By Cassie Walker •
October 11, 2007
When the US Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system became the standard for green building in the US a few years ago, it provided a way for builders and homeowners alike to have an immediate and measurable impact on the environment. Though certified buildings are increasingly common in commercial design, few platinum-certified homes exist in the US. Now, one of the most environmentally-friendly homes in California will be open to the public.
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In April, home improvement retailer Home Depot launched its Eco-Options program in the United States. Designed to help customers identify products that have less of an impact on the environment than their counterparts, Eco Options has received both praise and criticism around the blogosphere. Last week, I had a chance to talk with Ron Jarvis, the company’s Vice President of Pro Business, Tool Rental, and Eco Innovation (pictured on the right),
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By Shaun Chapman •
October 10, 2007
"Argh!!!" - The insightful words of a frustrated Charlie Brown
Though I do not believe he is related to the immortal Peanuts scribbler Charles Schultz (the c is silent), former Secretary of State George Shultz took a sample from the Charlie Brown lexicon when he described the process of trying to install solar panels on his roof. Addressing the Society of Environmental Journalists at Stanford University, where he is a fellow at
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By Jennifer Lance •
October 10, 2007
The benefit of breastfeeding for children and their mothers is common knowledge, but is breastfeeding better for the environment? I was recently asked this question in response to Bill Maher’s criticism of public breastfeeding and Facebook’s refusal to post pictures of breastfeeding mothers. In honor of today’s Breast Fest, hosted by the League of Maternal Justice, I will explore the issues of breastfeeding and the environment.
According to
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By Jason Phillip •
October 9, 2007
Last weekend, parents in Chicago had the opportunity to gather and learn firsthand about dozens of ways to raise healthy kids while protecting the planet those kids will one day inherit. As just one of hundreds of parents and grandparents who attended the Naturally Healthy Children’s Expo on Saturday, I was happy that I braved the throngs of tourists on Navy Pier on cloudless fall day to attend — and I was
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Getting your little ghosts and goblins ready for Halloween while attempting to minimize your impact might seem scarier than global warming, but it’s so simple: you’re probably already doing at least one of these things.
- Use reusable candy-collecting bags. Simple, easy, and ensures that your large stash of candy won’t end up all over the street from a less-than-durable plastic bag. Avoid those plastic pumpkins, too. They’re made of petroleum, and
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Can a 10,000 square foot house really be green? Is a hybrid GMC Yukon SUV an oxymoron? At what point does the alleged greenness of something go from truly being green to mere greenwashing?
The environmental bandwagon is getting crowded as more and more people recognize the benefits and importance of going green. Sometimes it is out of a genuine sense of commitment to green principles. But
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By Amy Stodghill •
October 8, 2007
The changing colors of the autumn leaves are beautiful - until they’re no longer on the trees and covering your yard. Here are a couple of ways to be green with the fall colors.
Skip the leaf blower and use a rake. While it’s a little more labor intensive, raking leaves is better for the environment than the leaf blower. Leaf blowers create a lot of noise pollution, and if they’re [...]
By serenity_ii •
October 7, 2007
The road to going green is, in my mind, quite mixed with the road to going healthier. Getting rid of our aluminum cookware is divided into the same category of my thoughts as using cloth napkins or recycled-paper towels. So what are we doing to get green & healthy now?
As a small business owner, I am aware of the difficulty in making an existing business sustainable. Whether it is the lack of access to greener products, or just the lack of knowledge, there are many obstacles to overcome when trying to green a company. An interesting thing that I found when greening my own business was that the difficulties I was facing were also being faced by other small businesses in my area.
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By Cassie Walker •
October 4, 2007
This week, I began the Living Green Workshop, a six-week class developed and taught by a non-profit based in Santa Monica, CA called Sustainable Works. Though I write for Green Options and am active in the green community here, I figured I would still learn something. Boy howdy, did I!
The first class: water. An astounding 70% of Southern California’s water is transported in from other areas, mostly Northern California. Even more
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