Green Patchwork

New evidence that shows that climate change is having a direct impact on animals, plants, and humans has been outlined in a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The bleak conclusion of the report is that people living in poverty would be worst affected by the effects of climate change because they will be the least equipped to deal with the changes. Read more at BBC News’ “Billions Face Climate Change Risk”.

I recently found an article in the New York Times online titled “The Era of Green Noise”, about the topic of “green noise” - the excessive and contradictory information overload people are experiencing regarding how to live lightly on the earth. With all the information people  receive via the internet, newspapers, friends, environmental groups, the media, and many others they are bound to feel overwhelmed and confused. At the end of the article the writer suggests being patient and also points out the fast that our environmental problems are not going to be solved overnight and will take some generations to create change. I agree with the author and encourage people to remain patient and lead by example. Don’t give up and try not to give in to frustration and the myth that there is no problem- our environmental problems took decades to create and will take that many or more decades to correct.

New York City remains one of the world’s leading fashion centers which is why you will see more and more fashion shows in the future highlighting green design. One such show that happened earlier this year was Project Earth Day, a fashion show staged in NYC that is dedicated to the promotion of green design and builds a platform for leaders and future leaders in the design industry to bridge their environmentally-conscious ideas and developments together. Presented by the Emerging Green Builders, a committee of the United States Building Council, Project Earth Day advocates values of sustainability, innovation and environmental responsibility. 

For a who’s who of leading green designers and future green designers click on the “Designers” link.

I just found a good link about the safety concerns surrounding PVC or #3 plastic. If you go to pvcfree.com you can watch a short cartoon about PVC, where it can be found in the home, and why it is harmful.

If you are conscientious about the foods you eat and are a label reader then I hope you do the same when it comes to the products you put on your skin. Anything you put on your skin is the same as putting it into your body and just like there are a lot of foods out there that are harmful there are a lot of skincare products that are harmful. Even if the label says it’s natural, organic, or herbal doesn’t mean it really is. Buying truly safe and natural skincare is harder for me than shopping for natural foods, because with bodycare products you have all these long and scientific names and you don’t know what the heck they really are. Luckily, there are people out there that write books about natural shopping and start watchdog organizations to protect the public from unsafe activities. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year we subscribed to Mother Earth News‘ bimonthly magazine, but for the sake of budgeting and saving natural resources we decided to not resubscribe. Instead, we go to their online site or go to the library to read the most current issues. If you have never read a Mother Earth News they offer information on organic gardening, real food, sustainable energy, native plants, and simple living. I was recently looking through their site and saw that they have tons of new information on real food and healthy food choices and thought I would pass it on to you all.

I recently posted about Canada’s oil fields and the major pollution being caused by it. But now I would like to write about something closer to home, right here in the U.S., and literally right in people’s backyards. In Brooklyn, NY., particularly Greenpoint and Williamsburg, there are neighborhoods of people living right next to major oil spills, buildings full of garbage, and nuclear chemicals. About fifty years ago there was a major oil spill larger than the Exxon/Valdez, but it was not taken care of and continues to be a problem today. If you have about 45 minutes to watch the whole series, Toxic Brooklyn on VBS.tv, you’ll be just as surprised as I was to find out how much our oil companies are getting away with.

To find the show, scroll through the ride side bar to find Toxic Brooklyn.

Did you ever think you would be able to purchase a laptop with bamboo paneling? Me neither, but someone sent me the link to Asus’ new EcoBook. You gotta see it to believe it.

Also, Greenpeace has put out a guide to green electronics- see how yours compares to others. Electronics have become part of our daily lives and even though they are not eco-friendly we buy them anyway. I’m glad to see companies are listening to consumer demands and are making the effort to lessen their environmental impact.

For those of you that live in Madison or surrounding areas you may be familiar with the monthly free newspaper Sustainable Times. Every month they offer articles on various topics, such as organic gardening, herbal remedies, home canning, brewing your own beer, or seasonal fruit and vegetable recipes. We read the paper every month and find the resources helpful and the advertisements useful. Jonah found his massage therapist in the paper and L’Etoile’s ad gave him the good idea of taking me out to dinner last week! Thanks Sustainable Times!

Their newspaper is free and is printed monthly. You can find the newspaper at the libraries, Willy St Co-op, Whole Foods, and probably most other places downtown. The link I attached is to their new improved website and access to their online current edition.

I bet you’re wondering what AA stands for. It’s not what you think. As I was wandering around online I found Anti-Apathy, a London blog that promotes and supports people who take creative approaches to social and environmental issues. I like their name and their seriousness.  When you have a good chunk of time browse their site and see what they are up to.