White House to LEED by Sustainable Example

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Beth Buczynski .

For years environmental advocates have yearned for an ally in the White House. It’s all well and good to tell the rest of the world that they have to live more sustainably, but what about leading by example? Not since the days of Jimmy Carter and the solar panels has 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue truly been [...]

Bamboozled? The Debate Rages Over Bamboo

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

Don’t fret just yet! You can still feel good about your bamboo flooring and rad SK8 board. The product in question is the bamboo fabric that many folks are touting as a green alternative to conventional textiles, like cotton.

So I have to admit that the pros and cons of bamboo have been on [...]

Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch Campaign

Posted on August 31, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

When I was in elementary school, Wednesdays were beefaroni day. My pops and I called it “barfaroni,” and we made sure to pack a lunch for me on Wedesdays. Not every kid was lucky enough to have a family like mine or can afford to pack a lunch even once a week. [...]

DMB Promoting Green with SO MUCH TO SAVE

Posted on August 15, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

As part of the Bama Project, the Dave Matthews Band is offering a cool incentive called “SO MUCH TO SAVE” to remind concert goers to recycle.  According to the band, over 1 million people will attend DMB shows this summer, and they explain:
Imagine if each fan recycled just one can at each show. That’s one [...]

George: What’s Wrong with Self-Preservation?

Posted on July 12, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

Sunday (not so) Funnies…

Normally I find George Carlin hilarious and I have an affinity for poking fun at things that are important to me, but I was really disappointed when I watched his bit on “Saving the Planet,” (the video is at the end of the post).  I understand it’s just a comedy routine, and [...]

Crafting Cradle to Cradle: Upcycled Vocabulary

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Becky Striepe .

I know, I’m about seven years late to the party here, but I’m just now reading Cradle to Cradle. As I made my way through the book, a terrible realization slowly dawned on me, and this one line from The Princess Bride has been running through my head since then:

I am the Vizzini in [...]

Elephant Journal: Michael Pollan Interview

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

This week our good friend Waylon Lewis interviewed Michael Pollan the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.  They touch on how to communicate “green” to the masses, why he eats meat, GMOs, cancer, diet, Swine Flu & Michelle Obama’s organic garden.  Check it out!

New Diet Makes Cows Less Offensive to the Environment

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

Cows in Vermont are on a new diet that is aimed at making people and the planet more healthy.

In a move to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions Stonyfield Farms has launched the Greener Cow pilot program in conjunction with 15 organic farms that supply the milk for Stonyfield’s yogurts.  The program started by putting 74 cows on [...]

Curbing Conspicuous College Consumption

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

Being a college student isn’t a license to carelessly ravage through raw materials, but we also can’t expect a 19 year old to buy an heirloom set of furniture that they intend to keep for the rest of their days on earth. There has to be a better way to accomodate the transient lifestyle of a student while reducing the volume of furniture that they consume.

Astronauts Drink Recycled Urine

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

We’ve become increasingly aware lately of how valuable and how scarce potable water is in some parts of the world, but no where is it more scarce than 200 miles up at the International Space Station. Up there you can’t take any resource for granted, and a resource as valuable as water can’t be pissed away. That is why NASA has installed a urine recycling system. Yesterday astronauts aboard the space station put the system to use for the first time, and with a toast and a smile they downed their first glasses of recycled urine produced by the system.