of the more common woods used in construction of electric guitar bodies.

So what would need to occur for a musician to change their figurative tune on the materials used in the manufacture of their favorite instrument? The literal tune would need to be one they can get behind.

Many new materials have flooded the instrument world of late from recycled plastics and hemp, to SmartWood, Flaxwood and bamboo and all of them have a little something different to offer in terms of their impact on the planet.

Recycled plastic can be used to create some seriously flashy products due to the array of color pallets that exist in the plastics industry. Simon Lee offers six different guitar finishes in their funky recycled plastic line. Hemp cellulose has been transformed into the slickest looking material for the Mada guitar line (electric). SmartWood is a label attached to woods deemed as sustainable and socially responsible by the Rainforest Alliance. Flaxwood is not only a new type of wood based product but also a brand; the guitars are created from taking wood grains, breaking them down and then using injection molding to bond them to a binding agent which is friendly to tone. All of these new innovations are just that, innovative but none are as similar to the unique properties of wood as bamboo.

Bamboo is a hearty grass and has taken a major leap forward in areas like the building trades due to its resilience and rapidly renewing properties. This material was given special attention by the music industry back in 2000 when Yamaha introduced an acoustic guitar constructed almost fully out of bamboo (Resource Harmony Central®). Since that date, bamboo has begun to make a name for itself in manufacture of guitars due to the fact that it is sturdy, there is almost no potential for warping and it is less expensive than more limited ‘wood resource’ counterparts.

The picture at the top of this article is of Yamaha’s FGXB1 model which sadly was discontinued for production in the United States but the customer reviews I read about this instrument made me want to play! The material was well received. Following in these footsteps is the company First Act who created the Bambusa electric guitar. It is created from bamboo and even has a water based topcoat.

It is nice to see that there are companies attempting innovation in the realm of sustainably resourced musical instruments.

Because I have discovered a world of information regarding many of the popular instruments on the market I will be running a series on music, instruments and their accessories (for Eco-Fashion Friday).

Tomorrow -- Eco Drums!

Recharge a Cell Phone, With No Cords!

The cutting edge of technology these days is always the latest wireless offering such as laptops, gaming system components or even a traditional cell phone. But once the batteries run down or run out completely we are forced to grab the cord and plug into an outlet. Not only does this limit mobility with the device, but it draws on energy that is new to re-power it. Well Nokia is attempting to figure out a way to take the unused energy floating around everywhere to act as a recharging system for a new cell phone they are developing and hope to have operational within the next three to five years.

The phone would very slowly recharge on electromagnetic waves emitted into the air, something Nikola Tesla was attempting to deem possible in the late nineteenth century. I have always been fascinated with Tesla (inventor of the ‘Tesla’ coil, for more information on this breakthrough in electricity please check out this website). This man was a pioneer in adopting radio frequency, electromagnetism and a host of other seemingly impossible ways to manipulate waves that today are proving possible.

Here is an excerpt from the article on Nokia’s technological advance:

“Nokia picks up all the bits and pieces of these waves and uses the collected electromagnetic energy to create electrical current, then uses that to recharge the phone's battery. A huge range of frequencies can be utilized by the system (there's no other way, really, as the energy in any given wave is infinitesimal). It's the same idea that Tesla was exploring 100 years ago, just on a tiny scale.”

Please find the rest of the article here.

Recycling energy at its finest!

Cape Wind Is Clear for Construction

Here in Massachusetts we have the area of the coast known as Cape Cod, a decent sized peninsula that hooks around north forming what looks like a bent arm at an elbow. The Cape, as it is called in these parts, is a fantastic place to vacation with lots of wonderful beaches, cutsie New England-esque shops and amazing scenery. Frequently bunched in with The Cape is most always The Islands. This refers to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, two small islands, just south off the coast. In the Nantucket Sound strong winds tend to gust and Cape Wind has been waiting patiently to make use of this natural resource.

On May 28, 2009 Governor Deval Patrick expressed his enthusiasm for the approval of permits across the state to begin construction on the 130 turbine project. The project is expected to generate enough power to provide electricity to upwards of 420,000 homes from the 420 megawatts of electricity generated by the wind power available in the Sound.

As the first fully operational, offshore, wind turbine farm in the United States, Cape Wind will be making history. There are many who are not too keen on the idea of creating that kind of historic mark however. Fishermen and wildlife experts are concerned of the possible displacement of marine life and the need to go further offshore to acquire these species. In addition many residents within eyeshot of the proposed farm site location are convinced it will cause a reduction in home values as they feel it will create an offshore eye sore.

Regardless of the opposition the approval of the permits is an exciting thing as this will create a whole slew of jobs in the Green Collar sector for a large mass of people who are greatly in need of one at this time. In addition it will make use of a fully sustainable, rapidly renewable resource to provide electricity -- wind power.

The Cape Wind website contains a plethora of information on this project. Everything from Press Releases to the benefits of using wind as a resource to an area specifically dedicated to how to teach our children about the benefits of using wind as an alternative to oil or even natural gas to power our lives.

Now that the permits are in place for Cape Wind I do truly hope it is done in a responsible way so as many natural resources as possible are protected as well as a creation of jobs is provided for so many struggling workers. I personally will enjoy every minute of watching those majestic blades spin this summer!

Kicking Off Eco-Fashion Fridays

In a new concept here at GLR I have decided to provide a themed posting once a week. The theme is Eco-Fashion Fridays! In my low emission travels I have come across so many amazing designers of environmentally conscious fashions from little girl’s hair accessories to couture and everything in between so it seems appropriate to feature these amazing designers here on the blog and of course grant a Leaf Rating for their efforts.

The ratings I will be based on a few key factors:
☼ Resources
☼ Materials
☼ Cost
☼ Lifecycle

Additional factors may come into play of course as each item and / or company will have their own unique footprint (carbon or otherwise!).

So to kick things off I am featuring the designer who started the idea churning in my mind this past week while I was catching up on a marathon replay of the most recent season of the Bravo TV show Project Runway, this past season winner, Leanne Marshall.

Her clothing is beautiful but designed for a high fashion market that the majority of us will find slightly out of our budget. She announced to the world that her final collection made use of about 50% sustainable materials. Her clothing is well made and although there is a slight flair for the dramatic in her pieces, overall her designs could be worn by just about any woman for years due to the element of classic feminine style present.

All of these reasons prompt me to grant Leanne Marshall Three Green Leaves!


Leanne Marshall’s amazing evening gown.



I will keep my eye out for a budget conscious line from Leanne as I feel her work could easily translate into mass appeal. Keep up the amazing Green design!

All Nations Are Joining in the Fight for a Better Environment

This video from the Scottish Environmental Minister is inspiring to watch as he details their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2050 as well as their impending marine bill and use of renewable energy resources. It is a global issue and it is fantastic to see that many other nations, large and small, are not only aware of the threat but that they are taking steps to do their part to better the planet for all living things. Way to go Scotland!

Impossible Not To Notice

Meet the Press is one of my personal favorite ways to spend a Sunday morning. Although I do not consider myself highly politically motivated, it is still important to me to watch how the people running our country respond to pointed questions that in other circumstances they may not want to answer. Tim Russert was my favorite host of this show because he was tough and relentless. After he passed away last summer and they brought in recently retired Tom Brokaw, replaced by Brian Williams on the Nightly News, to temporarily fill in I thought it was a fine choice.

This morning the televised interview was one that Tom recorded yesterday in Chicago where he interviewed President Elect Barack Obama. The interview was well put together with excellent questions as well as brilliant follow ups and there were times that Tom appeared to put a bit of the hammer down on Barack, such as the time frame for the middle class tax cut now that things have changed, economically speaking, so much since his campaign, or when it comes to his smoking. Like I said, the interview was good but that is not at all what struck me over the course of the hour long program. For the first time I paid more attention to the commercials than the program I was watching.

I wish I had counted because it would be a safe estimate to state that approximately 75% of the televised support was from companies or organizations promoting the environment.

Yippie!

There were some old standby ads such as those offered by Exxon Mobil for fuel efficiency or a spot or two of the NBC standard “The More You Know” but one commercial in particular, shown near the beginning of the program, struck me so positively that I actually remembered the website without writing it down.

That site is called This Is Reality.

The commercial is shown immediately upon clicking on the site so speakers are in order and what we hear is a gentleman telling all of us he is entering a new clean coal facility. He walks through the door and we see him suddenly standing in the middle of the desert. The end of the commercial flashes one simple sentence on the screen:

In reality, there is no such thing as clean coal.

Halleluiah! With all the mind boggling confusion over this extremely sensitive issue it is great to see someone finally putting the truth right out there.

The reason that coal is not a clean energy resource is complicated. Mining it involves disruption to the Earth itself -- destruction of mountains -- and because of the location anything left behind, missed or forgotten can enter run off rain, ending up in our waterways. The coal itself is a dirty substance as it is essentially a rock created from biodegraded plants preserved in earth and water. Burning this substance will release CO² emission, better known as greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. If power plants were able to capture those emissions prior to their release (known as carbon capture and sequestration or CSS) it would create a system where coal could in fact be burned more cleanly but still there is no way to be 100% “clean” when it comes to coal.

Sadly, not a single plant in the United States has put into place a way to capture the gas or address the other environmental challenges presented with ecologically responsible coal mining. The coal we burn is about as far from clean as we can get. Not to mention that since coal is a fossil fuel source it will eventually run out. So what is the alternative to burning coal since it is the number one leading resource for creation of electricity in this country?

Renewable resources such as wind, solar or hydro power can replace the dirty, dangerous business of coal mining and burning. These are areas where efforts in this country could truly make a world of difference and This Is Reality has reminded me today of why we should all look into those resources to keep our planet strong.

I am granting This Is Reality a Four Leaf rating for its information, desire to get it out there and courage to tell the truth.

You Have A Little Something Green on Your Collar

In the 100 or so years from 1780 - 1880, a movement was taking place known as the Industrial Revolution which, although greatly responsible for a large planetary impact, paved the way for the introduction of the eco-technologies of the rising Green Collar Revolution of today. Innovations in harnessing the power of water were used as far back as the 1700’s along fast moving rivers to run mills and increase production of materials such as cotton and wool. After the Civil War many of these mills were switched over to run on steam power and coal was the largest source of fuel for the literal fires. As job creation boomed in manufacturing, mining and additional manual labor sectors, an entirely new class of people began to emerge known as the blue collar worker.

Blue collar work was, and still is, labor intensive and it directly impacted creation of roadways, homes, buildings and even the machinery used to construct these end products. A stigma of “hard working” was attached to this sector with good reason; the jobs were difficult on the body and often required employees to get dirty so workers wore uniforms, which frequently included blue shirts, and thus a term was coined. Through increases in construction came the desire for new innovations to amplify production time and, with the advent of computers, a new era dawned known as the Information Age.

Before the 1980’s, expensive computers were generally reserved for large corporations to store data but as this decade progressed, lower cost, personalized microcomputers began arriving in offices and homes world wide. The 100 year old typewriter suddenly had some competition as workers began to “word process” their documents, taking advantage of innovations such as a backspace feature which removed the stroke permanently as opposed to just erasing the ink but leaving the key stroke visible on the page. Work was streamlined, efficiency increased, and by the late 1980’s it seemed as if every office worker had a computer at their desk connected by the Internet.

What began as a way to share files and protect what we now call a company network, reached a pinnacle in 1989 with the creation and introduction of the World Wide Web. The sharing of information, data and job functionality was completely redefined over the course of the following decade as a community of “end users” spawned with the introduction of a computer into almost every home. Other tech-terms infiltrated daily vocabulary, including the words telecommuting and outsourcing, which generated a shift in thinking to where work was completed and how much it would cost. The President of a company in Canada no longer needed to pay for employee benefits to hire an in-house Assistant as that worker could complete all the functions of their job from their home in Hawaii. A Customer Service Representative was simply a person on the other end of a phone line that could ring anywhere. The large world became increasingly smaller and we realized a fact that had been true all along -- everything is connected.

A rapid transformation occurred in many corners of the world as McMansions seemingly sprouted from “seed”, roadways were created and rail travel diminished into the single car driver, one time use products were touted as all the rage and people began to live lives of cheap and easy convenience. But sometimes convenience comes with a hefty price tag. The Industrial Age was in full swing in 1824 when the French physicist Joseph Fourier discovered the greenhouse effect, but it took almost 150 years for an entire generation of people to recognize the significance of the impact it has on our planet. Grassroots organizations formed to push this issue into the forefront in the mid 1900’s indicating that we had better reduce our consumption of resources or the planet would heat to the point of entire species extinction; potentially including humans. The focus of the masses however rested in monetary increase over the next half century until something surprising happened that seemed to halt the pace of production -- a movie about global climate change starring a former Vice President of the United States won the Academy Award for Documentary of the year in 2007.

To the environmental activists fighting for increased awareness on the subject of climate change An Inconvenient Truth did nothing more than to reaffirm their staunch beliefs, but when a tough as nails man begins to cry in a movie theatre as he watches a virtual polar bear drown due to the inevitable melting of the ice cap and then leaves the theater saying “I want to do something”, it is clear that the world has finally rallied behind saving itself. Groups, organizations and job markets focused on environmental protection surged in popularity as more and more people showed their desire to get involved and a new set emerged known as Green Collar.

Unlike associations of the past where a white collar job meant big responsibility and big money or blue collar indicated dirty work and lower wages, the Green sector is nothing more than an entire people coming together to contribute their skill, time and effort in the best way possible to save the Earth from peril; these jobs do not define a class based on monetary status as so many labels have in past generations but rather bring all people together collectively regardless of salary, age, gender, race or creed. The engineer in a high paying position who designed solar panels is just as vital to planetary survival as the worker who makes minimum wage to install that panel on the roof of the home of an organic farmer. We make our connections over a burning desire to maintain our planet so generations 500 years in the future have a beautiful place to call home.

It is a wonder to marvel at the progress humans have made in the past 500 years toward safer, more secure lives of abundance but none of that would have been possible without the acceptance of the ideals of progressive minds. The year 2009 is rapidly approaching and as we redefine what it means to not only make a living but make a life for ourselves it is vital to shift our approach from cheap and disposable to sustainable and renewing. The Green Collar Revolution will be the movement that gives new meaning to forward thinking.

Whatchu Talkin Bout?

Here I am rambling on about all this environmental whoo-ha and it just occurred to me that some readers may be new to the eco lifestyle and have no idea what we are all going on about over here. How dare I post a bunch of bloggity blogs without first sharing what all of those fancy terms even mean?! Well before those fantastic people glaze over and click away, I will share a list of a bunch of environmental based terms and what they mean to me. I encourage everyone to post in the comments if you have questions about certain terms or have a different opinion on what it means to you. Please note there are some terms I will just post the dictionary definition for because they just seem to sum it up so nicely. Now in no particular order, let’s get talking people!

Environment -- The most important of all the terms. To me this is the all encompassing, includes everything term. The environment is not just the untouchable ozone layer or air we breathe but also the house we live in, the car we drive, outer space, the job we work at, the websites we surf, the water we swim in, fish, drink, the tiny little ant that crawls across the sidewalk to the greatest desert, the smallest creature on the planet, the polar ice shelf, You, me, all breathing things, you get the picture. If you experience it at any time with any of your six senses then it is the environment. Treat it well.

Green -- This is a toughie because everyone has a slightly different take on what this means but to me, green means being, doing and promoting the betterment of the environment as much and as often as possible. What is your take on this word as used in an environmental capacity?

Recycle -- Probably the most widely used and recognized term where environmental living is concerned. The dictionary defines this as: to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse. This is important to remember – anything recycled in a traditionally adopted manner must go through another process to become something else. It will save that thing from being placed in a landfill (trash heap) but a process must be completed again to make the new item.

Upcycle -- Sort of like recycling except the item in question is generally not completely reprocessed, just repurposed or reused. Here is the difference: With recycling, I put a plastic bottle in my bin, it is taken to a plant, melted down and reformed into a plastic shopping bag. With upcycling I take a plastic bottle, cut it in half, coat the bottom with sticky back felt and use it as a pen holder. There is a process involved in repurposing that bottle but a lower impact process environmentally speaking. And I have a personalized, kick ass new pen holder to boot.

Eco -- This is simply the prefix used to shorten the length of an ecologically responsible word. Instead of saying “that shopping bag purse is an environmentally responsible item” we can be lazy and say “I love her eco-friendly purse!”. Eco-conscious, eco-responsible, eco-blogger, eco-mom, etc. What eco- do you define yourself as?

Repurpose -- Dictionary says: To use or convert for use in another format or product. This is another term for recycling, upcycling or reuse.

Earth Day – This is the day we greenies get to share the love of our blue and green marble in space with a whole slew of people that may not be focused on it any other time of year. There are amazing conventions, group meet ups, talks, discussions, actions and many other activities planned all over, you guessed it, the Earth on this day. In 2009 it is on April 22. Get involved!

Solar -- Fun in the sun baby! The heat and energy produced by everyone’s favorite flaming ball of gas is known as solar.

Passive Solar -- Collecting and using the rays of the sun without any mechanics. This is something I do every day and discussed here.

Photovoltaic Panels -- Cells in the form of flat panels (photodiodes) used to collect the suns rays and regenerate that into electric energy. This is known as Active Solar and they are sometimes referred to as PV’s.

Wind Turbine -- Wind, or kinetic, is harnessed through the rotating turbines (blades) and converted into energy. It is deemed a turbine when that energy is converted to electricity. Windmills use the power of wind to run machinery strictly.

Compost -- The dictionary tells us this is: a mixture of various decaying organic substances, as dead leaves or manure, used for fertilizing soil. Scraps of dinner or yard waste (like lawn clippings) can be saved and put back into the Earth to make a more nutrient friendly soil for planting.

Emission -- Basically a fancy-schmancy term for release or discharge. Every time we start and run our cars there is an emission created from the tail pipe for example. Emissions from many sources (methane gas, fossil fuels, etc), has led to increased air pollution across the planet. Using clean power such as solar or wind will help to keep emissions to a minimum.

Sustainable -- Anything that will continue to provide forever is sustainable. Wikipedia states “sustainability has been expressed as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. A fantastic explanation.

Renewable Resource -- Anything in nature that can be reproduced (or naturally recycled if you will) is renewable. A great example of a rapidly renewing resource used for many items would be bamboo. It grows quickly and can be easily replenished (also allowing for sustainability). A non renewable resource would be fossil fuel.

Global Warming -- The dictionary has a nice definition here: an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. So let’s break that down. The greenhouse effect happens when solar radiation is absorbed by gas in the atmosphere. It is natural and not a bad thing. When more of that radiation is trapped than escapes however it will lead to an increase in the temperature of the atmosphere in question. Temperatures in an overall sense go up and that results in warmer air and water. In our case the temperature on Earth has gone up by one degree in the past century. Now many people might be saying “big deal, one degree is barely noticeable so who really cares?”

Climate Change -- Here is where caring about the one degree really comes into play. Due to that seemingly tiny temperate increase so many things within our global ecosystem have shifted and not in a good way. Beach erosion is directly related as the sea levels begin to rise. When the sea becomes warmer the ice melts, just like in a glass of water. In that glass of water however is not an entire species that relies on the ice being there to survive. Ever wonder why there has been a significant increase in bizarre weather events of late like a tornado in Brooklyn or snow in southern California? All of this is a direct result of climate change.

Carbon Footprint -- Each of us have one because it is the measurable impact we all have on the planet. We can determine how much greenhouse gas is released through our individual daily activities (our personal emissions checklist). There are predictable and non predictable questions in a Life Cycle Assessment that help determine where we each stand and then we can truly gauge the areas we could cut back to help protect the first and most important term -- our Environment.