Climate Culture

Slim down with the ‘Waste Diet’

There are people who talk about reducing, reusing, and recycling -- and then there's Maren Engelmohr.

Engelmohr, a St. Louis architect with an impressive set of green credentials, her husband, and her two children are embarking on a year-long "waste diet," and are challenging you (and me) to do the same:

What qualifies as a green flower?

Roses are red,Violets are blue,But if you want a greener choice,What the hell should you do? The NYT asks that very question (minus the poetic flair, of course) and struggles to answer it: And as in other industries with increasing demand for green products, the floral industry is debating what is environmentally correct. Should flowers […]

High fashion around the globe

It's been a few months since the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris, but I had a nice chat recently with French fashion designer Annabel Gerenthon, who debuted her fair-trade shoe label Moyi Ekolo there. Annabel was the former fashion designer at Charles Jourdan before it was sold in 2003. Now she's on her own and starting shoes from scratch.

The vegetable-tanned leather used in the collection's cute ballerina flats and boots is sourced from a social project in Namibia, which she is helping supervise. "There is very little history of footwear production in Namibia, except on the workshop level," she tells me. Annabel also adorns her collections with talismans from Madagascar and Kenya. The figures, carved from horn, bone, and wood, are representative of the traditional artisan techniques of the area.

And since we are on the topic, Julie Gilhart (senior vice president over at Barney's), who also recently came back from a trip to Namibia, helped put on a stellar Future Fashion event with Earth Pledge this past Thursday with the crème de la crème of the design world. "Many of these designers have been thinking about sustainable fabrics, but didn't know where to start," she told me. "This is all about getting the influencers to do something and getting them involved in the process."

In Ireland, plastic bags are out of fashion

By making the unsustainable alternative a faux pas … In 2002, Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags; customers who want them must now pay 33 cents per bag at the register. There was an advertising awareness campaign. And then something happened that was bigger than the sum of these parts. Within weeks, plastic bag […]

Lotioned-up babies have high phthalate levels, says study

Photo: iStockphoto Ways to poison your kids: It’s not just bottles, car seats, and toys anymore! Tots exposed to baby cosmetics — lotions, shampoos, powders, and the like — have high levels of toxic phthalates in their wee bodies, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. Lotion exposure led to the highest […]

Aspirational green

The general public doesn’t seem as fired up as one might like. I’m starting to think that the thing to do is pivot completely from global warming to one-earth living. Global warming creates the condition of necessity. It is background. Foreground the positive opportunities: reducing energy bills through efficiency and green building; generating clean energy […]

From Adrian to Athletes

The Green Life goes on Enviro-hottie (and sleazy pick-up artist) Adrian Grenier will soon be bringing an eco-entourage to the Discovery Channel for a series about greening the homes of “regular folks.” Quick, look regular! Photo: WireImage.com Bless me, Goracle, for I have sinned Bono on Gore: “It’s like being with an Irish priest. You […]

A noncarnivorous path to Super Bowl-snack nirvana

Three cheers for vegan snacks! Photo: iStockphoto I have tried and tried to learn about football. Many people have taken the time to sit patiently by my side while a game is on and gently whisper explanations like, “OK, see, there are a series of things called downs …” Right away, my mind trails off. […]

Hollywood writers strike a blow for the climate

Okay, you're annoyed you can't watch 24, or a full season of House or The Office -- and yes, The Daily Show is kind of lame these days. But on the bright side, as a U.K. Times headline notes:

Viewers turned off by Hollywood writers strike 'may never switch TV on again.'

Yet, as is so typical of the MSM, they completely missed the real story: the connection to global warming. Turning TVs off equals using less electricity equals emitting less carbon dioxide.

How much less?

Super Bowl to be powered by renewable energy

America’s obsession with large men in tight tights reaches its peak at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Arizona. And, as promised, organizers will equal last year’s efforts and do some greening: Enough renewable-energy credits will be purchased to power the stadium, the adjacent NFL theme park, and two nearby luxury hotels. The NFL will plant thousands […]