We all try to make smart environmental choices, although often we can be overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of the task. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we don't need to start with very much to make a big impact.
Take five minutes to watch this incredible story of William Kamkwamba, a young Malawi man who built a windmill out of a tractor fan.
-Posted by Cara Naiditch
Diane MacEachern, age 55
Founder & CEO, Big Green Purse
After struggling for years to help pass environmental bills on Capitol Hill, former communications consultant Diane MacEachern wondered if it would be easier to change how people spend the bills in their wallets. So the mother of two created a Web campaign--with a companion book coming out in late February--to get women to shift $1,000 of their annual spending to ecofriendly products.
Q: Why focus on women?
A: Women are doing most of the household shopping, and they are more sympathetic to environmental issues than men. Women understand that when the planet is in trouble, they're in trouble.
Q: How do you suggest that consumers prioritize their spending?
A: Start by shifting $10 of your weekly grocery budget. For example, cut out bottled water--you're just paying for plastic and transportation--and spend the money you're saving on organic food.
Q: Some people say we can't buy our way to a better planet. Are there limits to what changing consumption patterns can achieve?
A: In a way, I feel that argument is intended to dissuade women from being in control of their own homes, spending, and lives. Money talks, and manufacturers are listening every time you put a product on the checkout conveyor belt.
Women make 85 percent of retail purchases in the United States.
Scott Pactor, age 36, owner
Appellation Wine & Spirits
On a sabbatical in South America, accountant Scott Pactor decided his passion was wine, which he began studying when he returned to New York City. After working as a sommelier, he opened Appellation Wine & Spirits, where nearly 70 percent of the wines are ecofriendly and employees use public transit to make deliveries. appellationnyc.com
Q: Why did you decide to focus on earth-friendly wines?
A: I was looking for wine with a sense of place and personality, and I kept coming back to the bottles that were organic or biodynamic. The fact that they're good for the environment is a bonus.
Q: Organic wine hasn't always had a reputation for excellence. Why was that?
A: In the past, a few producers marked their wine as organic, but they weren't necessarily making good wine. Others weren't storing their bottles properly. If the growing area has a propensity for rot, making wine organically does become more difficult.
Q: What regions should consumers look to for good organic wines?
A: In France, the Loire Valley, Alsace, and the Burgundy region, and Oregon and California in the United States. And from Austria, we have a liter bottle of organic Gruener Veltliner for $10. People can't believe how good the quality is at that price.
A biodynamic vineyard must be chemical free and almost entirely self-sufficient, requiring little to no outside inputs.
Nearly 30 million pounds of pesticides are applied to fields of conventionally grown California wine grapes each year.
Lauren Sullivan, age 33
Cofounder and codirector, Reverb
A former campaigner with Rainforest Action Network, Lauren Sullivan is out to prove that loving nature and being "a bit of a pop culture queen" can be complementary. With husband Adam Gardner, a guitarist for campus faves Guster, she founded a nonprofit to help musicians and venues go green. reverbrock.org
Q: What does rock 'n' roll have to do with the environment?
A: Music has been a place of activism and action. That took a hiatus after the 1960s and '70s, but now it's back. Folks listen to celebrities. And energy use in this industry is very significant.
Q: You've worked with artists from Bonnie Raitt to the Beastie Boys. How do you green a concert or tour?
A: Convert the band's bus and truck fleet to biodiesel, arrange carbon offsets for their emissions, coordinate backstage recycling programs--we even do little things like provide rechargeable batteries for monitor packs and recycle broken guitar strings.
Q: How do you get fans involved?
A: We create an eco-village of nonprofits and green businesses to reflect each band's interests. For singer-surfer Jack Johnson, we invited Surfrider, which we knew would resonate with his fans. It adds a way for folks to engage that isn't a buzz killer.
(Photograph by Kevin Brusie)
Switching its tour bus to biodiesel reduced rock band Guster's CO2 emissions by 100,000 pounds a year.
Stephen Aiguier, age 30
Founder, Green Hammer Inc.
Although he comes from a long line of builders, and put himself through college as a journeyman carpenter, Stephen Aiguier didn't cut a straight line back to his family profession. Only after getting a degree in community development and applied economics, working for an organic chocolate company, and putting in a short stint at a securities brokerage did he found his Portland, Oregon-based contracting firm. greenhammerconstruction.com
Q: What makes the houses you build green?
A: All our new homes are LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified. We build with 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council-certified or salvaged wood, and we're trying to get all of our materials from within 100 miles of the site.
Q: What aspects are hardest to sell clients on?
A: The hidden items, like weatherization and energy systems, but those are what make your home efficient in the long run.
Q: What do you see for the future of green building?
A: "Green building" shouldn't even be a term; it should just be the way we do things: low-impact, using the materials around you. Thirty years from now, our children are going to be asking, "Why did you build any other way?"
(Photograph by Annie Portlock)
Want to learn more about green building? Check out our interviews with green builders in Seattle and Asheville, North Carolina. Then click on over to the latest issue of Sierra magazine for remodeling tips and author Bill McKibben's account of building his ecofriendly dream home. And read the rest of our interview with Stephen Aiguier after the jump.
An energy-efficient home saves up to $400 a year in utility costs.
Steve Fradkin
Fradkin Fine Construction
As part of our continuing series on green building, The Green Life talks with Seattle-based builder Steve Fradkin of Fradkin Fine Construction:
How did you get into the green-building business?
When the idea really started to take hold five or six years ago, we were already incorporating some sustainable practices in our operations--separating waste, recycling as much as we could, and doing salvage--and we wanted to start bringing it into the buildings too. A couple of the employees I've hired recently have environmental degrees and they're really leading the charge.
Rob Moody
Owner and President
The EcoBuilders, Inc.
Rob Moody has deep roots in North Carolina. His ancestors came to the Asheville area around the turn of the last century, and Moody grew up in the home where his grandfather was born, one of three "Arts and Crafts-style, a little bit Queen Anne, a little bit shingle-style" houses his great-great-grandfather had built for the family in downtown Waynesville.
How did you get into the green-building business?
I studied biology and environmental science at UNC-Asheville, but I also grew up loving old houses because of the ones in my family. About five or six years ago, I bought the house I lived in as a child, and it needed work. I ended up doing those renovations while teaching environmental science, and the two meshed very well. I just fell in love with the whole remodeling process and I came up with the basic philosophy for the EcoBuilders during that time: a marriage of aesthetics, green building, and urban infill. In 2003, I started building my first new construction. It was the first house in North Carolina certified by the state standards for green building, which had started up the year before.
...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.
Sarah Alexander, age 26
Local-food connoisseur
When Sarah Alexander found out that food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,000 miles to reach Americans' plates, it gave her something to chew on. Wanting to do her part to reduce fossil-fuel consumption, Alexander and six friends created--and completed--the Local Food Challenge. For one year, they ate only items grown or produced within a 250-mile radius of their Minnesota homes.
Q: What was the hardest thing about the challenge? Did you ever cheat?
A: When I traveled, I had to take all my food with me; once, I ran out and had to eat at a Thai restaurant. But most of the year, it was no problem--and fresh, local foods taste delicious.
Q: How did you get through the winter?
A: We preserved a lot of food in advance, so we had canned and frozen fruit to eat year-round. We had tons of grains, soup, and some local meat. I was surprised by how well we ate.
Q: Were there any foods that were impossible to get locally?
A: Throughout history, every culture has had "trade items." Following that model, we listed a few exceptions: salt, oil, wine, coffee, and tea. And chocolate! --interview by Orli Cotel
(Photograph by Ken Frick)
* * *
Want to know more about eating locally? Listen to Orli Cotel's interview with Sarah Alexander on Sierra Club Radio. Meet some "locavores" in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more about the benefits of local food. Find out what foods are in season now and which ones you can buy near you. And then join people all over the world on a 100-mile diet.
More than 1,200 small U.S. farms offer fresh produce "subscriptions." Find one near you at foodroutes.org.
Chris Balish,
broadcast journalist
and car-free convert
When Chris Balish put his SUV up for sale, he wasn't trying to change his life. He just wanted to save money on gas. But when a buyer materialized before he got a new car, Balish turned to public transit and biking--and found himself less stressed, in better shape, and getting out of debt. His temporary solution became a new lifestyle, then fodder for a book, How to Live Well Without Owning a Car. Read an excerpt at livecarfree.com.
Q: What's the best benefit of not having a car?
A: Saving about 800 bucks a month. Anything you lose as far as freedom of mobility you gain in freedom of cash flow.
Q: How have you managed to stay car free in Los Angeles?
A: I found a community with good transit that's close to amenities. Riding the bus or train can take longer, but it's productive time to read and work.
Q: What do you think keeps people tied to their cars?
A: When you rely on an automobile, you don't even notice other forms of transportation like bike paths and transit hubs. Half the battle is just opening your eyes.
(Photograph by Candice Kelsey)
The average American walks about 300 yards per day.
Bryant Terry, age 32
Chef and food-justice activist
Growing up in Memphis, Bryant Terry was surrounded by food from his grandparents' organic gardens. After training as a chef in New York City, he founded B-healthy to promote the benefits of sustainable eating to low-income high school kids. His new book, Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, pairs coauthor Anna Lappe's food-system expose and tips for greener meals with Terry's inventive, multicultural recipes.
Q: How can people get "grub" into their lives affordably?
A: Find local community gardens, farm shares, and markets. Buy in bulk or create a food-buying club with friends.
Q: What's your cooking philosophy?
A: What's local and in season drives what I prepare. I like to funnel new ingredients through familiar dishes that can connect us with the foods our parents or grandparents ate.
Q: What makes grub different from other food movements?
A: It's inviting: practical, fun, and celebratory. Food should be healing but shouldn't be like taking medicine. It should be enjoyed. --interview by Mia MacDonald
(Photograph by Alex Tehrani)
The average American eats only one-third the recommended amount of produce each day.
John Perry, age 42
Founding member,
the Compact
When John Perry and a few San Francisco friends created the Compact, a yearlong agreement not to buy anything new, they were just trying to take a personal stand against rampant consumption and waste. But as news of their idea spread, it drew more than a thousand participants worldwide--and some angry critics. Read about members' strategies and exemptions for essentials like food at groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact.
Q: What do you make of the backlash you've received?
A: We've been told shopping is patriotic. Part of the promise of success in America is that you can buy lots of stuff.
Q: What's been hardest about living by the Compact?
A: I was a recreational shopper, especially in thrift stores. So it's been challenging to think about what I need instead of just shifting my consumption habits to secondhand goods.
Q: How has your family's daily life changed as a result?
A: We have more time and money to spend hiking, taking classes, going to performances, and eating with friends. Life gets richer and more oriented toward experiences.
(Photograph by Chris Sommers)
10/29/07 UPDATE: Other Compacters share their experiences, after the jump...
In a 2004 survey, one-third of Americans said greed and materialism are our most urgent moral problems.
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.
For a family of four, a round-trip transatlantic flight creates as much greenhouse gas as driving for a year.
Rachael Robertson, resident, the Green Room
Rachael Robertson has the same things in her dorm room as any other student. She just spends 35 percent less energy using them. The University of California at Berkeley sophomore volunteered to live in the Green Room, the campus showcase for sustainability, and tout its improvements--including an efficient refrigerator, compact fluorescent lights, and ecofriendly toiletries--to tour groups and fellow residents.
Q: What is the goal of the Green Room project?
A: People form consumption and energy-use habits during their college years. If we make students aware of the importance of lifestyle changes, they will carry them on as adults.
Q: What kinds of changes have you made in your everyday routine?
A: When I leave for the day, I'll take an extra moment to turn off the power strip for my appliances. And I try to be very conscious of what I can reuse rather than throw away.
Q: What's next for the Green Room?
A: To start more rooms like this! --interview by Catriona Stuart
(Photo by Lori Eanes)
More than 110 colleges around the United States are using or constructing energy-efficient buildings.
Heather Stephenson and Jennifer Boulden, cofounders, Ideal Bite
A pair of businesswomen who enjoy the finer things in life might seem like unlikely eco-gurus, but the cofounders of the Web site Ideal Bite have a formula that works: being "light" green and proud of it. The duo's confessional blog chronicles how their day-to-day choices affect their social lives, shopping trips, and eating habits, while their daily e-mail tips offer practical advice on everything from makeup to mutual funds.
Q: Why do you write about your misadventures in green living?
A: We're not perfect--nobody is--so no matter how eco-egregious you are, we won't shake our fingers at you.
Q: What types of tips get the most response?
A: We've gotten flak for recommending humane veal and "conflict-free" diamonds. But we're not writing for people who have already decided not to buy diamonds or eat meat.
Q: Where did you get the name Ideal Bite?
A: From the idea of an apple a day. If you don't want to eat the whole big green apple, just take a bite! Small changes, when done en masse and over time, add up to big results.
(Photo by Jennifer Nash)
Cleaning the lint filter on your dryer can decrease the energy used per load by up to 30 percent.
Ross Evans, inventor,
the Xtracycle
Toting your kid to school? Hauling a kayak to the water? Leave your car behind and hop on one of Ross Evans's inventions. With its sturdy rear platform and roomy saddlebags, the sleek, elongated Xtracycle is more maneuverable than a bicycle trailer and can handle loads of up to 150 pounds.
Q: What's your favorite place to take your Xtracycle?
A: The grocery store. Everybody needs to go shopping, and the Xtracycle makes a mundane experience joyful.
Q: How so?
A: People get an Xtracycle for a specific chore, but it makes it possible to live a whole lifestyle that's more sustainable while getting in better shape and being more adventurous.
Q: What about bad weather?
A: Marketers try to sell us on an ideal of comfort: "You've worked hard. You deserve to drive a leather-interior car with the air conditioner on." We're saying you deserve to experience life more fully by getting in touch with the elements and your own self-sufficiency.
—interview by Alison Fromme
(Photograph by Lori Eanes)
Twenty-seven percent of Americans' daily trips are one mile or less.
Kimbal Musk, co-chef/ owner, The Kitchen
Earth-friendly eating is pure pleasure at this upscale Boulder, Colorado, bistro. The building is powered entirely by wind, the cooking oil is recycled into biodiesel fuel, and the menu of local and organic foods is as sophisticated as Musk's training at the French Culinary Institute in New York.
Q:What's most rewarding about running the Kitchen?
A:Just making people happy. It's amazing how many customers tell me how glad they are that we're successful. A restaurant can be busy and profitable and still do good things.
Q:What do you want diners to remember when they leave the restaurant?
A:That they've truly eaten Colorado food. It's not just bison and game meats anymore.
Q:What are your favorite local ingredients?
A:Colorado peaches are shockingly good. The corn is wonderful. And this summer's tomatoes were amazing. We do a grilled peach, grown on the western slope of the Rockies, with a Berkshire blue cheese from Fort Collins on top of bruschetta—a slice of heaven.
—interview by Molly Pindell
(Photograph by Diane Huntress)
U.S. sales of organic products are expected to almost double from 2003 to 2007.
"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
Art
Fashion
Grapevine / The Buzz
Health
Media Lounge
No Goods
Outdoors
Pop Corner
Recycling
Social Life
Technology
Work
Recent Comments