I participated in an event that supported the CEC in Santa Barbara last week.  “Culinary Masterpieces of Santa Barbara” where I met so many wonderful women that are making a difference.  The event featured local vendors selling products at the estate of Gay Browne (founder of the Greenopia guides).    The event was a benefit for the CEC, a 40-year non-profit in Santa Barbara working to transition the region off of fossil fuels in one generation. 

C’est Cheese, Green Star Coffee, Eat-Drink-Garden with Valerie, Jessica Foster Confections, Kim Schiffer, San Marcos Farms Honey, Santa Barbara Wine Company, Simply Pies and Tecolote were all at the event to support the CEC.  

The CEC has been an environmental leader for 40 years.   Since 1970, CEC has led the Santa Barbara region- and at times California and the nation - in creative solutions to some of the toughest environmental problems.  They are often referred to as a “think-and-do-tank” - deeply analyzing a problem and then applying creative, real-world solutions to it. 

For the first 35 years, they not only talked about the value of recycling, they ran recycling centers and curbside pickup programs.  They did the same for hazardous waste collection - not only educating people about household toxins,  but running the collection center and seeing first-hand the pesticides and household cleaners that were most problematic. 

About 5 years ago, the CEC launched a bold new mission–eliminating fossil fuels in the region in one generation–and transitioned all other programs and centers to new homes.  Today, they are singularly focused on this one mission, and are applying to it all we have learned over the last four decades. 

I will be supporting CEC in the future and hope you will too!    www.cecsb.org

To make your donation contact:

 Kathi King, Donar Relations Program Manager.  805.963.0583  x 108  kking@cecmail.org

Eco-Celebrity, David de  Rothschild is drawing attention to the state of our oceans,  the idea of waste, and the unacceptable reality of pollution.  After nearly 4 years of development, The Plastiki has finally sailed off into its big adventure.  The Plastiki  is the name of the 60-foot catamaran made primarily from used plastic bottles that David is traveling on.  The Plastiki expedition isl taking  him and his crew to the Eastern Garbage Patch, an island of trash in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas. 

David and his crew are on a 3 month journey from San Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia on a mission to deliver a global message to beat waste and highlight the peril in our oceans. 

The website is www.theplastiki.com where you can follow their voyage. 

One can be a trash tourist and still travel first class.  The Plastiki’s hull is made of junk, but the interiors–including a reclaimed wood table, swashbuckling pirate motifs and custom gear satchels–were created by San Francisco-based designers Nice Collective.  And even as the crew is restricted to the barest of essentials, they will enjoy special all-in-one grooming products from Kiehl’s (an official expedition supplier) and fresh vegetables from an on-board hydroponic garden.  (Electricity generated by solar panels and energy bicycles, natch.)  Indeed, de Rothschild has learned from past experience that a few treats, like a drop of whiskey or a nice chocolate bar, can go a very long way.  To keep his friends close, he asked them to fill an iPod with music and an e-reader with books to take with him on his travels.  And he’s admittedly lost without his compass necklace, which is loaded with lucky charms like a Saint Christopher medal, a wishbone and a harmonica.

Quality.  It’s The Green Girl Difference

Quality is what counts and what women should look for in everything we buy, no matter the price.  Quality makes sense.   Quality lasts and gets better with age. 

The Green Girl brand is widely recognized by women for its high standards, producing only the highest quality products.   I direcly oversee production here in Los Angeles–the only way I can guarantee quality for my customers.  Fashionable women who are looking for designer quality and care about how their products are made have the perfect alternative in Green Girl.

Everything at Green Girl has been designed and manufactured to meet our standards - which, as you might expect, are very high.  We’d rather show you than tell you.  Touch, examine, notice the details.  You will see and feel it right away.  It’s the Green Girl difference.

Quality isn’t solely about clothes and fashion accessories.  It should be in everything and everywhere you look, from your morning cup of coffee to the bread for your toast to the bouquet of flowers in your room to the linens on your bed, to the food in your refrigerator and the car you drive. 

Quality will never go out of style.   Green Girl is all about quality.

THE GREEN HOUR:  60 Minutes Outdoors

I have fond childhood memories of carefree days spent playing outdoors - skateboarding, skiing, climbing, biking, digging, collecting, building,  and exploring the natural world around me, at my own pace, in my own way.

But today’s overscheduled kids are increasingly plugged in to electronic devices and media and unplugged from the experience of nature.  Their senses- including, mostly sadly, their sense of wonder- can be bombarded , overwhelmed, and ultimately diminished.

A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day) staring at some kind of electronic screen.  Now, a growing wave of research indicates that children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts.

The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a “Green Hour” everyday, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world.  This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, the beach,  or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play. 

To give parents, teachers, and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get children outside, the National Wildlife Foundation has created www.greenhour.com , a website that provides a weekly parenting publication, rich in family-friendly content.  The site also hosts a virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.

Tigers, foilage, and geometric swirls are at their printed best on Green Girl’s reversible, machine-washable ecototes. It’s in the bag at 25% off.

Enter code GREENGIRL at checkout.

Direct Link:
http://www.dailycandy.com/all-cities/deal/79122/Earth-to-Shopper

As the founder of Green Girl, a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in eco-friendly tote bags in bold, upbeat colors and prints, Lori Rose lives by her company’s sunny, enviro-conscious ethos. “Our eco-totes are a fashionable, reusable bag that makes our customers look good, feel good and do good,” she says, ”I started Green Girl because that’s the world I want to live in.” Recently, we sat down with the enterprising entrepreneur to hear a bit more about her line, as well as the other goods that measure up to her exacting aesthetic and earth-friendly standards.

On the subject of how others can adopt a more eco lifestyle, Rose says, “One of the easiest things that the average person can do is to be more ‘aware’ of their daily actions.” It’s a philosophy she applies to running her business, including carefully monitoring every aspect of the design process to eke out as many green benefits as possible. She uses not just organic cotton and biodegradable jute, but also incorporates chemical-free dyes and keeps production local to reduce her carbon footprint. She also lives in a sustainable home. “No I’m not living off the grid!” she laughs, “but Green Girl is teaching me that a whole bunch of small changes can add up to a big impact.”

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It’s not about doing without at Christmas; it’s about doing it differently. Cutting down your carbon footprint over the holidays doesn’t mean cutting out all the fun. It’s not about sacrificing. It’s a simple matter of giving extra thought to typical holiday events, from the turkey dinner to shopping for gifts to decorating the house.

By now, most people are aware of the environmental benefits of eating organic, locally grown food. But a green Christmas dinner doesn’t stop there. To avoid polluting your body, for instance, avoid non-stick cookware. Teflon, or PFOA, is a know human carcinogen.

Also, try to make your own cranberry sauce rather than eat the canned stuff - canned food can contain bisphenol A, a hormone disrupter.

As environmentalists regularly point out, taking baby steps such as these may not change the world, but it’s better than doing nothing at all. Besides, baby steps can take you a long way.

Bring reusable, fashionable Green Girl totes when you go shopping and, if you’re giving electronics as a gift, throw in reusable batteries and a charger.

When it comes to gift-giving, opt for either things that are going to last a long time or an experience, like a massage, pilates or yoga gift certificates or going to an art gallery or the theatre.

For those who want to go the extra mile, take a stand against packaging. I encourage where possible to leave some of that packaging at the store. You don’t have to deal with it at your home and you also send a signal to the companies that this type of packaging isnt’ always necessary.

The excess of the holidays can be overwhelming, but even individual efforts can reap big results. You can figure out where you want to make an impact. You don’t have to do it all.

The best part is the gift you’re giving yourself by helping the environment. Your reward is getting out and enjoying it, whether skating, skiing, tobogganing, a beautiful hike, surfing or swimming in the ocean.