The Green Life

Green Biz

A new brand of green hospitality is generating buzz across the country--and it's no longer simply a matter of urging guests to reuse their towels. Many profit-minded hotels are installing solar panels, using nontoxic cleaners, and even growing their own organic food on the premises.

The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa, which opened recently in Northern California, was built from timber approved by the Forest Stewardship Council and is partly illuminated by high-efficiency tubular skylights that direct sunlight to the interior halls. The Gaia derives 10 percent of its electricity from solar panels, and a lobby fountain circulates captured rainwater.

At the new Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, 75 percent of the construction waste was recycled, its water is heated by 4,000 square feet of solar panels, and a state-of-the-art elevator creates electricity as it descends.

More earthily, the Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon, composts 14 tons of waste monthly and is working to eliminate its landfill impact by 2015. To find other ecofriendly accommodations, visit greenseal.org/findaproduct/#lodging or ecorooms.com. --D.O.

New Year, New You

Eight ecofriendly resolutions for a happier, healthier 2008

1. Bring camaraderie to your commute
Carpooling saves gas and turns traffic delays into socializing opportunities. Find fellow riders at goloco.org and zimride.com.

2. Be an informed eater
If you're torn between the trout and the halibut, text 30644 with the message "FISH" and the type you're considering to learn which is the more sustainable choice (fishphone.org).

3. Junk the junk mail
Inundated by catalogs but too lazy to call and get off their mailing lists? Just register with catalogchoice.org, which will do the legwork for you. (Services like greendimes.com and 41pounds.org stop other kinds of junk mail too--for a fee.)

4. Become a mix master
DIY kits make it easy to blend up your own nontoxic household cleansers, skin products, and pet-care items (all from eco-me.com) as well as all-natural baby food (freshbaby.com).

5. Learn to share
At neighborrow.com and borrowme.com, you can find neighbors willing to lend you books, tools, or other things you'd rather not buy.

6. Give back on your next getaway
Count whales or plant trees in exotic locales--opportunities abound at greenvolunteers.com and in The Ethical Travel Guide (Earthscan) and The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life (National Geographic Books).

7. Just say no to bottled water
If tap water is good enough for some of the country's top restaurants, isn't it good enough for you?

8. See more meaningful movies
Sick of Hollywood fluff? Subscribe to a socially conscious film series at earthcinemacircle.com or ironweedfilms.com and get cinematic conversation-starters delivered to your door.

What's your green new year's resolution? Share it with us in the comments section.

(Illustrations by Josef Gast)

Take Refuge

This weekend, kids can travel through an educational "Bear Maze" in Louisiana, while amateur lepidopterists can count butterflies in Texas--and those are just two of the events being held in celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, which wraps up on Saturday. The wildlife refuge system's 547 locations--at least one in every state, from the Yukon Delta to the Lower Suwannee--encompass 97 million acres of habitat and 2,500 miles of land and water trails. So find a refuge near you and get out and explore it!

Greening Man

With 25,000 people camping out in the desert for a week, Burning Man abides by the "leave no trace" principle--efforts organizers are now expanding from the festival's northern Nevada site to the entire planet. For this year's event, tickets are being printed on tree-free paper; the radio station, medical outpost, and other facilities will be run on biodiesel; and a green art theme will see Black Rock Desert decorated with the likes of solar-powered sunflowers and a trash-fueled 80-foot mechanical slug.

A Tip a Day...

...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!

Global View

Visitors to Chicago's scenic lakefront will have something extra to gaze at this summer. More than 100 environmentally themed globes, designed by artists from around the world, will line the Lake Michigan shoreline through the end of September. In addition to these five-foot-in-diameter "Cool Globes" highlighting environmental issues--from prairie restoration to junk mail to solo commuting--and actions individuals can take against climate change, smaller spheres designed by artists, celebrities, and students are being displayed around the city. Exhibit visitors who pledge to make five changes in their daily lives, such as insulating their water heater, planting a garden, riding a bike more often, or buying renewable energy, will be entered into a raffle for a Toyota Prius. If you've always wanted to own a piece of the planet, the globes will be auctioned off on October 5 to benefit environmental education programs.

Left to right: Prairie Restoration globe by Nina Weiss (#26); Stop Unsolicited Mail globe by Ellen Gradman (#78); and Share a Ride globe by Cheryl Steiger (#35).

TGI (almost) F

Hopefully you, like me, have the day off on Monday. Here's some tips for good green fun this holiday weekend:

• If your plans include a picnic, the San Francisco Chronicle suggests packing reusable (and lightweight) bamboo tableware, biodegradable forks, and recycled-paper napkins.
• Skip the lighter fluid and fire up your grill with a charcoal chimney starter.
• Take a hike! The online trail directories at American Trails, GORP, Trails.com, or TrailSource will have you enjoying the out-of-doors in no time.
• Planning a longer trip? Make sure you have the greenest gear.
• If you're hitting the road, improve your mileage by keeping your air filter clean and your tires properly inflated, driving the speed limit, minimizing the cargo you're carrying, and following our other gas-saving tips.
• How does your garden grow? A lot better with some good compost. So dig in!

A Great Escape

While cyclists exploring the West with Escape Adventures fuel up on fresh organic eats, their support vans run on used fryer oil. Besides choosing greener food and fuel, the Las Vegas-based outfitter will power three-fourths of its base operations with solar panels by the end of the year. Cofounder Jared Fisher hopes participants will take notice and take action too: "The veggie vehicles are going to be a big conversation starter."

(Illustration by Josef Gast)

Share Your Solutions

Have you joined a car-share program? Hung your laundry out to dry on a clothesline? Started riding your bike on short trips (or all the way to work)? Set up a community recycling effort? Switched from air conditioning to a fan?

Inspire others with your actions to curb carbon emissions by taking a photo of your small (or big!) step and uploading it to the Sierra Club's Every Day Solutions site. If you're fresh out of green ideas, check out what other folks are already doing.

Advice on travel, technology, and recycling mythology

In the March/April 2007 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green waxes mathematical on the carbon dioxide emissions generated by air travel, gives computer users some energy-saving rules to live by, and dispels rumors about recycled paper.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

Tip Sheet

Looking for outdoor equipment and clothing that match your environmental principles? Sustainable Travel International simplifies the search with its annual green gear guide. Here are some of its tips:

• Buy bulk organic foods and cook them on the greenest stove that meets your needs. Some interesting options include a superefficient wood-burning backpack stove and a pollution-free solar oven.
• Suit up in ecofriendly materials like hemp, soy, or organic cotton and wool. Fabrics fashioned from recycled soda bottles are especially durable, while bamboo fibers are lightweight and quick-drying.
• Look at new options such as solar backpacks that can charge a satellite radio, snowboards with lightweight organic-cotton top layers, or skateboards with extra-flexible bamboo decks. Surfers, boarders, and bikers can maintain their gear with biodegradable and vegetable-based degreasers, lubricants, and waxes.
• Pick items with minimal, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging that's printed with soy-based inks.

For a list of recommended products, visit sustainabletravel.com/greengearguide.pdf.

Trendsetter

Mark Ellingham, founder and publisher, Rough Guides

He's spent 20 years encouraging people to see the world, but guidebook guru Mark Ellingham is no longer so keen on air travel. After announcing plans to "fly less often and stay longer," the British publisher is adding sections to his Rough Guides that spell out alternatives to fuel-intensive flying, setting up an online carbon calculator, and funding energy-saving initiatives to "offset" the impact of staff and author travel.

Q: Do carbon-offsetting programs like Climate Care really help the environment?

A: It's clearly better not to create carbon dioxide emissions. But when you calculate your emissions to offset them, it's impossible not to be shocked and not to change your habits.

Q: How will the issue of climate change affect the travel and guidebook industries?

A: I'd like to see travelers take fewer weekend breaks and more long ones. And by producing good local guidebooks, we can help people take satisfying vacations close to home.

Q: How do alternate modes of transportation enrich the travel experience?

A: Traveling slower gives you a sense of place. Trains give you the chance to talk to people, to see a landscape unfold.

(Photograph by Tom Miller)

UPDATE (5/10/07): Check out the latest on Ellingham's campaign over at Compass.

Fast Fact

For a family of four, a round-trip transatlantic flight creates as much greenhouse gas as driving for a year.

Rural Respite

Bored with Boston? Cooling on Cape Cod? The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources hopes to lure locals and visitors off the beaten path with its colorful map of "agri-tourism" destinations. From farm B&Bs and wineries to hayrides and corn mazes, there's a sample of rural life--and locally grown food--for every taste. Those with heartier appetites for the country can contact groups like Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, which matches host farms with volunteers for longer stays.

(Illustration courtesy of Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources)

Tip Sheet

Ecofriendly travel doesn't require mud-caked boots and a backpack. Even if your idea of a great vacation is a grand tour of European museums, here's how you can make your trip greener:

• Look for a hotel that is working to save water and energy and reduce waste. Get listings at greenhotels.com or greenseal.org/programs/lodging_properties.cfm.
• Travel by bus or train instead of renting a car. It's often more relaxing and rewarding. Get schedules and routes at busstation.net, traintraveling.com, or www.subwaynavigator.com.
• Eat locally grown food. You'll get a better "taste" for the place and contribute to the community's economy.
• Offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by air travel through the Better World Club, Climate Care, myclimate, or a similar program.

For more ideas on ecofriendly travel, check out responsibletravel.com, planeta.com, and ecotourism.org.

Welcome!

"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

Advice for the Office, the Bathroom, and Beyond

In the July/August 2005 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green weighs in on recycling computers, buying greener toilet paper, and looking at the big picture when it comes to conferences.

Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.