The Impact of Plastic Bags

My fabulous friend Samantha emailed a great link to me today - remember to be conscious when you use those eco-icky bags and watch this!

It's very important to understand what plastic bags are doing to our environment and the health of the planet. When you watch this link and you will be amazed...We need to kick the plastic bag habit!

I know many of our blog readers are already "converts" and try to no longer use plastic bags, but we can always have further convincing...

Many countries around the world and some cities in the USA have banned the use of plastics bags. If your town doesn’t have a ban, get one!!!

Please forward these photos and information on the damage to our earth and its life caused by plastic bags (made from an oil by-product).

Earth Hour will be the largest voluntary power down in history

Tonight, March 29, the world will take a stand. Millions of people from Australia to America and buildings including the Sears Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge will turn off their lights for one hour to show how working together we can make a difference in the fight against climate change. Staring in Christchurch, New Zealand, Earth Hour will roll through 14 time zones, wrapping up in the Pacific Time zone representative San Francisco, CA. Traversing more than 25 cities in 10 countries, Earth Hour will be the largest voluntary power down in history.


Please consider participating in this effort by, that's right, shutting off your lights tonight from 8-9.


Who's Involved?

World Wildlife Fund

Sports Teams and Corporations

Phoenix Suns

Chicago Bears

Hewlett Packard

Esurance

National Geographic Channel

McDonald's will turn off its golden arches in over 480 locations in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

Flagship Cities

Aalborg, Denmark

Aarhus, Denmark

Adelaide, Australia

Atlanta, United States

Bangkok, Thailand

Brisbane, Australia

Canberra, Australia

Chicago, United States

Christchurch, New Zealand

Copenhagen, Denmark

Dublin, Ireland

Haifa, Israel

Manila, Philippines

Melbourne, Australia

Montreal, Canada

Odense, Denmark

Ottawa, Canada

Perth, Australia

Phoenix, United States

San Francisco, United States

Suva, Fiji

Sydney – Australia

Tel Aviv, Israel

Toronto, Canada

Vancouver, Canada


Find out more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Hour


Spread the message.

NO PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!

Yep, you heard me...no plastic water bottles :) I committed to not buying plastic water bottles as part of the no Plastic Water bottle Challenge hosted by the Brooklyn Green Team and that is my story, and I am sticking to it!

I am 11 days into my commitment and it's been no problemo. I even walked my desk-ridden bum down to the water dispenser (a few blocks away from the home office) this week with two gallon jugs and paid my 60 cents to refill them then walked home. Eco-friendly, low cost workout for a healthy planet and healthier body!

Your future Brooklyn green friends (SIGN UP) send reminders once you commit to the challenge and I love the great tips. Here's one from this week:

"Remember to use a ceramic or glass mug for your liquids throughout the day and when you need water on the go, look for a #1 or #2 plastic to avoid leaching. OR try Swellz a company that makes water sacks, hand-made in Spain (the original birthplace of water sacks) using latex interiors hand sewn with soft leather with a handy-strap for carrying. They're good for hot and cold and they age like a favorite baseball glove."

Three Leaf Cards is also supporting the challenge by donating a free one-year e-card membership every week until Earth Day for individuals who join the challenge. Our eco-cool cards are nature-inspired online greeting cards (tree-free!) and we donate 10% each of annual membership fees to nonprofit organizations.

Erase waste, reduce, reuse, recycle! And join the no water bottle challenge - I DARE YOU!!!

JOIN THE CHALLENGE NO DISPOSABLE WATER BOTTLES
Kick the Disposable Lifestyle this FEBRUARY - APRIL
To Join, email brooklyngreen@gmail.com and write SIGN ME UP! (please include your first and last name or at least last initial)

A GreenSage Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Elaine Ireland did a great post for GreenSage.com, Where Every Issue is a Green Issue (love that!) on Indoor Air Quality.

Did you know that one of the WORST places we can be for toxins is inside and worse, in our homes (eeek!) We have to think about this stuff...environmental issues are not just political, they are emotional because they impact our health!

Per Elaine's post:
"Thousand of pollutants are found indoors. Chemicals, particulates and biological contaminants can wreak havoc on occupants. Indoor exposure concentrations are one to five times, and sometimes as much as 100 times, more polluted than outdoors. Here's the Guide to what these pollutants are and what you can do."

Check out the GreenSage Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Consciousness starts with awareness - pay attention to your environment (and I'm not just talking about outside!!!)

The Story of Stuff - You HAVE to watch this!

One of my super great friends just sent me the link to the Story of Stuff - so cool!

The site http://www.storyofstuff.com/ explains the video well:

"From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever."

You owe it to yourself and family to watch this and be a conscious consumer!!!

Patagonia & UClimb invites rock climbing beginners to Joshua Tree

For many people interested in learning to rock climb, the most
daunting hurdle is finding a safe and cost effective first experience
more than the physical challenge of climbing itself. UClimb, an
organization designed to bring people closer to the outdoors by
teaching rock climbing in comfortable small-group settings, is an
ideal entry point for those with the desire to do just that. One of
four national UClimb events occurring in 2008 will be hosted in Joshua
Tree, California on April 12-13.

Sponsored by Mountain Gear and Patagonia, the Joshua Tree UClimb event
will include professional climbing instruction. Instructors will take
small groups of climbers to get hands-on experience while learning
climbing techniques, how to use the gear, knot tying, belaying and
etiquette.

"UClimb is dedicated to not only getting new rock climbers involved in
the sport, but also getting people enthusiastic about outdoor
activity," said Phil Bridgers, UClimb event coordinator.

Registration for the weekend event begins at $159 for youth ages 10-17
and $199 for adults. Registration includes professional climbing
instruction, camping at Indian Cove Campground on Friday and Saturday,
transportation from the campground to the climbing areas, a barbeque
on Saturday and a pancake breakfast on Sunday.

For more information and to register, call 800.829.2009 or visit:
mountaingear.com/uclimb/eventdetails.aspx?eventid=5

Day 7 of the No Water Bottle Challenge!

I am on day 7 of my commitment to not use disposable water bottles challenge I have successfully re-used my containers for gym water and have not purchased any plastic bottles!

I walk my gallon jugs to a little water refiller in Summerland, Ca where I live so I am even re-using my old gallon jugs.

Since I committed to the challenge, I have been really surprised at how aware I am of ALL the plastic water, gatorade, juice and tea that are everywhere. Dang, what happened to actually pouring or making a beverage and not having to throw it in our eco-raper cars and drive to our next "thing" Yeesch.

As I work on my issues with our time crunched nation and societal norms and consumption, I will continue to blog about the challenge and anything green and great!

Be aware, make great choices and think not just about the now but how our actions impact the future!

Patagonia Walks the Talk with Freedom to Roam Initiative

Patagonia is one of our favorite companies.
1. They have AMAZING outdoor products that we use when we are shooting photos for our online greeting cards
2. They are a socially responsible company (Three Leaf Cards is a member of 1% for the Planet)
3. They are an environmentally active company.

They have an initivate called Freedom to Roam that is dedicated to establishing migration wildways for animals between protected areas. Patagonia’s partners in Freedom to Roam include other companies, conservation organizations and recreation groups.

I got this email from Patagonia that explains the purpose and passion:
"Climate change threatens to drive more than a million land species to extinction, according to the Extinction Risk from Climate Change study. Habitats for mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, and butterflies will become warmer. If these species remain trapped in warming habitats due to human development, one-quarter of them could disappear by the end of this century.

Providing species (like this grizzly) with greater freedom to roam between shifting habitats can do much to support their survival. In North America, this means protecting and restoring wildlife corridors along the Pacific Crest, the Continental Divide, the Appalachians, and several other smaller, but equally important, locales.

Freedom to Roam is a partnership of conservation organizations, recreation groups and corporations dedicated to establishing migration corridors between protected areas."

Learn more about the Freedom to Roam partnership and SUPPORT COMPANIES that CARE!

You can vote with your wallets conscious spenders!!

Nature Rocks

Nature rocks...literally. See some photos from my recent trip to Utah where I took to the open road and enjoyed time in canyons.
When you spend time in nature, it really makes you appreciate the environment...PROTECT IT! :)

Here's to a GREAT 2008!

The State Of Our Planet, Graphically Speaking That Is

People like you and me post on blogs like Conscious Spending, make conscious choices in our living and try to make a difference for the world because we are aware of what kind of impact we have on our environment. So, we all also know how big of a threat the climate crisis really is.

But, amazingly, many people are still in denial when it comes to just how critical and urgent the situation really is. BBC came out with a great story that shows the effects of global warming and human impacts on the climate crisis, with nicely illustrated pictures.

Now, for those of us who are unable to "picture" the breadth of this looming disaster, now we can get a great visual reference through these images.

Check it out on BBC.

Wildfires Consume California

We are all aware of the devastating situation with the wildfires in Southern California. I¹m sure there are a lot of factors contributing to the destruction by this super fire, including overgrowth of plants in the area, high-population density and the intense winds. With crazy gusts over 50 mph, the wind is helping to spread the fire quickly and creating a very dangerous environment, which includes the now famous Fire Tornado.

Now, area residents are being warned to stay indoors as the air quality continues to decrease. These types of fires emit very dangerous, and tiny, soot particles that can cause extreme health concerns, especially for the younger and older populations.

I was in Denver during the Heyman Fire, and the skies were an eerie orange glow and their was ash constantly falling on my patio; and that fire was a good 50 miles out of town. I can only imagine how intense and crazy this urban fire is and the kind of havoc it is wreaking in this densely populated region of the US.

Our thoughts are with the residents, both those in danger and those 500K displaced people, and hopefully Mother Nature will lend those brave firefighters a hand.

The State Of The Paper Industry

According to GreenBiz.net, we aren't the only people working to limit our consumption of paper in the office and in business in general. On average, 42% of industrial wood harvest goes to paper.

The State of Paper Industry report produced by the Environmental Paper Network, takes a first-of-its-kind look at the paper consumption world, from recycling to forest depletion, within the context of climate crisis.

With "Reducing Your Carbon Footprint" becoming a common topic for more and more companies in North America, businesses are waking up and becoming more aware of their carbon footprint. They are taking steps to help alleviate their impact on global warming and the ever-threatening climate crisis.

Just a couple of key findings from the report include:

* Paper manufacturing is the largest consumer and polluter of our fresh water resources

* The paper industry is No. 4 contributor to greenhouse emissions.

You can read the full article and download the report by visiting GreenBiz.net.

50 Tips to Living Green

We are all made of excuses when it comes to living green… but fluorescents don’t work well to light kitchens or bathrooms, but I need room in my car for my family, but I like my house at 72 degrees. The list goes on and on.

But there are easy ways to living greener, and they aren’t as hard or lifestyle changing as one might think.

Kathleen King gives us 50 easy tips to lessening our impact on our environment, that are all easy to do and can be executed with relative ease and little money… today.

In her “Divine Caroline” article, the first 5 tips start with:

1. Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.

2. Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics.

3. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.

4. Start a compost in your back yard or on your rooftop.

5. Buy foods locally. Check out Eat Local Challenge and FoodRoutes to get started. Buy locally made products and locally produced services.

These are all easy to do and don’t require much effort on our part. Click here to read the full 50 tips at DivineCaroline.com.