Elisa's Green Scene

Defining natural

Disclosure: This post happens to be about one of our sponsors for BlogHer '09, but I had no intention of writing about them until I happened to read a conversation on BlogHer today.

Here is the conversation, on a basic promotional page for one of our sponsors, Clorox Green Works.

A couple of positive comment, and then a comment challenging the sponsor and their pointing out the lack of consistent definition for terms like "natural", etc.

So, social media step #1: Someone from the brand came to respond to the comment. Good job! Social media, don't forget, empowers not only we, the consumers, but companies too. The power to respond quickly and directly to your customers.

But what caught my eye, and prompted this unsolicited and unpromised post is this:

"When we created Green Works® natural cleaners, there was no standard or official definition for the term “natural” so we defined it using three core principles: the products had to contain plant-based ingredients and biodegradable cleaning ingredients, and could not be tested on animals. We believe we set the bar for natural cleaning very high, and stand by the natural profile and efficacy of our products.*"

* * To learn more about natural and what it means to us, click here. 

As I tweeted: Right on. Especially that last part. I'm not sure I've seen a lot of companies think of the animals when they're defining a "natural" product. Happy to see all three core principles.

Now, here's the question: Do other "natural" cleaners share the same core principles?

I'd try to compare to Method, but their site hasn't loaded over the last 20 minutes as I've been trying to get to their info. Sigh.

Perhaps an update post will be in order. But pipe up if you know!

Animal Community Center and LEED certification, it's a win-win

I've had a bit of a bumpy relationship with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. I was a donor, then they started what I considered to be a really bad idea: horse and carriage rides at a local shopping center as a fundraiser. Having lived in NYC and seen how miserable carriage horses lives are, I thought it was both ironic and hypocritical for an animal welfare organization to rely on the labor of animals to raise funding.

To their absolute credit, the HSSV exhibited a true desire to engage in real dialog about the issue, and to really understand why I felt as I did (and withheld my contributions).

And after doing it for two years, they stopped...and told me that the arguments I raised influenced their decision. You can read more about the whole back and forth at any of these links.

And so I'm back donating again.

Meanwhile, they've opened a brand-new state-of-the-art animal care center and one of the construction goals of this new facility was to be the first animal welfare agency in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.

Some of the cool features include:

• A photovoltaic solar system to be installed on the building roof and carport, that will generate about 40-50% of the facility's needs
• Roofing material that reflects sunlight, and is designed to lower AC bills
• Just the way they placed and designed the building was deigned to leverage natural lighting!
• A kennel cleansing system which greatly reduces water use

There's a long list, and you can read more about the new Green Building here at the HSSV's site.

Some day I'm going to get myself out there to check it out. I have to wait until I think I can either a) resist the lure of a new kitten or b) have the time to actually get a new kitten and take proper care of her.

In the meantime, I'm watching what they're up to and nodding my approval from afar!

Downloaded: iPhone apps to find cruelty-free brands!

Thanks to Stephanie from Change.org's Animal Rights blog for pointing me to not one, but two apps for the iPhone that help you make sure that you're about to purchase cruelty-free cosmetics and personal care items.

One is called BNB, or Be Nice to Bunnies. It costs $1.99 and shares the following info:

BNB is a searchable app for your iphone or ipod touch that helps you make an informed decision about cruelty-free purchasing anywhere, any time, at home or in-store. 

Features include:

• Multiple search option, including companies who do test, companies who don't test, search by product type
• Check if the product is vegan-friendly 
• Tagging favorites 

The other is called Cruelty-Free by Symbiotic Software. It's published by the Coalition for Consumer information on Cosmetics (CCIC) This one is free and share this description:

Know which companies are cruelty-free! Use this hand shopping guide for the iPone or iPod touch to look up cosmetic, personal care and household product companies while you're on the go.

Features include:

• Browse alphabetically or by category
• Direct links to company web sites 

 I'm going to try them both and report back!

What are you glad to pay taxes for?

OK, I've had this post from The Daily Green bookmarked for over two weeks, so at this point discussing taxes seems a little outdated.

Still I like blogger Jeff Yeager's contention that he's glad to pay taxes for things like roads. And the EPA. And there's a very lively discussion he points to here about how a lot of other things are paid for too.

I have never minded paying taxes either, and having lived in California and New York, I've lived in highly-taxed states.

Come to think of it, my company provides full health benefits to our employees, and contrary to conventional wisdom, that expense isn't one that even comes close to breaking our small business back.

I guess I'm a liberal's dream come true :)

So, anything about paying taxes that you like?

I know this isn't a vegan shoe blog, but...

I'm totally obsessed with shoes, what can I do? It all started in college when I sold shoes part-time for three years. That was pre-veg days, so I had shoes in every material...cruel and cruelty-free.

A few years later when I went vegetarian I also phased out leather and suede (and even wool and silk) even though it would be many years before I became a vegan on the inside.

I often said: It's harder to give up leather shoes than eating meat. 

Not so much because of function, but because of lack of stylish selection. Payless Shoe Source was the place to go, and they didn't have the cute eco-styles they have now.

now there are more and more places to find cute vegan shoes, and the latest I found via this post from a blog on KABC-LA's site.

It's a store called olsenHaus, and they wear their eco-philosophies on their sleeve! Vegan, eco-friendly materials, fair-trade practices, philanthropic initiatives...it's all there. They also have a space on their site for the harder truths about the use of animals. Not a pleasant page, I warn you.

But the proof is in the pudding or, in this case, the stylish vegan shoes. So, check out their collection. What caught my eye? How about this beauty:

Insert sigh filled with longing....here!

Earth Day: Fan or Naysayer?

Earth Day is this Wednesday the 22nd, and as usual it brings with it a lot of hoopla...and a lot of cynicism.

Across the country there are special events and festivals. And I don't think anyone would argue that the annual Earth Day doesn't raise awareness in people who don't normal follow environmental issues closely.

But some say that's a band-aid, and in fact harmful, because it makes people think doing something on Earth Day once a year is sufficient.

Grist may have started this year's contrarianism with their Screw Earth Day project:

"One day is for amateurs. Grist is your resource for making every day earth-tastic"

Adding to the chorus, Eco-Salon says: Earth Day...Why Bother?

"Earth Day raised the eco movement to the next level. It bridged the gap between government and grass-roots, and it was influential in the development of the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.

But it’s been running for nearly forty years. It’s not an Event anymore. And Grist believes that because it’s just a yearly festival, it does precious little to change our habits - and anyway, what difference can one day (especially Earth Day) really make?"

Jennifer from Blisstree agrees with her own post entitled Screw Earth Day!:

"Each year I post about my Earth Day concerns, talk about my Earth Day concerns, and while some agree with me, others get a little huffy about it. It’s nice to know someone cool (Grist) is on my side."

But in Earth Day's corner is the Budget Ecoist in Why Earth Day Is Still Pertinent as the Environmental Movement Goes Mainstream:

So, to answer our own question, we are feeling a bit of overload when it comes to the eco marketing gravy train. But it only makes us more certain that Earth Day is an important reminder for all of us to come together to celebrate the Earth without the hype.

And they go on to list three things they love about Earth Day.

I see both sides, but I still think Earth Day does more awareness-building good than complacency-bestowing harm.

What about you?

The Craftivism kerfuffle

Thanks to BlogHer's Crafts editor Deb Roby, I heard about a recent kerfuffle in the seemingly utopian world of Etsy, the place to buy and sell all things handmade.

See, once upon a time a group of Etsy seller created a Team called Craftivism. Etsy Teams are self-formed and can be formed around all sorts of commonalities. In this case Craftivism wrote this mission:

The Etsy Craftivism Team is a team of progressive Etsyans who believe that craft and art can change the world. Some of us use our work to carry messages of protest and political activism. Others believe that the act of making craft can be an act of resistance. Still others see that by buying and selling directly from the maker we are challenging the all pervasive corporate culture that promotes profit over people. 

The question is: What does that all mean...politically?

You may ask: Crafts? Political? What?

Well, yes. Crafts. Political. And the politics of it had some repercussions. Julie from Crafting a Green World describes the controversy when the Team organizers casually mentioned that the Team was politically liberal. Turns out, not so much. Some of the team members were not liberal, and felt compelled to quit the team subsequent to discovering they'd been lured into a liberal hotbed. Julie's post is also worth reviewing because one of those team organizers comments and tells her side of the story.

And Treehugger weighs in here.

I have to say that I can understand that the mission statement above and the day to day activities of the Team may not have been overtly, explicitly, politically liberal, but check that mission statement again, please.

"Progressive"

"Protest"

"Resistance"

"Pervasive Corporate Culture"

These are not politically neutral words. They are typically identified with leftist principles.

Look, I actually think it's a good idea to really be a big tent. BlogHer, for example is non-partisan (or, we like to say, omni-partisan) and while many think that there is something inherently liberal about what we do, we do believe the mission to create opportunities for women, including for economic empowerment, is a mission that can serve all women bloggers, regardless of political affiliation. We can share a lot of similar values and work for similar change, even if we don't agree politically all the time.

Right?

So, given the Craftivism kerfuffle, let's ask the same question about the Green movement. Is it politically liberal? Can one be a conservative environmentalist? When you meet someone into the eco-movement, do you assume you know their politics?

I kinda do, I confess. Even though I know Nixon gets some props for his environmental actions. What about you?

Yesterday: Fabrics. Today: Packaging

 You know how our economy is sucking wind? And you know how people kept saying during the campaign: What if we turned the same focus and energy on saving our planet that we did on the race into space in the 60s? And you know how all the focus on green and clean might actually do even more for our economy, all while saving the planet, than the space program did? 

Well, turns out that focus and energy and economic opportunity can come in packages large and small. Yesterday I wrote about Christie Brinkley's new line of eco-friendly fabrics that Joanne's Fabrics will sell.

Today, let's take a look at skin care company Terralina's new gift packaging, made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bags. To be specific: "Gathered from the streets of Dehli, India, the bags are cleaned, stripped, and pressed to produce vivid colors without additional dyes or inks. The collection of these bags has also resulted in jobs for underemployed local women."

Seems like ingenuity and eco-friendliness go together well, and these kinds of projects, big and small, may be the engine behind behind both economic and environmental recovery.

Disclosure: Terralina is co-owned by a colleague of mine at BlogHer, but I only found out about this because I read Treehugger...my colleague never mentioned it.

Hat tip: Treehugger

A vanity project I can get behind

Typically I am not a particular follower of fading celebs who keep in the public eye by launching various "lines"...of clothing, of perfume, of shoes, etc. 

First of all I don't believe the celebs usually have that much to do at all with their projects, but are merely lending their name to something. Which usually means that the outlet producing their brand is even more fading than the celeb.

However, I have to say I think it's fairly cool that Christie Brinkley is producing a line of eco-friendly fabrics for Joanne's Fabrics. Using organic cotton, recycled polyester from plastic bottles and a water-free production process, it hits all the right green notes. And designing fabrics, not clothes, is a bit off the beaten path and probably smart in this era of renewed belt-tightening.

I give this announcement a thumbs up. Maybe, just maybe, this is more than hopping on the green bandwagon and reflects a real interest and passion from Ms. Brinkley.

So, are we into the White House Victory Garden?

A couple of weeks ago Michelle Obama broke ground on a new garden on the White House South lawn.

The question is: What does it meant to you?

This is the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt had one during WWII. Because of this garden we learn that President Obama doesn't like beets. I think I trust him a little less, don't you? we also learn that the White House composts. Which is pretty cool.

The message is one about healthful eating, more than belt-tightening in an economic sense.

Over on BlogHer the tenor of the conversation was overwhelmingly positive.

Although, BlogHer blogger Tammy Donroe points out:

But there is a valid argument against a White House victory garden, which is that there are larger issues at stake within our government.  Planting some symbolic Swiss chard won’t change the fact that the President may have already missed the boat on real food policy change by appointing Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture.  Someone who the Organic Consumers Association called “a shill for Monsanto and corporate agribusiness.”  Maybe too pretty a garden would draw attention away from the fact that very little is actually changing within the combines of agricultural legislation.  Maybe what we really need is to see no garden on the chemically green, landscaped grounds of the White House.  Or, maybe in order to get anything to grow, you first have to plant a seed.

So, where do you stand: Practical, symbolic, waste of energy and media attention?

As someone with the blackest of thumbs I don't think I should even comment!