Globally Green Living

I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful and prosperous New Year. Some New Year’s resolutions I am working on that are earth related and that you might want to consider:

1. Bring your own bag when you go shopping.
2. Change your light bulbs to fluorescent.
3. Recycle and Reuse as much as possible. (I almost have a new set of glasses thanks to pickle jars.)
4. Use less water. (Have shorter showers, turn water off when running while brushing teeth etc.)
5. Conserve energy and turn computers and lights off when not in use.
6. Eat healthier and buy organic food or grow it when possible.
7. Donate clothes to thrift stores or friends instead of throwing them out.
8. Buy clothes in thrift stores.
9. Walk more instead of driving.
10. Purchase fair trade merchandise when possible and/or products made from recycled or sustainable materials.
11. Use natural cleaning products or make your own.
12. Plant a tree.
13. Grow an herb garden.
14. Receive bills and pay bills online when possible to save on paper.
15. Use a composter and rain barrel. (Get the kids to paint and decorate one to brighten it up.)

That’s all for now as I have a child’s cute beady eyes looking at me waiting to party. Peace, happiness and health vibes going out to everyone for the New Year.

Here’s a video called Peace Train with music by Cat Stevens.

Brad and Angelina were back in New Orleans last weekend, where they live part time helping with the recovery efforts from hurricane Katrina. Angelina’s work as a goodwill ambassador for the UN is what led her to become involved with kids in New Orleans. She describes the children as fun, feisty and full of pride. According to the Children’s Health Fund, there are still over 46,000 children displaced because of Katrina.

Brad describes his family as nomadic and they purchased a home in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Brad’s Make it Right project has picked up speed and it is wonderful to see everyone banding together to help build new green homes on the Lower 9^th Ward. The houses will be affordable and sustainable. Brad and Angelina are incorporating several green building methods into their own home including solar power.

Here is Part 2 of Brad in an interview with Larry King discussing the Adopt a House campaign. The pink houses represent the destroyed homes from hurricane Katrina. Everyone is asking why the heck the temporary houses are pink. He shares that they wanted something loud that got attention yet was still hopeful. As each house is adopted, they will be making it right and putting a house back on its foundation.

(See Larry King and Brad Pitt Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4 for more)
This final clip is an interview with Charlie Rose discussing why someone did not do something sooner to make it right in New Orleans. He also shares the touching story of how the name of his “Make it Right” project came about. He met a man in his seventies who did everything right, worked hard, raised his family, and yet it was all wiped out so now he is living in a trailer.

As the drought continues in Southern California, The Intelligent Use of Water Summit VIII will be leading a discussion and bringing in environmental experts to discuss water conservation. They will also be dealing with strategies that relate to landscape irrigation.

The summit is scheduled for Monday December 31, 2007 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm and will take place at The Pasadena Hilton in California. (Pasadena,Calif., Dec. 28, PR)

I am in Canada and we usually have one day a week that we are allowed to water our lawn or garden in the summer, although using small containers is allowed. I don’t remember this happening too much in the past but it seems to be a regular occurrence over the last few years. It’s obviously getting drier, which is not a good sign for the climate or our water supply.

Drip Irrigation

They’re using something called the Hippo Roller with success in Africa. It’s a simple but effective invention and the barrel basically becomes the wheel with a handle attached to it. It was invented to help alleviate suffering from the shortage of water there. 5 gallons or twenty liters can be collected and transported easily in each barrel.

They also use larger barrels in their Hippo Food Security System, which involves low-pressure drip irrigation. Plants do not necessarily need a lot of water but require a steady supply of it so a system such as this is practical. It provides the opportunity for sustainable food security and is ideal when water is scarce. It would also save a lot of trips carrying water back and forth since the reservoir can hold up to 210 liters of water.

• If you would like to learn about using organic methods for natural disease and pest control Susan from Earthly Garden has an informative post about various methods.

If you caught my previous Creative Christmas Trees post I was exploring alternative tree options. I did create the coat hanger tree although it is a sorry sight and I haven’t had the nerve to snap a picture of it. In my defense I have been feeling poorly so may have ran out of patience and bent the hangers one time too many. Even my sister’s gift, which was a cross-stitch project that said F@*? Cancer turned out a little crooked but she loved it.

We’re all trying to bounce back from some sort of mutant flu so I’m still picking scraps off the floor. If you’re wondering what to do with all those cards and wrapping paper you received, Kaboose has some wonderful project ideas. Check out the Recycle Cards and Wrapping Paper page.

They point out that the decorations don’t necessarily have to be for Christmas. Some cards have such beautiful pictures and would make a nice addition to a scrap book. I haven’t gotten into that hobby because I fear it looks too addicting.

I’m closing with a video from Patrickm100 on YouTube. The music featured is Out of Control by The Chemical Brothers. It started as a personal animation project and includes some gorgeous photos. The video also addresses the dangers of our earth being over-populated and polluted. He includes some useful links at the end on how to make a difference.

Audubon is one of my favorite links he included in the video. Although it’s a little late, this Audubon Singing Bird Clock would make a great gift for a bird lover. Each bird’s song has been recorded so they sing on the hour. They smartly added a sensor that deactivates when dark.

Sorry for the delayed posting. It’s been somewhat crazy here with the holidays coming up. I have been hiking all over and now have these horrible blisters on the back of my heels. I don’t know if the boots are no good or my feet grew. Either way I need a new pair of boots so am scoping out eco-friendly winter wear. My gloves are not going to do for warmth either.

Mittens
I found these cozy looking reconstructed mittens at Grassroots. They’re made from reclaimed clothing and salvaged fabric that was heading to the landfill. One size fits all and each pair is unique. I love the little bird on these ones.

Boots

At MooShoes, I finally found some comfortable warm looking boots. They’re called drifter and while I don’t consider myself one, I used to be. 100% water proof too, which is a must for hiking these crazy unshoveled sidewalks. They’re nice and long too. There’s nothing worse than wearing short boots and having them fill with snow before you reach your destination. MooShoes is vegan owned and they sell cruelty free boots, shoes and accessories. “MooShoes insists that one cannot have fashion without compassion.”

I had the most fun browsing Mooshoes and may get a pair of sneakers too. Shown here are shoes from Adbusters, the Blackspot Sneaker. They’re made with organic hemp and are a statement against sweatshop labor. I’m a little sick of seeing that swoosh on everything so the blackspot is refreshing.

If you would like to read more about earth friendly clothing, Natural and Sustainable has a whole listing on Sustainable Fashion Companies.

Angel Orensanz was awarded an honorary distinction at the United Nations on Dec. 11, 2007. The award was for his dedication to ecological consciousness through his art. Orensanz is of Spanish heritage but has been a New York resident since the mid eighties.

• The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts in New York was established in 1992 by a group of artists inspired by his work. It’s described as a neo-gothic building that was originally designed as a synagogue in 1849. It’s a gorgeous building and it’s been used to host several cultural events. You can see more photos of the center at the website.

Angel Orensanz interventions in the landscape and whole environments include Holland Park (London), Atlanta (Georgia), Bel Air (Los Angeles), and Roppongi Park (Tokyo). Especially relevant are his interventions with water and about water such as his recent exhibitions at the Water Museums of Lisbon and Coimbra (Portugal), the Bay of Finland (St. Petersburg), his nomination to convert an entire island in the bay of Turku (Finland, for 2011), as well as Venice, Reggio Calabria, Spanish and French Pyrenees, Berdun (Northern Aragon), Zaragoza environs (Spain), Dos Barrios (Madrid/Toledo), Mexico; Oder Neiss (Germany/Poland) and Omono Riverbands (Japan). His last sculpture piece at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza located at 47th Street and 2nd Avenue, across from the UN, is precisely a call to this world cause.New York, NY · December 19, 2007 / PRNewswire

Parents Mike and Kristin Barclay designed these earth friendly burp cloths for babies called Burp Armor. Mike first came up with the idea and made sure the cloth was large and fully covered the shoulder and arm. They’re made from organic cotton and hemp, are highly absorbent with three layers and stay put because the corduroy gives them traction.

Because the burp cloths are organic, they’re naturally free of any pesticides, herbicides and are soft on baby’s skin. The packaging is recyclable and the ink used is soy based. The burp cloths come in eight different colors so you could match it up to your outfit if you wanted. Some babies spit up more than others so if you’re going to wear it a lot you might as well like the color.

• My Grandma told me she had never heard of burping. I thought that was comical although I’m sure her children must have still burped without being patted on the back. She had twelve children so even if she had heard of it she may not have had much time for it.

Amy K, mother of 2 said, “Acid reflux became a challenge for our son, Blake around 3 months. We tried several different burp cloths and Burp Armor was unbelievably absorbent and endured several spit-ups before retiring to the laundry room! Many thanks for creating the ultimate burp cloth!” The cloths are a great idea anyway because I can certainly relate and remember having to change shirts a couple times a day with the twins.

A part of all proceeds from Burp Armor goes to Children’s Hospital Boston that specializes in pediatric care.

• If you would like to read more about shopping for baby items, check out Kid’s Bargain Style post “Baby Registry at Land of Nod“

I found these great eco-friendly yoga mats at JustMyMat.com, a new company founded by Gwen Bandes this year. They’re made out of TPE (Thermo Plastic Estomer) which is safer because it doesn’t contain PVC or lead. The yoga mats are also biodegradable and recyclable.

Personalized Yoga Mats

The fun part of these yoga mats is that they can be personalized into any color you like and up to 12 characters can be written on them with the font of your choice. It would be a fun gift for a friend or child who does yoga. Many more children are getting into yoga, which I think is wonderful. I wish I had gotten into it sooner. It may have helped keep me out of trouble. There are some fun yoga lessons for kids posted at Parenting Under the Stars.

Yoga for Pets

Apparently, people even do yoga with their pets so JustMyMat sells these cute yoga mats with paw prints on them. Why not? At least you will know their mat is non-toxic. I cannot picture a dog doing yoga but then again the last dog I owned was pretty high strung.

Meditation and Yoga

If you’re interested in learning more about yoga and meditation, I found Noah’s videos very helpful on meditating. He is a Canadian-born Theravada monk who now lives in N. Thailand. You can find his videos on how to meditate on YouTube.

Yoga and Health

I just watched an inspiring story about a woman named Lola who got into yoga after finding out she had lung cancer. A year later she was cancer free and she contributes yoga to helping her recover. It is an excellent form of relaxation. I’m not suggesting it’s a cure for cancer but there is a well-known body/mind connection with illnesses. She did receive standard treatments such as chemotherapy, but will continue to practice yoga because it makes her happy and helps keep her healthy. If you would like more information on her story see the video below entitled A Success Story: Yoga and Cancer.

Although Wal-Mart’s stated intention is to sell products that sustain natural resources and the environment, a new report entitled “Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers: How Wal-Mart’s Sourcing Practices Encourage Illegal Logging and Threaten Endangered Species“suggest otherwise.

The EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency) worked undercover and met with eight Chinese manufacturers who supply Wal-Mart with wood products. China provides 84% of Wal-Mart’s wood products according to the report. The problem is that China relies on imported timber from illegal logging areas. 35 to 50% of the wood that crosses the Russian Chinese border is estimated to be illegal according to Russian law.

Wal-mart has allegedly failed to question where the wood originated from that they use for much of their furniture. As a consequence to their “no questions asked” policy, protected forests in countries such as Russia are suffering. The tiger is among one of the endangered animals that is affected by illegal logging.

Not all wood was found to be illegally logged but one of the largest wood manufacturers in China producing over 200,000 baby cribs for Wal-Mart were allegedly obtained from illegal sources. Their main wood supplier is in the Russian Far East, which is in the middle of the Siberian tiger breeding area.

Tigers get a bad rap because the more their forests disappear, the more likely they are to intrude and feed on farmers livestock and/or attack people. Tigers also continue to be poached for their body parts and sold on the black market for various Chinese medicines.

Sources: New Evidence From EIA Undercover Investigation Highlights Wal-Mart’s Blind Eye to Illegal Logging WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/,Environmental Investigation Agency

For more on the damage to the environment and the violence that results from illegal logging check out this video of the EIA testifying at Legislative Hearing on
The Legal Timber Protection Act.

Ten Thousand Villages has created the opportunity to give a living gift to people who need training, food, school supplies, trees and more.

Their Plant for the Planet project helps restore forests while supplying food in several countries. $25 helps plant 100 trees and not only contributes to saving the forest’s future but people’s lives. It’s the sort of sustainable gift that is very satisfying because it helps contribute to future generations of plants, people and animals.

Other living gifts:

• Care for Kids project: $19 provides one month of meals for an orphaned child.

• Make a Dream Come True: $58 provides school supplies for 25 students.

• Change a Life With Livestock: $33 buys a healthy goat and trains farmers to learn how to care for the animal.

• Barnyard Bliss: $330 gives a farm a cow, goat, pig, sheep and 18 rabbits!

I wasn’t able to find information on the Living Gift project in the U.S. but you can read more about it on their Ten Thousand Villages Living Gift Canada page.

Shopping at Ten Thousand Villages

Ten Thousand Villages is one of my favorite places to shop because I love looking at all the colorful handmade creations. Their prices are fairly reasonable considering all the time that went into many of the items.

They are a self-supporting Fair Trade Organization that contributes to benefiting artisans that need help from low-income countries.

By supporting them or buying their products, you help give people fair wages so that they can feed their families and maintain the dignity and respect they deserve. Another bonus is that the products you buy there are supported by fair trade, come from sustainable sources and contribute to benefiting everyone.

• If you would like to read about creating your own handmade things, Barbara Waters is knitting all sorts of interesting items at Knitting Passion.

My kids were making fun of me today for drinking out of a pickle jar. I told them that’s how we do it in the hood. It’s seriously a great way to recycle though and they are the culprits who have broken our proper glasses.

I was pleased to see plenty of other people doing the same thing. At “Dreaming of a Daughter”, she shares on her “Family and its Footprint” post ways that her family is going green. They also gave up paper towels. I never got into them myself but I certainly tire of running up and down the stairs washing rags.

She also uses vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil for cleaning. I use vinegar a lot but not sold on baking soda. Vinegar will eat through just about anything including mold and lime. Vinegar has a zillion uses so believe that deserves a post of it’s own.

Oh yeah, the pickle jar. She uses them to store leftovers in the fridge as well. Good call and I thank her for the tip.

• At Tom Ischys Recycled Glass Art, he made simple useful glass bowls out of the bottoms of pickle jars. He also created glasses out of beer bottles. Unfortunately he’s not making any more at this time because of health problems but it appears that he’s still selling some of them.

• Tammie at “Toto, I Have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore” uses her pickle jars for drinking glasses as she mentions on her adventures with “The Flying Pickle Jar.”

• You can also use a pickle jar for a candle holder! I blogged about this star jar candle holder previously on Craft Gossip. You can find the full instructions on Craftbits.com.

If you want to use those pickle jars but are having a hard time getting rid of that pickle smell, Readers Digest shares their idea on using a bit of dry mustard and water to banish the smell on Extraordinary Uses for Spices.

• If you would like some drink recipes to serve to your guests in your glasses or pickle jars, Shelly has some delicious recipes at Earthly Eating on her Pleasing Holiday Guests post.

Shari Elf from Good and Sturdy Art is my new hero! She’s into scoping out garage sales and thrift stores for her art pieces and her husband is into it too. She has been so successful doing what she loves that the last I heard she was charging $125 dollars an hour.

This particular piece uses trash such as old wine corks and scrabble pieces. She has all kinds of unique and fun pieces so if you get a chance check out her Good and Sturdy Art website.

She is not only an artist but also a musician and I love her quirky sense of humor. It brought back some bittersweet memories of my dad. He used to create these beautiful lamps and clocks out of bits and pieces he would find at garage sales. He also painted and was in a band so he and Shari would have got along.

If it was a decent day he would always be up early and off to the garage sales. I loved when I got to go with him. It was like a giant treasure hunt and we had so many laughs. One time he asked this prissy woman if her dog was a potbelly pig. I guess it was some fancy breed and she was highly insulted but I couldn’t help but laugh.

People sell the strangest things but you can find some very cool one of a kind things at garage sales or thrift stores. I have a lovely painting of a sunset and trees a man sold me for five dollars, a huge sturdy mirror that graces our entranceway for the same price and my kitchen curtain cost a whole dollar. I still have a gorgeous antique dresser dad refinished for me.

Anyway, I’m happy that Shari Elf is enjoying such success. She’s inspired me to continue with my own clumsy creations and shared some unique ways to recycle. She also sells her CD on her website entitled “I’m Forcing Goodness Upon You.”

She has definitely made me smile.

If you pledge to BYOB you can win $5,000 at c3.NewDream.Org. The contest is for U.S. residents only but thought I would spread the word anyway.

The New American Dream is a wonderful website with plenty of articles and information on environmental issues.

Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist, wrote an excellent article on keeping the holidays simple and inexpensive. He mentions being accused of being a Grinch, which is ironic since I just called myself that yesterday. Anyway, it’s called The Hundred Dollar Holiday and is worth checking out because he addresses other reasons to change Christmas besides damage to the environment. I can go along with needing more peace and solitude and less hustle and bustle and parties throughout the holidays. This doesn’t necessarily make me a Grinch. A bit of a recluse perhaps.

Anyway, back to bringing your own bag. If you’re the crafty type, you could always create your own. Although I’m into embroidery, I am not too talented on the sewing machine. It doesn’t look too tricky but think I need lessons because I keep busting the needles. Some people do make and sell tote bags that have pizazz. I suppose I could paint or embroider up a plain one.

I would prefer them to have a little personality and color such as Bags by Bernie. The bags vary in price and design but there is something for just about everyone. Prices range from $9.99 to $15.99, which seems reasonable for a personalized bag. There are some with flowers, cave art, birds, dogs, leaves and more. My favorite is this wolf bag which of course is sold out.

ReusableBags.com is offering 20% off for anyone who takes the BYOB pledge at c3.NewDream.org. Shown here is a handmade bag using recycled juice containers. It’s a very creative, practical and colorful way to recycle!

• If you want to read about shopping, see Sally’s take on “What I learned while shopping for a dress.”

Here’s a rant by Lewis Black called “Back in Black” about Earth day. He makes fun of some of the celebrities who give us environmental advice. It’s comical but he makes some good points.

Things are a little hectic here today and I can hardly hear myself think but didn’t want to leave you in the lurch so sharing something light.

The gorillas known as the Taiping Four are finally home. Kenya Airways sponsored the flight on Friday. They were smuggled to Malaysia from Cameroon in 2002, and were staying at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria since 2004. They have been in the limelight for a while but are not the only animals being illegally traded.

“Overwhelming all though, is the sense that something incredibly important has been achieved today. We’re sending an equivocal message to those who trade in endangered wildlife that their dreadful activities will no longer be tolerated,” said Christina Pretorius of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org).

They are guessing the gorillas are about six years old and they are being sent to a wild life centre, which is a sanctuary where they can finally spend the rest of their lives.

The zoo is going to miss them but is glad to have been involved with both the gorillas and the fight to stop illegal animal smuggling.

It’s cute how one gorilla is so outgoing and one is a recluse. My one daughter and son are opposites that way as well. I hope that they can remain settled and live the rest of their lives in peace at the sanctuary.

In this older clip, Neil Greenwood from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) talks about the gorillas, how they each have their own unique personalities and how they are planning to move them with as little stress as possible. Because so much attention was created with the Taiping Four I think they have helped more people become aware of how widespread the illegal smuggling of endangered animals has become.

• To read about some other endangered animals, check out the Top Ten Birds in Decline.