Earth Hour 2009

A Bold Statement for the Earth. A Bold Step On Your Personal Journey of Sustainability

 

On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., tens of millions of people in more than 400 cities in over 74 countries around the world will come together once again to make a bold statement about their concern about climate change by doing something quite simple-turning off their lights for one hour.  Earth Hour symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change. According to GGIS editor Mandy Schmitt, “Initiatives like Earth Hour are important to take part in for our own personal journey as we strive to go green in our personal lives.  It sends a message that I care about this issue and opens doors to find solutions to the escalating climate crisis.” 

 

Leading the Charge

Earth Hour was first celebrated two years ago in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million people and thousands of businesses turned out their lights, allowing the message about climate change to shine brightly. In March 2008, Earth Hour went global. More than 400 cities, thousands of businesses and over 50 million people around the world turned off their lights for one hour to demonstrate their commitment to slowing the effects of climate change. An estimated 36 million Americans reported participating.

 

The movement captured the public’s imagination with lights going out at some of the world’s most iconic landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, Bangkok’s Wat Arun Buddhist temple, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm’s Royal Castle, London’s City Hall, New York’s Empire State Building, Sears Tower in Chicago and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Other symbols going dark included Cola-Cola’s famous billboard in Times Square and the Google homepage. The Earth Hour USA website received more than 7 million unique visitors during the week leading up to event, and the official video, narrated by actor Jeremy Piven, was viewed on YouTube nearly 800,000 times in less than 72 hours. Earth Hour’s myspace page was viewed 150,000 times.

 

Stories about the event were featured on Oprah!, NBC Nightly News, Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Time.com, Yahoo.com and more.

 

In 2009 Earth Hour Goes from Big to Bigger!

Already cities in 74 countries around the world have committed to Earth Hour 2009. Flagship cities in the U.S. include: Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. They will join international cities such as: Abu Dhabi, Amman, Auckland, Beijing, Bogota, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Guatemala City, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kiev, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Oslo, Rome, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Vancouver, Wellington and Warsaw. We hope to touch a billion people with the event in 2009.

 

From melting glaciers to increasingly intense weather patterns, climate change is already impacting life on our planet.  To alter the course of climate change we must act now. One person committed to reducing energy consumption can make a difference, but millions working together can change the world.

Brought to you by Mandy Schmitt, GGIS Editor and Co-chair Earth Hour Atlanta on behalf of the Earth Hour US Team

 

One hour – Earth Hour. Turn off. Take action.   www.EarthHourUs.org           

Eco retailer: Atlanta’s Eco-bella

“Be the change we wish to see in the world” are the words of Ghandi that Atlanta’s Eco-bella was founded on in 2005 and continues to live by today. There story is simple, authentic, and true- 5 moms out to drive change by enabling consumers like them to find quality, cost effective, safe, environmentally sound products.  They are a nurse, a writer, a corporate executive and 2 lawyers. They are the room mother like you will be one day. They are dashing into Whole Foods to get a gallon of milk like you do now. They are dealing with the terrible two’s and fretting over a pending new driver in the family, like your mom did for you and like you will do one day. 

Eco-bella is a lifestyle boutique located in the heart of Atlanta’s trendy Virginia-Highlands neighborhood. The owners are committed to our social and environmental responsibility.  They carefully research all vendors and all of product aspects before carrying any product. Their doors and hearts are open for the novice and beyond.  

Green Registry

For the green bride, Eco-bella is terrific registry source for a range of natural home products including towels, linens, and bedding. The Akhara and Savari towel lines are the perfect solution for any wedding registry- green or traditional.  These lines come in a range of beautiful colors and all sizes. They are also wonderfully soft, the color holds true after years, and they are extremely durable.  

Eco-bella creates a fun, effortless registry process for any couple by providing you with a personal touch and professional expertise in a low pressure environment.  

Looking and feeling great on your wedding day

There is no more critical day in any woman’s life that her makeup look perfect than on her wedding day. Eco-bella carries a full line of Dr. Hauschka’s organic beauty and skin care- a luxurious line on par with any department store brand. What is super cool is that this line carries none of the horrible toxins of most mainstream lines.  

Also, consider the aromatherapy bath kit and daily facial starter kit for hostess gifts for your loved ones throwing your showers and parties.  Trust me; they will light up when they receive such a treat! 

Finding the perfect gift for the special people in your life

Wedding planning is hectic enough and the bride still has to keep up with everything from your friends’ weddings and baby showers to your mom’s 60^th birthday. Somehow it seems more important to do something special for these people because of all that they are doing to make your wedding special.   

Eco-bella is a wonderful resource for any occasion and any person. When registering for yourself, look out for the perfect baby blanket or onesie for the next baby shower or pick up a comfy spa robe for your mom.  

Living by Example

Not only did Eco-bella undergo a green renovation but the store has also been certified to be Carbon Neutral. Under the leadership of Eco-bella owner Antje Kingma, the Virginia Highland’s business district and Eco Bella became the first carbon neutral zone in the US. According to Antje, “Verus Carbon Neutral allowed us to do to neutralize the environmental damage created by our daily necessities. The Verus Carbon Neutral Partnership is a credible, transparent and professional carbon footprint auditor. Each business at the Corner opened their books to a carbon emissions audit. Upon completion of each company audit, Verus Carbon Neutral purchased carbon offsets from the highly respected Chicago Climate Exchange. For The Corner-Virginia Highland Businesses, the offsets were bought to promote reforestation and wind energy.” 

Contact information: Eco-bella, 1046 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306, 404-815-4280, www.eco-bella.com

Visit the Eco-bella Online store

For more about the Virginia Highland’s Carbon Neutral Zone Click Here

Roses are Red, Valentines are Green…

Looking for inspiration for a green Valentine’s Day?  We have just what the cupid ordered.  Exploring one or more of these sustainable options with your sweetheart not only provides a romantic way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but also gives both of you a great experience to share.

1. Use locally ingredients- Go to local farmers markets and try the 100-mile diet concept. Studies show that most food in America travels more than 1,500 miles from the farm to table.  Eating locally cuts down on petroleum demand, supports our local agriculture economy, and provides consumers with a higher quality product. Plus, you can experiment with foods in season to create exciting new menus. Georgia Organics offers a rich set of resources.
2. Make smart seafood choices - Use the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide. Buying the right seafood is a complex web of decisions. The Seafood Watch guide does all the work for the consumer. This pocket-sized guide decodes which seafood are the right choice based on health issues and environmental impacts. Download one from their website or pick one up at the Georgia Aquarium.
3. Reconnect with American heritage - Buy heritage poultry, beef, and pork. Industrial agriculture relies on a small number of breeds of livestock, threatening the nation’s food security.  Heritage livestock promotes genetic diversity and has a unique and special flavor to spice up your next family meal.  Free range and organic meat is also a great alternative.  Whole Foods, Atlanta’s Star Provisions, and farmers markets are great places for these finds. Visit Heritage Foods USA for more information about heritage meats.
4. Piece de resistance- Finish with a rainforest-certified and fair trade chocolate dessert. Rainforest certified and fair trade chocolate is a rich, decadent dark chocolate. It is produced with methods that protect the rainforest and the farmers. K Chocolat in Atlanta’s Inman Park will provide your perfect finishing touch www.kchocolat.com.
5. Spice up your outfit- Buy vintage and environmentally sound clothes and lingerie. Buying vintage is recycling, period. Environmentally-sound clothes and lingerie use recycled fabrics, organic cotton, bamboo, and over-run fabrics.  Atlanta has great vintage stores and a number of boutiques that carry eco-couture, including Evolve Boutique in Emory Village and Eco-Bella in Virginia Highlands. Also check out [online retailers]
6. Uncork your passion- Choose biodynamic or organic wine.  Biodynamic and organic wines are grown and produced without the use of synthetic chemicals and with care and preservation of the surrounding land and watershed.  Looks for these wines at Sherlock’s Wine Merchant, Whole Foods, or your local wine shop. Brands to look out for include Yorkville Cellars, Fetzer’s Bonterra line, Benzinger, Frog’s Leap, Opus One, and Domaine Begude.  For more information about biodynamics check out the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association.
7. Set the mood- Select domestically grown flowers or consider clipping some greenery from right in your back yard.  Magnolia and American holly offer lovely, vibrant color and elegance in the Valentine season. Opt for soy or beeswax candles over the traditional synthetic variety.  Synthetic means petroleum based! 

 

Portions reprinted from previous publication in Atlanta Intown by Polly Sattler and Mandy Schmitt.

Tips for Environmentally Sound Wedding Flowers

If you think that greening the flowers for your wedding is an easy task, you may be in for a surprise.  After our experience (Part I, Part II) we assembled this list to help you on your journey to find both style and sustainability in your wedding flowers.

1. Choose a florist that has experience in or can guarantee environmentally sound wedding flower.  Emily Anderson, Eco chic Wedding author, recommends floral designer Livia Cetti, owner of The Green Vase.
2. Choose flowers that are cultivated in a sustainable method. Think organic vegetables and fair trade coffee. Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) is a new initiative to stimulate the production and sales of flowers and plants cultivated in a sustainable manner.  FFP offers a search feature so that you can find FFP certified growers and retailers in your area.
3. Choose flowers that are fair trade certified.  Fair Trade Certified Flowers label “on your bouquet means that flower workers, most of whom are women, can put food on their tables, send their children to school, invest in community development, and use sustainable farming methods” according to TransFair USA. Click here for of list of certified vendors.
4. Use local flowers. You may have to sacrifice local for regionally and domestically grown. Avoiding flowers are flown in from another part of the US or another continent will help you lower your carbon footprint.
5. Choose flowers that are native and in season in your area. You will have a better chance that you’ll be able to find them from a local or regional grower.  Most states have native plant societies that can be great sources of information. Here are a few Georgia Native Plant Society, California Native Plant Society, Native Plant Society of New Jersey, Native Plant Society of Texas, Native Plant Society of Washington
6. Use flowers and greenery from your back yard.  Some florists will also allow you to supply your own flowers for them to use in your arrangements.  For example, hydrangeas are popular wedding flowers that bloom readily in the late spring and early summer.
7. Avoid the use of invasive species.  Invasive species are devastating our local streams and rivers. Most of these invasives have been introduced for landscaping and aesthetic purposes.  By avoiding using them in your wedding you are avoiding being part of the problem.  Visit the National Invasive Species Information Center for more information.
8. Use potted plants for table arrangements.  These can be great gifts for special people in the wedding. Be sure to go for native plants and avoid invasive species.
9. Use edible arrangements and fruit. My Eco Chic Weddings offers a fun and attractive faux rose table centerpiece made of cupcakes! Do It Yourself Weddings and Earthly Affairs.com show you how to elegantly use fruit as centerpieces. Edible Arrangements also offer a delicious alternative to the traditional.
10. Use the same flowers at your rehearsal dinner and reception. Reduce, reuse, recycle. J
11. Structure your floral decorations so that guest can take them home after the wedding events.
12. Compost the floral arrangements that are not used after the wedding events.

Recommended articles and links:

How to have Eco Friendly Wedding Flowers, EHow.com

Listing of sustainable florists in the UK

Fair Trade Certified Flowers

Fair Flowers Fair Plants

Edible Arrangements

 

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One final note – Happy Birthday to our flower girl, Abby Mahoney!  That’s her in the picture, practicing with a local hydrangea bouquet…

Isn’t a green flower called a leaf? Part II

The tension with my mother was lower this morning.  I sensed she woke up thinking it was a new day and there would be new opportunities for solutions that fit each of our desires. I took the road of not saying much.  I just kept saying a little prayer that all would work out.

Enter Allison Lucas.

Allison had been a legend in our household for years. She is the one person who my mother has been able to count on and consistently turn to for a product that met her high standards.

As we pulled into the church parking lot my mother gave me the order, “You have to explain to Allison what you mean by ‘green’.” “Sure, fine. I’ll do that. It will all be fine.” I was trying to console myself as I spoke these words.  Simultaneously, my mind raced with questions about her. “Was she classic old guard Macon?  Did she think this green stuff was silly? Was she going to laugh at my wants and desires?”

The church parking lot was empty except for two cars- a Honda Accord and a massive Toyota Land Cruiser.  “Please let her’s be the Honda Accord.” I wished to myself.  No dice.  My worries raced faster.  I smiled, took a deep breath and said, “Hi Allison, I have heard a ton about you and my mom raves about your work.”

Fast forward past small talk.  She was lovely and I was beginning to see why mom was such a fan.  My mother sternly looked at me and then looked at Allison. Another deep breath.

“The environment is very important to Sean and me.  We are working to green every element of our wedding including the flowers.  We’d like to talk to you today about how we can do that.” I said.

By now you would have thought I would have remembered the theme we’d been seeing. People are open to going green and are looking for opportunities. Allison was no different!

She lit up with ideas about local growers and vendors. She and my mom began speaking another language- the language of flowers. (A good florist is a walking catalog of flowers and greenery.) I gave her a picture of a bouquet from one of the many magazines my mother showed me the night before and gave her a Georgia Organics local source guide.  We were off to the races.

In the midst of the conversation I realized any tension that remained between my mother and I had long melted away.  I knew we’d found another green solution.  I was also reminded that we all need others to help us on our journey to go green, especially if you are an expert in a field.  Change is hardest when you have a methodology that works well.  It’s a little easier when you have a friend or partner whose walking down the path with you.

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Missed Part I of Mandy’s Flower Journey?  Catch it here.

Check out our Tips for Environmentally Sound Wedding Flowers for specific steps you can take.

Isn’t a green flower called a leaf? Part I

I grew up in a rose garden with tulips, orchids, philodendrons. My garden was literal not figurative. My mother owned a florist shop, The Rose Garden, until my sister was born when I was about five years old. Some of my earliest memories are of waking up from a nap amongst buckets of fresh flowers or the rush of the cold air filling my lungs when I stepped into the walk-in cooler where all the special flowers were kept.

[start dream music]

In all the years of dreaming about my wedding, I never thought once about the flowers. I assumed that would be the simplest part to the whole affair. When asked, I’ve told my friends, “Oh, my mother will handle it.” That came as no surprise to anyone.  She has a terrific reputation for elegant, ornate, breathtaking work.

[record screech]

That dream ended tonight. Reality set it.

“What do you want your flowers to look like?” said my mother. 

“I don’t know,” I replied. Her eyebrow raised and she sat there patiently but not pleased. This was not the first time we’d had this conversation but I’d always just ignored it for some other more pressing wedding detail. 

Then it struck me, I was dealing with a professional and I was not being a cooperative client.

“I just want them to be ‘green’.” I spurted out.

“Ok, that’s fine. But that may not be realistic.” She continued in her patient, stern tone. 

Frustrated I said, “It must be Mother. We have greened every other aspect to this wedding. We must find a solution for this as well. I will not waste fossil fuels for flowers. There has got to be a way we conquer this one.”

The conversation continued in this fashion. She produced magazine upon magazine in order to elicit what look, feel, style, texture, color palette I wanted. That brought progress. Two bouquets fit the image in my mind’s eye.  I wanted bold colors and textures that pulled together to create a clean, high style look.

I took a chance and asked, “Why don’t we just have dad go out and collect the stuff from the forest the week of the wedding?”

“There will be many important details that week. We cannot be running around in the woods looking for flowers that may or may not be in bloom the week of your wedding.  You do have 10 bridesmaids. And, we have a business to run Mandy,” she responded in a clearly displeased fashion.

I knew that was another strike out.

“Where exactly are we going to get these flowers from?” she inquired. “The flowers you like are not grown here. Tulips do not grow in the South. They grow in New England and Europe and are flown in.”

I relented a bit and admitted that I didn’t have the answer. “Ok. I will be fine if they come from the southeast.  I have heard from my friends in the local food space that there are greenhouses in Georgia that specifically grow flowers. Why don’t we call them and see what they will have in May?  Then we can let that drive what we use.” That has been my strategy in other parts of the wedding. I have traded off abundance in the name of quality and availability and its works great. Why not now?

Truce was reached.  I pledged to produce a list of Georgia growers tomorrow.  Then we must find growers that provide her with the level of confidence in choice and quantity she needs. If not, that’s another conversation for another day that I hope we don’t have to have.

I walked away having realized that flower arrangements for big events are like electricity- taken for granted until you flip the switch and it’s not there. And like the electric company, florists need reliable resources to produce their product. Green resources are not yet ubiquitous for producing electricity or grand flower arrangements.

Green Wedding Shower Check List

A green wedding can be much more than simply the ceremony and reception.  As we’ve worked through our planning our family and friends have been eager to try their hand at infusing sustainability into showers and parties.  (The Matron-of-honor shared her expereince last month here on Go Green In Style.)

We’ve captured our checklist here to help you as you organize your thinking.  Let us know what other questions or suggestions you have!

 

Category	Checklist	Resources
Invitations	•Paperless  invitations- online invitation    •If paper, recycled content paper and soy ink   •Non-traditional: Seed paper, handmade, hemp	•Evite.com or Pingg.com    •Greenprinter.com   •Botanicalpaperworks.com
Food	•Green menu- Some or all of the menu is composed of local, organic, in season ingredients    •Choose a caterer who specializes in sustainable catering   •Minimize meat and dairy	•WorldCommunityCookbook.org    •GA Options: GeorgiaOrganics.org
Beverages	•Non-alcoholic:  organic teas, soft drinks •Wine: Choose organic, biodynamic, or local wine  •Beer: Choose organic or local beer   •Liquor: Several organic vodkas are on the market	•Choice Teas, Knudsen    •Bonterra, Frey   •Wolavers, Stone Mill   •360 Vodka, Square One
Supplies	•Eliminate paper and plastic products. Use china, silverware, linens    •If using disposables, go for compostable products	•Worldcentric.com
Themes	•Organic cooking demonstration    •Botanical garden  or museum	•GA: Cooks Warehouse
Décor	•Flowers: Choose in season and domestically grown, consider plants or flowers that can be planted    •Minimize decorations that will be disposed	•Waldenour.com
Favors	•Avoid excess packaging and highly packaged goods    •Carbon offsets or donations to the brides favorite charity	•Terrapass.com
Location	•Choose a restaurant has gone green- sustainable menu, green building, and other green practices    •Choose a museum or historic venue   •Locate near alternative transit options	•GA Options: GeorgiaOrganics.org
Travel	•Encourage guests to carpool    •Offer guests to option to buy carbon offsets	•Evite offers option to list    •Terrapass.com
Waste disposal	•Recycle    •Compost food and paper waste	•Earth911.com    •Composting101.com

From Poofy Petroleum to Gorgeous Green

Gone are the days when your only options for bridal gowns have rhinestones, taffeta, and lace.  Now you don’t have to choose between couture and consciousness.  Fabrics like rayon and polyester are created by using petroleum and the labor practices leave much to be desired.  These days, silk, bamboo, and organic cotton are widely available in many styles of gown and leave a much smaller mark on our planet.  Designers, both local and national, have jumped into the world of “green” gowns and their pieces are fairly easy to find.  In fact, Atlanta’s own Linda Loudermilk established eco couture through her self titled line and continues to set the standard for elegant couture that meets the highest environmental standards.

 

How exactly did I find a gown that makes me look hot without making our globe warm?

 

Start by searching the internet for local stores and or online retailers that carry environmentally friendly lines.  Designers Morgan Bosilcov of Natural Bridals and Deborah Lindquist set the standard for eco chic yet affordable.  If you are looking for an off the rack solution, stick to dresses made of eco-fabrics.  Fabrics to look out for include reclaimed and vintage fabrics, end run fabrics, organic cotton, bamboo, silk, and silk/hemp blends.  Ann Taylor and J. Crew offer a range of silk dresses.

Step by Step Guide to Greening a Traditional Registry

 

Looking to give your registry a green hue?  Great decision!  Here are the steps we developed from our experiance greening our registry.

1.       Take stock of what you need. Books like The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day or stores like Williams Sonoma offer a great checklist of a typical registry.  We were able to go through the list and decide what we did and didn’t need.

2.       Evaluate your options.  We are dedicated to not only going for the green option but also to supporting small, local businesses. We investigated our local retail options and online resources.  We included traditional retail outlets in our survey and were pleasantly surprised to find many are now offering green product lines.

3.       Set and order your priorities:  Style, price, durability, usability, level of green, and sourcing were all important to us but we were not aligned on the order of priority.  Mandy set green above all others while Sean brought the more practical issues like durability and usability. For example, Mandy fell in love with a recycled glass artisan dish set for their everyday wear. It didn’t make the registry because it was not microwaveable.  We found another recycled glass set through Vivaterra that was.

4.       Test your products before committing to them:   Many of the green products are only available online.  It was important to us to ensure that the products lived up to their marketing.  For example, we bought samples of several styles of bath towels before committing to one. We wanted to see what held its color and we enjoyed the most. Similarly, we bought a couple samples of our everyday wear to test it out.

5.       Register at multiple places:  We were not able to find a way to aggregate our registry in one place. 

6.       Explain to your guests what you’re doing and why you are doing it:  The registry is a wonderful way for your guests to take part in your adventure.  You can expose them to fun, new resources that they will hopefully use beyond your wedding.  Consider taking time to explain to your guests why you chose the products and retailers. 

7.       Reduce and recycle the packaging material: 

a.       Reduce:  We eliminated wasteful shipping by arranging to have our local retailers hold our gifts so that we could pick up them up at one time. This also allowed us to cut out packaging materials. 

b.      Recycle:  We recycled the cardboard and other paper packing materials with our regular recycling.  We returned the packing peanuts to our local UPS store.

c.       Compost:  Tissue paper and wax coated paper are great additives to your compost pile. 

Green Barbeque Blues

I have carried a lot of worry that finding a sustainable barbeque solution was going to be impossible. I can count on one hand the number of barbeque restaurants in the entire southeast that do sustainable barbeque. This hallowed southern establishment buys from the big CAFO’s in North Carolina and drive some of the worst water pollution in the world. 

Enter Brent of White Lightning Barbeque Company.   Late 20′s, early 30′s. The youngest son in the family business. Southern to a T. His mom has made chicken salad for Sonny Perdue, our current Governor and a true south Georgia boy. 

Brent’s eyes danced as we ran the different options.  We were all in agreement.  Nice but nothing fancy. We need to give all the Yankees the real southern experience but not make it hokey.

The menu was pretty easy. Pulled pork, chicken salad, Brunswick stew, potato salad, cole slaw, sweet tea (plus lots of unsweet tea so the Yankees can dilute the real stuff), pecan pie, and banana pudding.

Then we got to the sourcing discussion.  Everything was perfect. My heart raced. It was like being on a first date with a boy you really liked and preparing to reveal a fact that you knew was going to be make or break. 

Before I knew it, we were done with round one with flying colors. All were in agreement. We’d do a local pig that was not from a large farm.

 ”Is free range better than local?” he asked. 

I was stopped dead in my tracks. A million caveats ran through my head. “How do I answer that? How do I give him an answer he can hold onto and not an ‘it depends’?” Sean gave a slight laugh. In a stressed out, fast clip I spit out, “we’d prefer a free range option from within the state.” Inside my heart sank. That was not the tone I wanted to portray. Ugg. My inner critic sang “now he thinks you’re. You made him thing green is hard.”  All the while I was hearing my new hero Farmer Scott’s, “those free range chicken operations are a bunch of bologna.”

In an instant that all passed. I overreacted. I realized Brent really was excited about this like we are. He wants to learn about going green. He is genuinely interested for himself and he sees the potential it has for his business. He is pumped that this wedding will give him the opportunity to learn.

My heart burst with joy. I could barely contain myself. We found what we were looking for!

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