Green Daily

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In this country, we're lucky to have the freedom to choose to act any way that we please -- whether it's good or bad for the environment.

Fortunately, more and more Americans are picking energy smart appliances, walking instead of driving, and encouraging our elected officials to support legislation that creates clean energy jobs.

On that last note, Repower America has a 4th of July pledge on their site, letting you declare that you want our country to:

My favorite traditions for the 4th of July involve eating outdoors. Picnics, BBQs, coolers at the beach, nothing says summer holiday like the smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty goodness of a crispy hot dog.

And while I must admit a weakness for Cool Ranch Doritos, as a rule I like to keep my al fresco dining practices in line with my "regular" organic, sustainable and local habits.

One place where that's most important -- and easy -- is in the "meat/not-meat" main dish department:

(Photo by Nature\'s Inventory)

It makes sense that so many dogs, cats, birds, and ferrets find fireworks utterly terrifying and unbearable -- they are loud, unpredictable, and jarring -- and a delightfully patriotic celebration of our country's deeply martial history, don't get me started wrong.

Obviously you can't stop your local municipality from setting off a 20 minute light and explosion show set to bombastic classical music. But you can help your pet be safe, and hopefully shorten the length of time Felix, Fido and Lance the Lizard hide in the closet, under the bed and behind a rock, respectively.

The LA Times had a great article with suggestions for doing your animal friend a 4th of July solid, including:

• Leave your pet at home -- no pet wants to see fireworks up close
  
• Make sure all pets have a collar and ID tag (that's smart all the time)
• Ask your vet for advice on keeping your pet calm -- music, low lights, a comfortable bed, could all make a difference.
  

I would add, if you're going to be talking to Dr. Feelgood Veterinarian, consider requesting a prescription for doggie Ativan. Or, if you're more into holistic, herbal remedies, there is this Doggie Calm Wellness oil, which is basically lavender and patchouli. It's organic!

And of course, catnip won't calm your cat down, but he might thank you just the same. Everyone -- even pets -- enjoy a little herbal indulgence on a holiday weekend!

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Oh, PETA. I just can't stay away from your sexiness. Of course, you can't stay away from me, either, can you?

This week I received a personal email invitation from the wild-eyed radicals, to attend a scalding tank demonstration. I know -- fun, right?

If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's the terrible method McDonald's uses to kill chickens, and it's about as grisly as it sounds. (Yo McDonald's, just stop and switch to controlled-atmosphere killing, okay?) But more importantly, why would anyone want to attend a demonstration featuring a vat of protesters flailing around in "bloody" water?

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Why didn't anyone tell me that last week was National Pollinator Week? The festivities ran from June 22nd through the 28th, but we can still celebrate pollinators by planting some pollen-rich wildflowers in our backyards!

There's been a lot of media coverage about Colony Collapse Disorder, the mysterious phenomena that is wiping out whole hives of European honey bees, the pollination workhorses of industrial farming.

I recently interviewed Ed Flanagan, the president of Wyman's Blueberries, for Tonic, and we discussed the importance of bees for wild blueberry pollination and how the agriculture industry is responding to CCD.

(Photo by Target)

Okay, so I get that we shouldn't use leather, because it's (theoretically) cruel to kill animals for fashion, and the tanning and dying process is (definitely) an environmental nightmare that produces evil, poisonous sludge.

A fashionable girl can still turn to fun (and bonus: inexpensive) vinyl options from trendy bargain retailers like Target and H&M. No animals hurt here! Except, wait, the production of vinyl is sort of nasty. But did I mention, no animals hurt? Vegan? Please, can't I at least have a leather looking bag?

Apparently the answer is "No." A news alert from the Center for Environmental Health just released results from a study that found vinyl bags bought in the Bay Area have high -- dangerously high -- levels of lead in them. Great! That's where I live, and I'm carrying a fabulous H&M vinyl bag right now. Except I just dropped it like a radiation-hot potato.

This was a pretty exciting week for me. I got a "personalized" email from Alpha Green Al Gore, asking me to support Repower America's efforts to convince Congress to pass aggressive climate legislation. I think he's the greatest! (And I hope/believe he's secretly doing something to get Laura Ling and Euna Lee released from that North Korean labor camp.)

You may remember Al's awesome speech to the Daughters of the American Revolution, when he challenged America to get 100% of our power from clean energy sources within 10 years. Repower America is the organization that grew in response to that challenge, with over 2 million members across the country.

The video above is the latest ad from Repower America, and it's just plain-talking awesomeness. The totally crusty, hardworking, traditional-seeming gentleman who stars in it hits all of the high points -- like how we're "held hostage by foreign oil" and "borrowing money to buy oil from dictators who don't like us" and "burning it in ways that kill God's green earth" -- using language that makes these ideas accessible and palatable to non-bleeding heart liberals. You know, like the majority of the country.

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On Monday Josh's Eco Beat included an item about Andy Dick dressed as a maniacal Ronald McDonald on behalf of our dramatic friends at PETA.

It reminded me that it's been a while I checked in with those masters of PR and media manipulation. So clicked on over to the PETA homepage and found, to my surprise and delight, that it's been a whole year since Leona Lewis and Anthony Keidis were selected as the Sexiest Vegetarians alive.

That's right, there's a new pair of Sexiest Vegetarians According to PETA! The big winner for the ladies is Kellie Pickler ("Pick Pickler!" -- I guess the fake boobs didn't disqualify her) of American Idol and country music fame. Representing Dude Vegetarians is Hayden Panettierre's ex-boyfriend, and Heroes co-star, Milo Ventimiglia.

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It's time for Green Confessions. I was just cleaning my microwave and had an urge to toss it out and buy a new one.

It wasn't that dirty, it was just taking more elbow grease and energy than I had at the moment to get the mysterious dried stuff off the walls. And new stuff is shiny and pretty!

Don't worry, I finished cleaning it, with all natural biodegradable soap and water. But I have to admit, the temptation was there.

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Sure, electric cars and hybrids have their place in the green transportation hierarchy, but bikes are universally acknowledged as the greenest way to get around. Completely emissions-free, powered by muscles and sweat, they are the healthy choice for the environment and for you.

However, like so many good habits (or intentions,) biking your way around town can go from difficult to outright impossible when you're traveling. Bikes are a pain to transport on airplanes, and while you can rent in most places, you never know what kind of equipment you'll find. Plus, even if you are lucky enough to get a decent bike, it can still be hard to find important information like where you can safely ride or if there are bike racks at your destination.

Of course, a clever person named George Gill came up with a solution: RentaBikeNow.com. This site lets you research the available bikes in a city or town, see photos and rates, reserve it online, and then get information on the best and safest routes. You can also get accessories, like kiddie trailers, helmets and locks.

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You know how being "green" used to have a sort of, well ... wimpy reputation?

Hey, you know it's true. I don't make it up, I just report it!

Well, those days are over. Eco-friendly is so cool it's now badass. Ashley Braun and Katharine Wroth at Grist created a killer list of the 13 most badass greens, and there is not a wussy treehugger (not that there's anything wrong with that, we love treehuggers and Treehugger) to be seen!

The post has a poll for you to vote for your favorite Badass Green, but I seriously could not pick just one. My top picks include:

(Photo by monstervintage.com)

"Recycle" and "reduce" get a lot of attention in the green world, but gloomy global economic conditions are making many people take a second look at "reuse." This thrifty attitude is great for the planet -- if something has already been created, it's better to get as much use out of it as possible before you spend more energy to recycle it into something else.

Clothing is one of the easiest and most fun things to reuse. Hand-me-downs get a bad rap, but when you call it vintage? Then it's cool! Even if you don't have good local vintage boutiques, the internet is now a fab place to find treasures. Monster Vintage has a huge selection of men's, women's and "cool stuff." Be warned, if you click through, you will browse through the merchandise for hours!

"Gently used" second-hand designer fashion used to be a guilty secret, but now we're wearing it loud and proud. Online luxury vintage retailer Marion Mercer offers pristine items from designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Valentino. While the prices aren't exactly thrift store cheap, they're still considerably less than buying the big names new.

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June is the wedding month, and my family is taking it to heart! My brother, sister and cousin are all planning weddings, so lately every family get-together has turned into an advanced bridal idea exchange.

A lot has changed since I got married seven years ago. People are much more open to the idea of eco-friendly options, like email save the dates and using recycled paper (or the kind with wildflower seeds that you can plant) for invitations.

Over at Yum Sugar, Gail Simmons from Top Chef shared her favorite eco-friendly wedding tips, like skipping all of the extra envelopes in the invitation, giving out eco-friendly reusable shopping bags as favors, and sending the floral centerpieces home with guests.

(Photo by Natura)

As I've mentioned, one of my other jobs is writing for UpTake.com's hotels blog. It's a fun gig that lets me indulge in my love of travel and in the best of cases, sometimes it also overlaps with my eco-interests.

A great example of this is the Kimpton group of hotels and restaurants. I just recently stayed at one of their properties, the 70 Park Avenue, in NYC, and as always it was a delightfully green hotel stay. In-room recycling, energy efficient water and light fixtures, organic toiletries, and of course we reused our towels.

The San Francisco-based organization consistently demonstrates some of the best environmental practices in the hotel and restaurant industries. In 2005 they formally launched the "EarthCare" program in all of their properties, but they've been practicing green as far back as 1981!

It might sound crazy, but lately I've been really enjoying commercials. Yes, those (usually) annoying ads that interrupt a perfectly interesting show about lawyers or dancers or ER doctors. But instead of scowling or taking a bathroom break, I've been watching with fascination as mainstream companies finally jump on the recycled, sustainable, compostable bandwagon. Happy Days are here!

Reynolds Wrap has a new 100% recycled foil available, in regular and heavy weights. The foil is made of pre- and post-consumer aluminum, the boxes are made from 100% recovered paper and printed with water-based inks. According to the site, this recycled product takes 80% less energy to make than when they use virgin materials. And it produces fewer emissions and reduces landfill waste.

And now Ziploc has a new line of sandwich and storage bags made with 25% less plastic than regular Ziploc bags, and work exactly the same way. The "evolve" bag is made from a new resin blend, and manufactured using at least 50% renewable wind energy. Packaging is 100% recycled paperboard carton with a minimum of 35% post-consumer content.