Happy Valentine's Day!
Thinking about spending some extra time between the sheets today? If so, spend it between sheets made from bamboo. Bamboo sheets are silky soft, and come from a rapidly renewable resource that doesn't require pesticides to grow.
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SEX IN A TENT
a book by Michelle Waitzman
Being dirty and talking dirty gloriously commingle in this guide to coupling in the great outdoors. Sprinkled with first-person accounts of how various folks got cozy during camping trips, Michelle Waitzman's book provides tips on "sexy tent games for a rainy day," how to make unwashed hat hair alluring, which clothing fabrics stink less after a few days' use, and which lightweight treats--such as licorice, chocolate, and cinnamon--help boost libido. For some backcountry foreplay, try salving your partner's mosquito bites or massaging his or her aching feet before skinny-dipping together. You may not learn how to pack economically, but you'll pick up some suave steps for a tent tango. --Marilyn Berlin Snell
...keeps global warming at bay. (And other environmental problems too!)
Want to start living a lower-impact, higher-quality lifestyle? Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our new Green Life newsletter and receive an easy tip every day about a small change that can make a big difference. Simple steps like replacing conventional lightbulbs with more efficient ones, keeping your car tires properly inflated, or adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can save you money, reduce waste, and help save the planet. Don't delay, sign up today!
Susan Angel
Green-wedding planner
Angel & Company
A social worker for 20 years, Susan Angel wanted to use her people skills in an ecofriendly pursuit. After considering other business opportunities, including a green home store or one for recycled building supplies, the Boise, Idaho, resident hung out her shingle as a wedding planner.
How do prospective clients feel about going green?
It's a new business for me, and most of the brides I'm working with are more traditional, so it's going to take a bit of time. This first year I see myself as more of an educator, getting the word out, before I have brides who really "get" it. But some people are already incorporating green practices without even thinking about it--like having the reception and ceremony at same place, or serving local foods, or donating leftover food and cake. People don't necessarily see these things as "green," but they're willing to do them.
Corina Beczner, age 34
Green-wedding planner
A class in the geography of garbage changed Corina Beczner's life. With her outgoing personality and passion for waste reduction, greening often-extravagant events was a perfect match. Beczner founded her wedding-planning firm, Vibrant Events, last June after graduating with an MBA in sustainability from San Francisco's Presidio School of Management.
Q: How can being green make a wedding more memorable?
A: Sustainability is all about being innovative, and the most meaningful weddings are the ones that don't do all that cookie-cutter stuff. One bride didn't want any cut flowers, so her friends made paper flowers that could be recycled. It was festive and represented the couple well because they were both artists.
Q: Does being ecofriendly ever run afoul of wedding etiquette?
A: One couple used an Evite invitation; the family didn't like that. But another sent one piece of paper in an envelope to meet traditional expectations and created a supplemental Web site.
Q: Why is it important to make weddings environmentally friendly?
A: This is a $139 billion-a-year industry. I want to help couples use some of that money to express what they care about--whether it's local food, carbon emissions, or recycling.
(Photograph by Patty Nason)
* * *
Want to know more about getting married in sustainable style? Check out all the resources, tips, and ideas in our recent list of "10 Steps to a Green Wedding." Look for an interview with another ecofriendly wedding planner on Friday. Meet a real-life couple that got married in a climate-neutral ceremony. And read the rest of our interview with Corina Beczner after the jump.
The average U.S. wedding and honeymoon generate 9 to 16 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
NEW: Read our interviews with green wedding planners in San Francisco and Boise and meet a real-life couple that got married in a climate-neutral ceremony.Every engaged couple wants their wedding day to be a special celebration that reflects who they are and what they care about. Going green is a great way to make the festivities unique and meaningful--and show friends and family just how fun, beautiful, and delicious a sustainable lifestyle can be. Here's how to start planning the kind of wedding the online nuptial gurus at TheKnot.com have anointed "the hot new thing":
1. With this ring...
A green wedding begins where any engagement does: with a ring. Don't start off on a sour note. The beautiful alternatives to "blood diamonds" (those that are mined in war zones and fund conflicts) include:
It's easy being green on Valentine's Day. Ecofriendly gifts are generally more creative and distinctive than traditional ones--and that little extra touch can be the most romantic gesture of all.
1. Wine and Dine 'Em...Organically
Treat your honey's tastebuds at a restaurant specializing in seasonal, regional cuisine. If you're too late to grab a coveted February 14 reservation, hit your local farmers' market and gather the ingredients for an intimate home-cooked meal or romantic picnic.
2. Rethink the Roses
Celebrate the many facets of your love with a rainbow of organic, biodynamic, or VerifFlora-certified flowers from a farmers' market, CSA, or natural-foods store. If you can't find any locally, try Organic Bouquet, Diamond Organics, California Organic Flowers, or other online purveyors of pesticide-free petals. (Check out "The Hidden Life of Cut Flowers" if you want to know what's wrong with the conventional variety.) Or give your sweetie a lasting reminder of your sentiments: a beautiful house plant. If your relationship's long-term future looks bright, think about growing your own bouquet next year.
3. Say It With (Sustainable) Sweets
With all the delicious organic and fair-trade chocolates out there, why give anything else? (If you want to spread the love to friends and coworkers, Global Exchange's Fair Trade Valentine’s Day Action Kit is a tasty way to get your message across.)
4. Look Behind the Shine
Vintage jewelry is a great choice for romantic souls who don't romanticize the environmental and human-rights problems associated with mining diamonds and gold. For a bold (and not necessarily bank-breaking) statement, consider a distinctive piece made from recycled metal, paper, or other repurposed materials.
5. Double Your Pleasure
Shared experiences bring lovers closer together, and a rustic weekend getaway, cooking or dancing classes, or tickets to a concert or play is a gift for you too.
Although I'm happily paired off, I don't really like to make much of a fuss over Valentine's Day. It just seems kind of weird to make your big expressions of love at the same exact time as millions of other couples. But there's no denying the appeal of being doted on any day of the year, and making your gifts green is a nice way to show you’ve put a little extra thought into things."The Green Life" was launched in the November/December 2005 issue of Sierra magazine as a place to showcase trendsetting people, cool products, and empowering ideas. Quickly we saw that there was too much happening, too fast, to limit our coverage to a few bimonthly pages, and thus this blog was born.
When we devoted our January/February 2005 issue to the burgeoning green-lifestyle movement, we saw there was a huge interest in earth-friendly options for living well. What we wear, where we live, how we get around, and how we spend our money affects not only our own quality of life, but the quality of our environment. Fortunately, style and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand, reaffirming our belief that the best things in life truly are green.
What's your favorite green product? What ideas have made your life a little easier and the Earth a little happier? Share your rants, raves, tips, and questions with other readers and us.
--Jennifer Hattam, editor
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