sslog - sustainable sean's weblog

Sustainable Style...at long last

2011-01-31T22:36:00.001-08:00

On January 28, 2011, I happened to be walking down 6th Ave in Seattle and shocked and amazed to see the the words "Sustainable Style" plastered across the storefront of the H&M store. Its actually a term I coined over a decade ago. Later, in 2003, I co-founded a nonprofit with Rebecca Luke called the Sustainable Style Foundation (SSF) to educate, support, and inspire people from all walks of life to make more sustainable lifestyle choices. I remember many people saying that the 'sustainable style' was an oxymoron and certainly wouldn't capture the hearts and minds of mainstream consumers. Since that time we've seen everything from green issues of Vogue and green initiatives in the NFL to green Olympics and green Oprah giveaways. So now, to see the words 'sustainable style' being used in H&M ads, for museum projects, and in newspaper headlines makes me a pretty happy camper. I'm not all that involved with SSF anymore, but I still follow their efforts and am a big fan. In the end, I'm just happy to say that all the effort in starting, growing, and maintaining SSF was worth it...it worked!

It turns out that H&M has a pretty robust sustainable style and corporate responsibility program...in fact it is their 2nd year into a multi-year effort to make all of their products sustainable. Sadly, I don't fit very well in most of their clothing, but they do have some pretty cool stuff so stop by a store or surf their website to take a look. let's make sure to reward them for their good behavior!

Questions to Korten and Long on KUOW's Weekday

2010-12-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

I recently posed questions to economist and author, David Korten, and Michelle Long, Executive Director of BALLE and co-founder of Bellingham's Sustainable Connections, on KUOW's Weedkay with Steve Scher. I've been a guest on KUOW in the past on the topic of sustainable design (find it here) so its always fun to call in with questions when the opportunity arises. For this show, I asked Korten and Long how they thought local living economies could make it mainstream, as well as what they thought the future might be if the trend in localized economies continues. Scher always puts on a great show and Korten and Long were both eloquent and super informed on the topic so it was a fantastic discussion. You can find the podcast here. You'll find my short questions near the end of the show.

First eBook Review

2010-12-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on Future-ish - I'm pleased to announce that I finally broke down and purchased my first eBook. Not that I was opposed to it or anything, I just hadn't found any new titles I wanted to read yet. I tried for Alvin Toffler's 1970 Future Shock, but alas, no electronic version was available. Lucky for me, I happened upon Nick Bilton's book I Live in the Future & Here's How It Works. I'm only a few pages...er, I mean percentages...in and I'm already enjoying both the book and the electronic format. I went with the Kindle app on my iPhone and am pretty happy with all the little bells and whistles. As long as I can highlight and add notes, I'm a happy camper. I did purchase my first robot earlier this year, an iRobot Scuba, so I'm not too far behind the times.

I will say that it is a bit trippy (slang appropriate for both decades in which these books were written) reading I Live in the Future after Future Shock, but I'll save a discussion of all the connections until I finish both. Stop back in for a full report soon.

Update: 12/4/10...

I just finished the book and was actually pretty pleased with both the ebook experience and the actual content. I would say that Bilton isn't living all that far off into the future, but his understanding of past, present, and future media did provide a good framework with which to ponder where things are going. Everyone seems to be blogging about what lies ahead for journalism and social media so I none of Bilton's key points were all that revolutionary as I've heard them from may other authors and bloggers. I did really appreciate his many anecdotes for how to think about what is to come, however. The fact that surgeons with a background in video games may perform better is a great thing to tell your folks who complained about your hours behind the console. Bilton's point near the end of his book in which he points out that new media doesn't allow any of us to make mistakes or forget things is poignant too. All in all, a great read for sure. Like the movie theater vs. 'wait for the dvd debate' with books you have the paper vs ebook deliberation. I Live in the Future & Here's How It Works isn't one of the titles that requires the romance of a hard copy book read by the fire. Rather, it is the perfect format and content for a quick ebook read...especially considering the online extras that come with the book, QR codes and all (like the one below that references this particular blog post).

Press | The Intersection

2010-11-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Intersection. November 2010. God Bless America (and its scientific capacity). Science journalist and author Chris Mooney calls out Sean in his Discover Magazine blog, The Intersection, for bringing Brad Paisley's pro science song and video Welcome to the Future to his attention via Future-ish.com.

Little Bright Light

2010-08-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Could green get any cuter? The Solar Pocket Light from MoMA offers both form and function. With bamboo, PLA, and LED components it makes the best little green gift around...for you or someone else.

Organic LEDs from Lomox

2010-08-20T23:31:00.001-07:00

The future looks bright indeed. With twice the efficiency of CFLs and endless design applications, from interior design to apparel, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising a revolution in the lighting industry. Most recently, Lomox, a UK company leading the charge in the optoelectronics industry has taken the technology from a mere glimmer to full-on glitz by showcasing the technology as interior wallpaper.

Shanghai's Seed Cathedral

2010-08-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

The UK Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo has both scientists and designers all abuzz. Designed by English designer Thomas Heatherwick, the building utilizes 60,000 transparent rods that move with the wind and send shimmering light into the interior of the stucture by day and cast an etherial glow by night. Even more impressive...each rod tip contains a seed from Kumming's Institute of Botany. Inspired by Englands love of gardening and public parks, and the Kew Gardens Millennium Seed Bank, Heatherwick created the building and broader pavilion to honor and celebrate green spaces, sustainability, and biodiversity.

Dorothy Grant's cultural couture

2010-08-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

Looking for a one of a kind dress or sportcoat? Vancouver BC based Haida fashion designer Dorothy Grant brings her culture and keen eye for great style to casual and high-fashion apparel for men and women. In featuring ancient traditions, contemporary Haida design, and sustainable materials she creates wearable art that is both social and environmental responsibility. In her own words, the mission of Ms. Grant's work is to "share the richness of the Haida culture, to create a vehicle for transformation, pride and self-awareness, and to employ First Nations people." Most importantly, Ms. Grant's substance and style make here a fantastic role model for all those budding 'Indigenistas' out there. Brava!

MIT's 'double bubble' green machine

2010-08-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

Innovators at MIT have conceptualized the perfect ride for jet set environmentalists...what they call the double bubble. Using 70% less fuel, the aircraft will go far in reducing the footprint of air travel in coming decades.

Conscious computing

2010-08-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

ASUS recently announced a new line of laptops called U Bamboo Collection. It not only features the beauty of bamboo, it uses 15% less plastic than conventional laptops and saves energy in multiple ways.

Latina Nina

2010-08-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

I was psyched to hear judge Nina Garcia switch into Spanish in the first episode of Project Runway Season 8 on Lifetime. Casanova, one of season 8's competitors, wasn't quite understanding what host Heidi Klum was asking so Nina stepped right in to help out. Spanish is pretty rare in mainstream American television, particularly connected to design, so it really was great to see happen. Kudos for diversity in design!

Sustianable style on Project Runway

2010-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Season 8 of Project Runway on Lifetime features several designers that bring social and environmental responsibility into their creations. One designer in particular has embraced it full-on. Gretchen Jones of Portland, Oregon based Mothlove promises to bring true sustainable style to one of my favorite shows.

2010 Speaking & Other Engagements

2010-01-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

12/10/10 - Discussion Host. YMCA Earth Service Corps Youth and Adult Environmental Summit. Seattle, WA.

10/10/10 - Judge. Sustainable Seattle Dream a Sound Future design competition. Seattle, WA.

An evening with Isabella Rossellini

2009-11-19T21:09:00.001-08:00

Humor, charm, and creativity best describe the entire evening last night with model, actress, and director, Isabella Rossellini who was in Seattle for a special engagement with Seattle Arts and Lectures.

The evening included a little family history, bits of her other works, and a good portion of her project with the Sundance Channel, Green Porno in which she reimagines the timeless tale of 'the birds and the bees' in her award-winning short film series on the sexual behaviors of animals. Now in its third season, Ms. Rossellini has evolved the shorts to include key challenges facing some of the species that star in each episode. From earthworms and elephant seals to spiders and squid, Ms. Rossellini reenacts sexual strategies of many a species with humor, emotion, and a great sense of wonder for the animal kingdom. I did get to meet Ms. Rossellini very briefly at the post-lecture reception which was a dream come true for an animal behavior and sustainable style guy like myself.

Dentalia Jewelry

2009-11-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting my dentalia jewelry page. I'm still pretty new at making dentalia jewelry but it has been really fun and a great honor.

Artist Statement...
I am a non-Native artist who has had the honor of volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe (a non-Federally recognized Tribe in Washington State) for many years. It was through the Steilacoom Tribe that I was asked to participate in the annual Canoe Journey that takes place in the Salish Sea every summer. Many of of my basket, jewelry, and other creations come from my involvement with the Journey and the need to make hand-made gifts for potlatches, thank you dinners, general gifts, and other ceremonies.

I learned about the history and use of dentalia from Mandy McCullough at a workshop at the Squaxin Island Tribe's Museum Library and Research Center (MLRC). In ancient times, dentalia shells were collected by Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast and used for jewelry and decoration, as well as a form of currency when trading with other Indigenous Peoples throughout North America. Records of dentalia use go as far back as 4400 BCE and they were used extensively for trade between Tribes in the 19th century.

I now make a variety of dentalia jewelry using materials that have meaning for me in some way. For example, for red beads I often use coral as I have traveled in Ladakh and central Asia and for black beads I often use black coconut as I visit Maui often. Being a bit of a science geek, one way that I bring my own design style to my baskets, jewelry, and other creations is by incorporating the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13...) that creates a pattern that is seen throughout nature; in the shape of the Milky Way, the shape of a nautilus shell, the pattern of sunflower seeds, the proportion of butterfly wings, etc. In many of my pieces this is realized through the bead sequence: one dentalium shell, one large bead, two small beads, and three very small beads or rings. In doing so, I also believe that the final product reflects the continuous flow of life as the pattern gets repeated over and over again in the piece, rather than having a piece that starts at a central point and mirrors itself on each side.

I give all of my designs a name...a plant or a local place I have visited that has meaning for me. You can see some of these standard designs here. I am always happy to create a new design or use new materials so just let me know if you'd like me to take on a special project or commission. I give most of my jewelry away to family, friends, friends of friends, etc. because I enjoy making them so much. So if you'd like one, just contact me. If you would like an item but really REALLY want to purchase it, I generally charge $34 for bracelets and $55 for necklaces. I donate half of any profit to the Steilacoom Tribe since it is through the Tribe that I was given the opportunity to learn such crafts.

Below are some standard designs...you can click on an image for a larger picture.

The design above is an Honor design for Veterans and Elders. It is made with dentalia shells, coral, lapis, gold heishi rings, and a gold magnetic clasp.

The design above is named "sq'Wuq'Walachats" (a transliteration of the Lushootseed word for 'paper birch') and is made with dentalia shells, black labradorite, coconut heishi beads, silver heishi rings, and silver magnetic clasps.

The design above is named "Potlatch" and is made with dentalia shells, coral beads, coconut heishi beads, copper heishi rings, and magnetic clasps.

The design above is named "pu'ohe'ohe", the Hawaiian name for Job's Tears seeds, and is made with dentalia shells, pu'ohe'ohe seeds from Maui, coconut heishi beads, and magnetic clasps.

The design abive is named 'Okika', Hawaiian for "orchid", and is made with dentalia shells, pink lace jade, BD jade, coconut, and a gold magnetic clasp.

The design above is named 'ula'ula', Hawaiian for "red", and is made with dentalia shells, red sandlewood seeds from Maui, coconut, and a copper magnetic clasp.

And finally...above are just a few more options!

Press | Sundance Channel's Full Frontal Fashion blog

2009-11-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Full Frontal Fashion. November 2009. "Sustainable Sean" shares his Seattle style secrets. Jessica Marati gets Sean's thoughts on the Seattle design scene and the future of fashion.

Maika'i Maui | Dispatch 4

2009-08-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

The latest news to report is that I finally was able to take the Ka'anapali Historical Trail & History and Legends Tour. Learning the history of people and place is very important to me so it was awesome to finally be able to catch this tour after several years of trying. The images above are of a display of Canoes I stumbled across during the tour. As I expected, Ka'anapali, the area where I stay each year, is rich with the history of larger than life poeple and meaningful places. An example are the Pohaku of Moemoe and Wahine O Manua/Wahine Pe'e pictured below that lie in the Royal Lahaina golf course. According to legend, Moemoe (the larger pohaku) was turned to stone by Maui because of his laziness. The smaller pohaku has two legends tied to it. The first of Wahine Pe'e is involves a love story with Moemoe. The second story is that Pueo, the owl guardian spirit, helped protect a woman from an abusive husband here and now here spirit rests in the pohaku.

Our guide was Thadd Camara (left), Hawaiian Culturalist at the Westin Hotel. The tour stories were great but Thadd's personal stories made the tour even better. You can find the brochure for the tour here. Thadd also gave me a heads up that there was going to be a canoe race on Saturday that would end right at Hanakao'o Beach (aka Canoe Beach), home of Kahana and other Canoe clubs. I ended up going to watch the landing on Saturday and got a chance to speak with some folks from the Hawaiiian Canoe Club out of Kahului. It was all pretty cool having just finished the 2009 Tribal Journey in the Puget Sound.

In the afternoon I did a bit more walking around Lahaina. Below are a couple favorite shots.

The final four images are of a sculpture titled "United" that a came across at the Episcopal Cemetary in Lahaina, one of the stops in the Lahaina Historical Tour. I added a little tinting for fun.

Saturday ended with another visit to the Whaler's Village Hula show by KM Polynesian Productions lead by Kumu Keoni Manuel. A special treat this evening was that Keoni actually came out and danced with the troop.

Maika'i Maui - Dispatch 3

2009-08-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of great things to report in this dispatch. First, one of my favorite restaurants on Maui, Aloha Mixed Plate has gone full-on biodegradable with all their disposable plates and utensils. This is a pretty big committment for a quick serve restaurant that is always busy. Another great food discovery, Roselani Ice Cream made just around the Island in Wailuku...I'm totally addicted. These are all part of my efforts to join the Kanu Hawaii Eat Kocal Campaign.

Wednesday was a full day of activities. I started early in the morning with a stop in the Pacific Whale Foundation store where I bought my annual t-shirt. I figure its a win-win when you can buy a t-shirt and/or gifts that are cool AND support a great cause. Next, it was off to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens (MNBG) where I've wanted to go for several years now. The gardens were a bit smaller than I expected but they had a really extensive collection of native plants, from Ape to Wiliwili. One could spend a short time at the gardens or the whole day if you really spend the time to get to know the plants with all their beauty and cultural meanings. Best of all, their website features a video with my favorite song in the background, "Maunaleo" by Kealii Reichel.

Next it was off to the Maui Tropical Plantation, another great stop for anyone into plants. Maui Tropical Plantation is certainly more commercial than MNBG, but beautiful nonetheless. The grounds were extensive and the tram tour is a blast. Feeding the pond fish and local ducks shouldn't be missed either. And yes, there is a GIANT - like five story - windmill on the grounds (pictured above). I could sit and watch it spin and respond to the wind all day...very relaxing.

Finally, I discovered in my many conversations that there is a new effort underway to restore Kahoʻolawe, an island in the Hawaiian chain that was used briefly as a penal colony, for sheep and cattle ranching, and as a bombing range for the US Navy. In 2003, the US Navy tranferred control of the island back to the State of Hawaii and now their is a full cultural and environmental restoration taking place. Having just completed the 2009 Tribal Journey in the Puget Sound where several villages were 're' named back to their original Indian names, I can start to understand the importance and meaning of this restoration effort to honor both the people and place of Kaho'olawe. I look forward to following, supporting, and hopefully volunteering with the project going forward.

Photo: from kahoolawe.hawaii.gov)

Maika'i Maui | Modern Mansards

2009-08-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you sslog fans know that I have a crush on modern mansard roofs. I've found a few on Maui that certainly fall into the 'exceptional' category so I thought I'd share them here. You can find more on my full blog Modern Mansard. Enjoy!

Maika'i Maui | Dispatch 2

2009-08-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

Today I got to visit some of my favorite places in Maui. For example, I stopped by a great boutique in Wailuku, Maui Thing. Their slogan is "stuck on good" and with all their great local design, organic t-shirts, and calls to action, I'm totally addicted. This year I got a 'Pono Power' T. Afterward, I walked down to Gilbert's Formal Wear to see if they had any more palaka shirts. I did get two shirts (apparently the last shirts the Maui) but also discovered that Gilbert's will be closing after 59 years! That's right, owner Susanne Hotta is closing her doors. Read more in this Maui News article: Wailuku landmark goes out of fashion. We had a great conversation, as always, so its quite sad to know that Gilbert's will soon be gone.

After Gilbert's we stopped in to Cafe O'lei where I had both the best Mahi sandwich AND Mai Tai I've ever had in Maui. Very affordable, very good, lots of local options...yumm!!!

And what would a day in Kahului/Wailuku be without a visit to Savers (aka Value Village to some of us). I purchased some Aloha shirts, Ts, and some Hawaiian textiles for the big Ballard Luau coming up when I get back to Seattle.

I ended the night by watching the Hula show at Whaler's Village next door to where I'm staying. Its one of the best hula shows I've seen (perhaps because it has dancers ranging from children to adults) and its FREE! I'll be stopping by the other shows on Wednesday and Saturday for sure.

Maika'i Maui | Dispatch 1

2009-08-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

The annual trip to Maui is on and this year I'll be spending 11 days on the island trying to scout out all the new sustainability things going on. Once again this year, Maui follows on the wake of the annual Tribal Journey for which I paddled over 100 miles so I'm very much looking forward to some rest time.

One of the most important things I learned from my Tribal Journey days is that one should always ask permission to enter another People's lands. So, during our approach I sang the song that I had come up with during this year's Journey and once we landed, I paused for a moment and asked permission to enter. There wasn't anyone to give the permission but as this often happens on early morning launches during the Tribal Journey, I knew that by following the proper Protocol, things would be OK.

The first thing that I was very pleased to see upon landing see was that recycling has finally taken off on much of the island. In the airport, in restaurants, etc. Even in our condo where once there was one small can for recycling there are now seven separate containers for various recyclables. Yay!

The next major sustainability story comes from our first afternoon walking around Old Lahaina....Paul's sunglasses purchase. Turns out the ubiquitous Sunglass Hut stores now are supporting OneSight, a nonprofit that works to improve vision around the world through outreach, research and education. Sunglass Hut supports OneSight, you can make a donation at the store, AND you can even donate your old sunglasses for OneSight recipients.

Next up was a visit to the gallery of Lahaina Arts Society in the Old Lahaina Courthouse. The group supports many local artists and my purchase this year was a small medallion pin made of beautiful feathers by Ellen Levinsky. The pin will look great on the cedar hat I recently bought back in Seattle.

An afternoon snorkel included peeks at an eel and a puffer fish and we ended the day with a grocery visit to Lahaina Farms, the local natural food store.

2009 Tribal Journey

2009-08-10T09:34:00.001-07:00

Image Above: Carver Camp/Steilacoom Tribe Canoe Family land at first stop on the 2009 Tribal Journey southern route at Solo Point south of Steilacoom. From front to back: Steilacoom Tribal Leader Danny Marshall, Danny's daughter Lacie Marshall-Deck, Carver Enrique Leon, Carver Sarah Storm, Skipper Merrie Gough. On shore, Steilacoom Tribal Council Member Ken Dittbenner.

I had the great honor or paddling with Phil Red Eagle's Carver Camp/Steilacoom Tribe Canoe Family again this year for the annual Tribal Journey. This year's host Tribe was Suquamish. We paddled on some of the hottest days of the year and had some pretty long distances as well with one leg being 26 miles. The whole Journey was incredibly inspiring with the wonderful people, ceremonies, and visits to the many Tribal homelands. There were a few highlights too. The first major highlight of this year's Journey for me was that performer Pura Fe was traveling with one of the Canoe Families that also launched from Steilacoom. I've been to several live performances by Pura Fe so it was wonderful to have her great energy and spirit along with us all on the Journey. I actually ran into Pura Fe and her friend at Fred Meyer in Ballard the night before the Journey when I happened to hear her voice in the next isle. Then we discovered we were both going on the Journey. And...when I arrived to Steilacoom for our launch it turned out that the Canoe Family she was traveling with was also launching from Steilacoom.

Another highlight was the many village naming ceremonies conducted at by Delbert Miller, Cultural Resources Director of the Skokomish Tribe. Yet another highlight was a visit to the Suquamish Tribal Reserve, a sacred beachfront and wetland not to far from the final destination. The Reserve was beautiful and one evening we were visited by Larry Echohawk, Asst. Secretary for Indian Affairs in the Obama Administration, a very great honor (and he's related to a good friend from Policy Grad school, Abigail Echohawk). I actually got to walk alone with him on the beach for about five minutes and chat policy. Canoe Journey, Sacred Reserve, and beach chat with Larry Echohawk...strong Medicine for me and pretty awesome graduation gift from the Great Spirit I'd say. Another memory of this year's journey will be the Tribe's incredible efforts to green the event. They did a fantastic job and many people will talk about how their efforts set a new standard for the Tribal Journeys for many years. Finally, it was really great to land and launch on my home beach, Golden Gardens in Ballard.

2009 Southern Journey Route: Launch in Steilacoom (green marker), landing in Suquamish (red marker).

This year I kept everyone up-to-date through my iphone app, Loopt. Below are the iPhone photos from the journey.

1. 7/26 - Arrival at Squaxin, 8:26pm
2. 7/26 - Cultural Center at Squaxin, 9:32pm
3. 7/28 - Arrival at Potlatch, 3:18pm
4. 7/28 - Village naming ceremony at Potlach, 7:36pm
5. 7/29 - Canoes on shore at Potlatch, 6:23pm
6. 7/30 - Rocky Brook Falls near Squaxin, 3:29pm
7. 8/1 - Suquamish Tribal Reserve, 4:08pm
8. 8/1 - Larry Echohawk visits camp at Suquamish
9. 8/2 - Dawn at Suquamish Reserve, 5:00am
10. 8/2 - Soft landing at Golden Gardens, 12:12am
11. 8/3 - Launch from Golden Gardens, 8:09am
12. 8/3 - Final Landing in Suquamish, 5:30pm

1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
11. 12.

And last but not least, one of my favorite photos from this year's Journey...

many, Many, MANY thank yous to the many paddlers, support crew, and hosts who made this year's Journey so wonderful.

Press | QSR Magazine

2009-07-15T22:30:00.001-07:00

QSR Magazine. July 2009. The Future: Uniforms 2030. Sean offers his thoughts on uniforms of the future..."biomimicry will be big".

Book Review: The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget

2009-05-18T21:53:00.001-07:00

Being the Lifestyle Ambassador & Co-founder of the Sustainable Style Foundation and all, I thought Josh Dorfman had written the perfect book when he penned his first opus, The Lazy Environmentalist back in 2007. Many authors have attempted to write the next big guide to going green, but none quite compared to Josh's first 'guide to easy, stylish, green living'. As it turns out...Josh himself has written the next big guide to going green...and its AWESOME! Once again, Josh is able to make going green totally down to earth and accessible. When Joe the Plumber decides to go green, I'm pretty sure he'll read The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. In his new book, Josh once again runs down the list of the best products and resources for green living, but this time he's on an even higher mission...going green while saving both time and money. Clearly, given the economic situation we're all in, his new book is timely but it is also a resource that will serve as a guide in any era as it is essentially a road map for how to make affordable and sustainable lifestyle choices whether you're a college senior living on student loans or a hard-working soccer (or hockey) Mom. Recently laid off or just getting out of school but still want to get your green on? Don't fret, Josh even has a section on the booming green job market. Once you've dog-eared your dozens of pages, hit the computer and surf over to Josh's website The Lazy Environmentalist to get new tidbits and pointers. Even better, tune in to Josh on the Sundance Channel starting in June of 2009.

Book Review: Organic Kitchen Garden

2009-05-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on Opportunity Gardens...

Do you remember when you were a child and you had a favorite book or blanket that you took everywhere with you? You couldn't imagine going somewhere without it? Organic Kitchen Garden by Juliet Roberts, editor of BBC Gardens Illustrated, has become THAT BOOK for me. I picked it up on a whim at a local grocery store and I haven't been able to put it down since. I can't leave the house without it in my bag and it has been at the top of my stack of books by my bedside nightly. Certainly it was the combination of 'organic', 'kitchen', and 'garden' that caught my attention as these are three of my favorite things right now, but when I opened the book and started looking through the pages and pages of unique insights, helpful hints, and beautiful photos I'd found my favorite blanky all over again. With a setting like Audley End House in Essex, it should come as no surprise that the Roberts' work is a fairy tale dream come true for any gardener.

The book has bushels of great information and advice on organic gardening including a fantastic monthly calendar of activities. The photographs by Gavin Kingcome of the organic garden at Audley End are pastoral, idyllic, and completely alluring. One aspect of the photos that directly drew my interest was the traditional materials that were used in the garden. In our modern garden world of PVC piping and plastic pots, it was incredibly comforting to see terracotta forcing vessels and glass cloches. Perhaps it is a bit too quixotic to consider reviving these traditional tools and procedures, but they do bring a sense of romance and grace back to the garden that seems to be missing in our modern times. I could write so much more about this book but alas, I need to go thumb through the pictures again...I'm completely addicted.

Seattle Jewish Film Festival goes WAY green

2009-04-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Sustainable Seattle office where I spend most of my time these days happens to be located right next door to the office of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF). So I was really excited to see that SJFF was going green this year. WAY green! In fact it the major theme of this year's festival. The festival not only features films that feature an evironmental theme, such as Lemon Tree, it offers many resources to help filmgoers go green as well, like The Jewish Climate Challenge. Want to know more about the films and resoruces? Follow the link above or you can find the full SJFF program here.

Sustainability surprise at Serious Pie

2009-04-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's always great when sustainability sneaks up and surprises you. That's exactly what happened recently to me at Serious Pie, one of Seattle chef Tom Douglas' restaurants. Chef Tom Douglas is a big supporter of local, organic produce so I always look forward to eating at one of his several restaurants in Seattle. Serious Pie is all about pizza...but not just any pizza, some of the best pizza you'll ever eat. If you stop in during the rush our, you might think you're in Manhattan because every seat is filled and your usually elbow to elbow with your neighbor. Come in during the off hours though and the atmosphere is comparable to a favorite pizzeria in Italy. Regardless of how busy they are, the service is always sincere, attentive, and gracious. One of my favorite pizzas is the chantrelles truffle cheese pizza. Love chantrelles (I used to forage for them personally when doing wildlife fieldwork in the Cascades) and love truffles. So as you might tell, I'm a big fan of Serious Pie and have been for quite some time. The surprise came in the salad special. The main ingredient...Miner's Lettuce! Also called Indian Lettuce, Winter Purslane, and Sweet Beauty, Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is a native plant that has been a nutritious staple in local diets for centuries, from the first people of Seattle - the Duwasmish - to modern day pizza buffs. The salad was magnificent with D'Anjou pear and a white balsamic dressing. Serious Pie just notched up the sustainable food trend...who needs local organic when you can go NATIVE organic.

NBC/Universal - Green is Universal

2009-04-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Once again NBC/Universal (NBCU) is going CRAZY green on Earth Day as part of their Green is Universal initiative. Even better, each of Universal's 'brands' has its own green page as well...take NBC's green page and the Sci Fi Channel for example. NBCU actually has quite a bit of programming throughout the year but each year on Earth Day, they go hard core green. This year is no different with green (literally sometimes) showing up all over the place whether its the logo during the Today show to special editions of "The More You Know", to Oprah's Earth Day show.

Seattle's Colin McCrate in May GQ

2009-04-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

That's right, Seattle's own Urban Ag/Local/Sustainable food expert Colin McCrate of Seattle Urban Farm Company is in the May GQ. Colin is showcased in the "Men who do this for a living" area of their group of articles titled "Grow Your Own: a man's introduction to gardening". The group of articles have some great products, tasty recipes, and lots of great tips on how to get your green thumb on whether you're a rooftop or backyard gardener.

Tidbit Bistro

2009-04-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

I love, Love, LOVE writing restaurant reviews and my recent visit to Tidbit Bistro makes this review all the more savory. I'd heard wind of Tidbit from several friends, both foodies and susties (sustainability types), so when a friend invited me to join an ad hoc visit to Tidbit, I was pretty excited. My experience was everything I expected and more. Tidbit has combined a bit of Italy and a bit of Spain to create a ambiance and menu that makes the most of both. The space is both urban and nostalgic while the menu offers contemporary takes on traditional favorites. I started with the crostini con fungi that may have been small on size (as stuzzichini should be) but it was big on flavor leaving me completely satisfied. I chose the whole leaf caesar with grilled chicken for my entree and I can now say I've had the best caesar of my life...seriously. The quantity of salad was perfect, the dressing perfectly creamy, and the chicken delicious in its own right. I honestly think of that salad nightly and will continue to do so until my next visit. To top it all off, I had one of the best tiramisu in my life as well...and I've had LOT of tiramisu, including several in Italy! But the icing on this cake, for me, was the commitment to sustainability that came through loud and clear throughout my experience at Tidbit. From being a certified member of the Green Restaurant Association to their commitment to community, they truly get it. Tidbit happens to be the ONLY certified GRA restaurant in Seattle as of April 2009. Add to all this, the staff were fantastic bringing two of my favorite elements of European restaurants to a little corner of Seattle...fantastic service and a personal connection between staff and customers. You really do feel like any one of the staff that you interact with during the night could be your next best friend. So here's an accolade that works in any language...Bravo to Tidbit Bistro!

Book Review - Te Ata: Chickasaw Storyteller, American Treasure

2009-01-23T21:41:00.001-08:00

It is hard to describe how much I loved this book. I must admit, it was Te Ata's image on the front cover that originally caught my eye in a used book store. But once I started the book, every time I sat down to read it I felt like I was listening to one of my Grandma Rosie's stories about 'the old days'. Te Ata's elegance, grace, talent, and perseverance are truly inspiring and Richard Green's book captures it all very well.

2009 Speaking & Other Engagements

2009-01-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

Started my Master of Arts in Policy Studies (MAPS) at UW Bothell.

Sustainable Sean goes to Washington

2008-12-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

That's right...I finally made my way to Washington, DC. Although I can't say I changed politics as much as Mr. Smith, I did meet a lot of great people, checked out some local cafes and businesses, and of course saw many museums, monuments, and other sights. The opportunity arose from an invitation from friend and sustainable fashion colleague Priya Patel to take part in a responsible fashion presentation at the World Bank/IFC along with Geoffrey Geist from Gap social responsibility and the fabulous Starre Vartan, author of The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green and chief blogger at eco-chick.com. Priya works at the IFC and has organized a group there called Fashion for Development. The panel went really well, there were lots of great questions, and I made many new connections with folks interested in or already working in the sustainable fashion world. I was very happy that a good friend and former board member of Sustainable Style Foundation, Jenny Clarke, was able to attend the presentation. Jenny now works for the Fair Labor Association in DC. That evening, we all attended a fashion event at the National Zoo organized by Avani Ribbon and hosted by Zoolights and the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce. The event was quite fun and I was very pleased to see some men's clothing in the mix. I also got a chance to have a great talk with Sarah Perelstein and Pierre Grzybowski from the Humane Society of the United States who are working on the HSUS fur campaign.

The other big sustainability highlight from my trip was meeting with Pamela Skarda, ED of SBNOW (Sustainable Business Network of Washington). We had a tasty lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian and talked shop on lots of sustainable business topics. Afterwards, I spent the whole afternoon touring the incredibly impressive museum.

Finally, I was given a copy of Van Jones' recent book, The Green Collar Economy, just before my trip to DC. I took it with me for the plane ride and ended up finishing it in DC. The book is impressive enough on its own but to be reading it in DC in this period of major change was quite profound. I even read a portion in the Library of Congress which was really, Really, REALLY cool.

All in all it was a really fun and productive trip for me. I very much look forward to 2009...good things ahead.

photos: World Bank/IFC lobby; models at 'Fashion night at the Zoo'

And the survey says...I would be Tesla

2008-12-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Science Channel's new series Brink comes with a lot of bells and whistles. I stumbled upon this What scientist are you? quiz and am pretty pleased that I would be Tesla. Lots of other fun things to read and interact with on the site too so surf on by and get clicking.

Impromptu Hula

2008-09-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from my third annual visit to Maui. I try to learn more about Hawaiian culture and sustainability efforts with every visit and this last visit was one of my best ever, both for me personally and in finding a lot of sustainability efforts underway. You can read up on my latest visit on my Haberdash for Humanity blog.

One of the things that I've observed several times since I've been back home in Seattle is impromptu Hula...Hula dancers that just show up in parks, in lobbies, etc. to share their beautiful Hula dances and spread some Aloha. Today I just happened to do a search on YouTube for a video of Keali'i Reichel and his dancers performing "Maunaleo" that I saw on the Hawaiian Airlines flight back home and came across this video, 'Melissa dances to Maunaleo', that is a great example of 'impromptu hula'. I must admit, the song itself - which was a gift to his Mother and honors the mountain that looks over Wailuku on Maui - makes me tear up a bit every time I hear it but the Hula makes me smile. Call it whatever you like...impromptu Hula, gorilla Hula, pop up Hula, etc. it's just a great gift if you're lucky enough to come across one of these surprise performances.

Recycling on the Runway

2008-09-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to see that, once again, recycling has made its way into Project Runway. I'm a sucker for any skill-based reality tv show and Project Runway is one of my favorites. This season the designers had create garments from salvage car parts. As always, there were designs that were in and that were out. The winner was a trenchcoat made of golden seatbelt salvage.

Kenneth Cole, king of social marketing

2008-08-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Cole's new "We all walk in different shoes." ad campaign showcases design and diversity at its best. Kenneth Cole has long been the king of social advertising having created many a slogan that appeals to both one's heart and pocketbook, but this latest campaign is one of his best. Two of the featured individuals in the campaign are none other than Jay Bakker and Matisyahu. Jay is the punk evangelist son of Jim and Tammy Bakker and recently founded the Revolution Church that embraces diverse lifestyles and other religions. Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jewish raggae and rap artist, has wowed crowds around the world with his incredible music and lovable outlook on life. The current campaign also features an albino African American woman, a cancer survivor, and a transgender woman.

Lahaina Lani - Dispatch 3

2008-08-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Its been a few days since my last entry so I have many things to report. First is a good, inexpensive lunch place called Da Kitchen. Da Kitchen offers a mix plate lunch that is the rage over here in HI. With locations in Kahului and Kihei on Maui, the food is fantastic, the portions huge, and the chicken...organic! I've been many times now and am sure will go many more.

Last Friday was possibly my most perfect day on Maui. I went with many family and friends to O'o Organic Farm for lunch, followed by the Ali'i Kula Lavendar Farm, and finished the night at the Feast at Lele luau (that features fresh organic produce from O'o Farm).

If Friday was my most perfect Maui Day, Saturday was my second most perfect. I spent the bulk of the day doing restoration work with Maui Cultural Lands (MCL) in the Honokowai valley. My specific tasks included removal of invasive grasses and coffee plants. It certainly wasn't an easy job but it was a great honor doing it as the valley has some of the oldest archaelogical sites in the islands. The taro patches and house sites that are several hundred years old stretch up the entire valley and are truly breathtaking. I found the project through the Pacific Whale Foundation volunteer on vacation page, but now that MCL's website is up you can find out much more on their own site.

Last but not least in this dispatch, Sunday was a great day for good finds too. I made another trip to Savers in Kahului and found some great local Maui retro t-shirts and some even cooler vintage mini vases [above]. And the last sustainable find of the day...a 'soft sculpture' nene by two local Tutus (Hawaiian for "Grandmothers")[above]. Being a conservation biologist and all, I like to support conservation projects whenever possible so the fact that this purchase goes to help out nene conservation Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is an added plus.

Lahaina Lani - Dispatch 2

2008-08-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's day two of my 2008 Maui trip and I think I've made my best find EVER!!! A local, organic gelato maker - on Maui! That's right, in downtown Paia there's a new gelato maker that features local and organic (whenever possible) flavors. Along with the classic gelato flavors they feature seasonal fruit flavors that are out of this world. Ono Gelato Company is not to be missed. They also have several other lines of goodies and the one that really got my taste buds all riled up was Jeff's Jams and Jellies. Jeff's strawberry butter was tasty indeed. I couldn't tell if the items were organic, but they certainly get points for local and seasonal. The gelato did come after a tasty lunch at the Paia Fish Market that features all local fish, meats, and produce.

Another great find of the day in Paia was vintage textile Aloha shirts at a men's store called Moonbow Tropics.

After some tasty local-fish sushi for dinner we dropped in on a local bookstore and I came across a great book called "West Maui Natural History. Being a conservation biologist and all, I can't wait to read it from cover to cover and start checking off the plants, animals, insects, and other 'must sees' in the book.

To end the evening, I wanted to track down a local fashion boutique that I read about in an article in the Hawaiian Airlines Magazine Hana Hou! titled "Green Chic". The designer was Maggie Coulombe. Maggie's business partner, the fabulous Mr. Arid Chappell, was in the house and gave us all the garmento scoop on their apparel...not only do they try to make everything on Maui - getting points for staying local - they incorporate social messages in many of their t-shirt designs and are starting down the sustainable fabric path. I couldn't help buying one of the "Black is always in style" t-shirts.

Lahaina Lani - Dispatch 1

2008-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is my third trip to Maui and I'm pleased to say its becoming easier and easier to find sustainable options. My latest find is a new grocery store in Lahaina (on the west side of Maui) called Lahaina Farms. They don't have a website up yet but you can read more about them in this On My Plate article. It's a small store but it scores right up there with Whole Foods when it comes to quality and selection. And they really take the time to source local and organic items. Down to Earth has been a great option for the sustainable grocery shoppers, but there aren't that many on the island and the closest one to Lahaina is about a forty-five minute drive. There are several Lahaina Farms stores throughout the islands so whether you're a local or a vacationer, take the time to track one down.

Of course I also made the requisite trip to Savers right off the plane. There's no better way to increase your Aloha shirt collection than buying them 2nd hand from Savers. Best of all, they have great vintage Aloha shirts that can't be found anywhere else.

Pink paddlers on Tribal Journey

2008-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

I recently took part in the 2008 Paddle to Cowichan, BC, the destination for this year's Tribal Journeys event that takes place each summer in which Tribes from around the Puget Sound and Canada paddle traditional canoes to a host tribe. I was invited by Dannny Marshall, Tribal Leader of the Steilacoom Tribe to be part of their canoe family along with the Carver Camp Canoe Family headed by Phil Red Eagle. The group had just finished carving a hunting canoe called "Flicker" and were getting ready to take her on her first voyage. I've been volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe for a couple years now, helping with the website and a ethnobotanical garden. Having grown up in Steilacoom, WA it's been great fun and very rewarding to help out since the Steilacoom are not a recognized tribe so have no state or federal funding sources. So it was a big surprise and great honor to be asked to help paddle. I met many wonderful people along the journey, took many pictures, and have many wonderful memories. One of groups that impressed me greatly was the Pink Paddle Canoe Family. They not only paddled many miles with the other 100 or so canoes on the journey, they did it to raise awareness for breast cancer and to honor the many people who have survived or have been lost to cancer of any type.

One of the first statements in our SSF vision is "seven generations" which honors the wisdom of native peoples to act today in ways that respect and benefit those who come seven generations after us. So the opportunity to participate in the 2008 Tribal Journey was very meaningful for me personally and for SSF. I am very humbled to have been part of the journey, to paddle alongside the Pink Paddlers, as well as the many other Tribes that took part in this year's journey.

Image above: me helping carve "Flicker"

Images above: Canoe bows

Image above: Carver Camp and Steilacoom Family Canoe, "Flicker". Bow to stern - Danny (Steilacoom Tribal Leader), Lacey, Enrique, Bill, Merrie

Image above: Canoe family in regalia

Image above: Danny, Lacey, and I (and my truck) taking "Flicker" back home

Alaska Native Ariel Tweto kicks butt on Wipeout

2008-07-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ariel Tweto, from the Native Village of Unalakleet in Alaska, recently kicked butt on the ABC's new show Wipeout. Although I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I'm a HUGE fan of Wipeout, I really was out of my seat cheering on Ariel throughout the show. Not only did she kick butt throughout the first rounds, she was awesome in the finals!!! I think her attitude and personality were the best part though, you just want to give her a big hug. She not only represented Alaskans, she represented her fellow Eskimo people and Indigenous people around the world...and she had a blast doing it! From what I've found Googling Ms. Ariel, she's a cross country star and has her sights on a journalism and /or fitness-nutrition career. She was fantastic on the show so I bet we'll see more of her.

Canoe Journey

2008-07-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have had the great honor of participating in the annual Canoe Journey in the Salish Sea since 2008. The Journey is an event that takes place each summer in which Tribes from around the Pacific Northwest paddle traditional canoes to a host tribe. I was initially invited by Danny Marshall, Tribal Leader of the Steilacoom Tribe to be part of their Canoe Family along with the Carver Camp Canoe Family headed by Phil Red Eagle. The group was finishing up carving a Hunting Canoe called "Flicker" so I was able to help finish the Canoe and take her on her first voyage.

MANY MANY MANY THANK YOUs to the paddlers, support crew, and hosts who make each Journey so incredible!

Follow my blog posts for each Journey below...

2011 Paddle to Swinomish
2010 Paddle to Makah
2009 Paddle to Suquamish
2008 Paddle to Cowichan, BC

Haunani-Kay Trask takes US to task

2008-05-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure of hearing Native Hawaiian educator and activist Haunani-Kay Trask speak not once, but twice this week. She is an outspoken activist on topics such as Hawaiian Nationalism, imperialism, tourism, labor, and indigenous rights and strongly opposes Hawaii's dependence on tourism, as well as the US military presence in Hawaii. Trask's clearest message at the lectures I attended at South Seattle Community College and Cascadia College, was that students in particular are well positioned to create change in their universities, communities, etc. She spoke often of the ease and importance of groups organizing around issues and I must say, with her passion and persistence, she surely inspired many youth to do just that. I know she inspired me. At times during her lecture, I felt like I was face to face with the passionate and sometimes volatile Hawaiian Goddess, Pele herself.

As an annual visitor to Maui myself, I understand that I'm part of both the tourist and the US imperialism problem. But I can say that I'm now a firm advocate that Native Hawaiians should be given federal recognition similar to other Native American Indian Tribes and will do my part to support this effort. I'll also continue to do my best to be, as Haunani-Kay put it, a 'good haole' on and off the islands. In my past two visits to Maui and Molokai I've been able to meet, work, and learn from Native Hawaiians in several capacities. I've learned a lot about Hawaiian culture, particularly about early practices and current sustainability efforts. Next I plan on learning more Hawaiian language and working on a taro farm during my upcoming trip in August. I've also been trying to learn Lushootseed, the Native language here in the Seattle/Puget Sound area, and I have to say its incredibly rewarding to learn the true 'local' language as it fully captures the beauty and essence of a region since it developed in connection to that region. Since I speak other foreign languages (Russian, Spanish, French, German, and a little Italian and Chinese), I figured it was time to focus on the local language. So I can't wait to start experiencing Hawaii IN Hawaiian!

Maholo Haunani-Kay for all you do, may you continue to inspire new activists in your cause, as well as people working on so many other deserving causes around the world.

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama

2008-04-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I had the great honor of attending an event featuring His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. His several day visit to Seattle was part of Seeds of Compassion, a five day event engaging Seattle communities in the idea of peace and compassion.

My day started at the UNICEF booth. I've volunteered with UNICEF for over 10 years here in Seattle so it was a again a great honor to help out during this event. My shift was over just in time to go see the opening ceremonies of the Dalai Lama's event. There were many speakers and an inspiring drum session in which the local Duwamish people took part. The Dalai Lama's speech was incredible, inspiring, and - as is often the case - quite humorous. The wise words and laughter were very well received by the audience that almost filled Quest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks.

In 1997 I took part in an Earthwatch trip to Ladakh (an area of India that is culturally very Tibetan) where we studied the biology and culture surrounding snow leopards. I had the opportunity to visit several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries while in Ladakh and remembering the beautiful landscape and people still inspires me today. It is events like this that reaffirm the culture is a vital part of our lives and will indeed continue to shape our future along with innovative science and design.

The green girls of Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA)

2008-04-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

I had the great honor of MCing a fashion show for the 2008 Seattle ZTA Day last Saturday. It was a fun and educational event that I think really opened the minds of the ZTA girls (that ranged from age 20 to 70) to the opportunities they have to make more sustainable personal lifestyle choices. ZTAs and many sororities are well known for being very active in the community, so I was really impressed that they chose to focus on environmental issues and action for the 2008 event.

I was invited to MC by good friend Cynthia Lu Levine who recently started Echo Road, an innovative retail concept that gathers women together to shop and socialize at private events, small gatherings, or even personal appointments. By taking this approach, Cynthia enables her clients to focus on the garments that really speak to them rather than having to spend hours shopping. Cynthia did all the work for the actually fashion show and her choices were right on. The models, all ZTA girls of course, looked fabulous and you could tell they loved being in the clothes. My job was to not only highlight the garments but to tell the important stories about the many social and environmental connections to the fashion world, from organic cotton and overconsumption to repurposed items and textiles like Tencel. Cynthia put together a great script so my job was very easy. The show featured fashions from Seattle's own Prairie Underground, New York based Stewart + Brown, Loyale, Moral Fervor, Bahar Shahpar, LA based Undesigned by Carol Young, Virginia based Green Label Organic t-shirts, and shoulder bags from local Seattle company Alchemy Goods. Here we see Marsha on the left in a Bahar Shahpar Pleated Poppy Top, Lynsey in a white cloak hoodie by Prairie Underground and Liz in a long dark grey cloak hoodie also by Prarie Underground. Many thanks to Cynthia and Mardee Austin, the greenest ZTA girl of them all that organized the whole event.

What was I wearing you ask? I sported second hand Donald Pliner shoes, Giorgio Armani black hemp jeans, a Green Label Organic "Bummer" t-shirt, a second-hand Kenneth Cole dress shirt and a "Make it Right" paperboy hat.

Millenium Restaurant

2008-04-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

San Francisco's Millennium Restaurant is well known for being one of the best high-end vegetarian restaurants in the country. Their philosophy on food is presented front and center, both in house and on their website:

Millennium Restaurant is dedicated to supporting the essential earthly concepts of organic food production, small farms, sustainable agriculture, recycling and composting. We cook with fresh produce delivered every day, and choose organic whenever possible. We believe that a gourmet dining experience can be created out of vegetarian, healthy, and environmentally friendly foods. We are proud to state that our restaurant is completely free of genetically modified foods.

I had the pleasure of dining at Millennium recently and although I knew it would be good based on the high marks from my SF friends, I must admit...I was blown away. I had the wilted spinach salad followed by a fantastic mushroom gnocchi. I wish I were a food reviewer because I could write pages on the dishes I had, the incredible service, the perfectly matched wines, and the fantastic fine dining experience offered by Millennium. I hope to go back soon and often...or at least try recreate the wilted spinach salad on my own.

Book Review - Gorgeously Green

2008-04-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

Simply put, Gorgeously Green is fabulously fun. The book and the accompanying website are packed full of fun and valuable information that prove that the saying is true, it really IS easy being green. I can honestly say I don't think there's a better reference for fulfilling SSF's mantra "look fabulous, live well, do good". In the forward, Julia Roberts calls the book a "bible of hope and help (not to mention a good cleansing mask and source for eco-cashmere). Author Sophie Uliano makes making greener personal lifestyle choices fun and accessible to everyone. She makes it irresistible.

Uliano hits all of the big lifestyle categories too: apparel, food, beauty, gardening, travel, weddings, etc. And yoga poses! Yes, sprinkled throughout the book are yoga poses and other activities to invigorate the mind, the body, and the soul. Best of all, her motto, "one change makes a difference", confirms that you don't have to be perfect...one small step here and there can add to a big difference over time, especially if a lot of us make the same small steps. The way she presents her ideas and solutions is what really sets this book apart...its fun, its positive, its interactive, its educational, and I have to admit - its completely girly. But that's OK! Her concept of becoming a 'green goddess' is exactly what the green movement needs. As I said before, she makes going green irresistible. The fact that she provides a definition and discussion of 'gorgeousness' says it all.

On the website you can find some videos as well. After watching them you sense her passion, commitment, and excitement in every page of the book. Don't miss GGTV on the website, and the 'Girls Club' must be a lot of fun too. Probably most important though, is that she takes providing background information and resources on key issues very seriously, toxins in cosmetics for example. I don't think I've come a cross a better treatment of the subject or a better collection of green options to address the issues. There are literally easy to understand definitions and website links everywhere.

Gorgeously Green is a great read, an invaluable resource, and as Julia Roberts put it, a true bible of hope. What other green resource book leaves you with the feeling that you just solved some of the world's problems over a cocktail with a girlfriend? Hmm...none. But that's exactly what Gorgeously Green does. Cheers Sophie, you and your book are fabulous!

Available at your local bookstore and online at: Amazon | Barnes& Noble | Powells

2008 Speaking & Other Engagements

2008-01-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

1/16/08 - Lecture. Sustainability and Medicine. UW School of Medicine. Seattle, WA.

2/28/08 - Judge. Terrace Park Middle School Science Fair. Montlake Terrace, WA.

3/12/08 - Judge. North Deanery Science Fair. Seattle, WA.

4/1/08 - Moderator. Western Washington University. Design Green Now. Bellingham, WA.

4/5/08 - MC. Zeta Day Green Fashion Show. Seattle, WA.

4/11/08 - Lecture. Corporate Environmental Policy. UW Department of Biology Enviornmental Policy Seminar. Seattle, WA.

4/12/08 - UNICEF Volunteer. Seeds of Compassion Dalai Lama event. Seattle, WA.

4/19/08 - Lecture. Saving the World in Style. YMCA Earth Service Corps Youth Summit. Seattle, WA.

4/21/08 - Lecture. Bellevue Community College. 2008 Earth Week. Saving the World in Style. Bellevue, WA.

4/23/08 - Fair. North Seattle Community College. The Best of SSF. Seattle, WA.

Book Review - Auto Mania

2007-11-29T00:32:00.000-08:00

My most recent book review request came from Yale University Press. The title? Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment by Tom McCarthy. Now I am a sucker when it comes to anything history, biography, environment and so would probably give any book in these categories a pretty glowing review, but I must say I REALLY enjoyed this book. It is a very thorough look at our ever so addictive relationship with cars with all its eccentricities from the need for speed, keeping up with the Jones', to ever present power and greed. And he does it with a bit of humor tossed in here and there. Essentially an environmental history of the automobile, McCarthy points out early that scientists and engineers were well aware of the many challenges that came with cars and even goes into Henry Ford's sincere interest in reducing waste in his uber efficient assembly lines. Pop culture played a key role too, from Elvis Presley to Will Rogers. And, no surprise, even early observations of global warming - and how they were ignored - show up in the book. After reading McCarthy's book, we better understand America's romance with the automobile with all its wires, belts, and oh so many other social, political, economic, and environmental 'strings' attached.

Trash Fashion Bash at Seattle Art Museum

2007-11-17T00:35:00.000-08:00

I attended the International Sustainability Institute's Trash Fashion Bash tonight and must say that I was totally blown away by the amount and quality of the designs. Many of the designs were from the fabulous design divas at Haute Trash but there were many local designers that wowed the crowd too, from a tofu packaging wedding gown by Chaco to women's business suit made from circuit boards. And then there were the models! Several SSF favorites including Lynne Baker (pictured at left) part of the City of Seattle's green building team (and frequent SSF OSSA Award judge), Diane Sugimura, Director of Planning & Development for the City of Seattle, Joanie Parsons of Parsons Public Relations, Kaye Smith-Blum of Butch Blum who was one of the evenings MCs. There were many other architects, urban planners, and even several budding high schoolers striking a pose for sustainability as well. Any why did the models look so fabulous you ask, well, because SSF Co-founder and Senior Stylist Rebecca Luke was on the scene in wearing her les Egoistes hat training all those high-profile sustainability celebs how to strike a pose on the runway of course. All in all, another great example of how we all can look fabulous, live well, and do good.

An evening with Nigella Lawson

2007-11-14T00:38:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of British cooking celeb Nigella Lawson (find previous blogs >here and here). Her London studio kitchen is green powered, she promotes organics left and right, and - as we all know by watching the last segment of her show - she's all about making the most of left overs. Last night I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Nigella at a book signing here in Seattle. I must say, she was even more beautiful and charming in person. Nigella's latest book, Nigella Express is Nigella's take on 'fast' food. It may be quick and easy to make, but the recipes are far from the stereotype. Consider it more the Slow Food Movement for busy people. Given her take on things expect to see more of Ms. Lawson on SSF.

EMA Awards on E!

2007-11-07T00:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm scooping Ecorazzi on this but yes eco celeb fans...the EMA Awards were aired on E! this very evening and for the most part were quite a success. Having attended three of the past award ceremonies it was pretty cool to see them live on TV. Well, mostly live. Based on the editing visible during the show there must have been a bit of delay so that they could cut ans paste everything together. The event was a major success in terms of getting environmental issues into the media. EMA really does a great job of this. Not so successful as far as jokes during the show...they're just as bad on TV as they are in person. The major sponsors, Toyota Lexus and Pepsi, were VERY visible as usual too (I think Pepsi must have designed the stage because it was very red and blue...hmm). Lots of celebs handing out awards and one of my favorite green celebs, Blythe Danner, presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Trudy Styler, another big fav of mine. Best of all though, Niecy Nash co-hosted the evening providing lots of backstage scoop...AND she was actually funny. But then how could she not be, she's fabulous.

Wangari Maathai

2007-09-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

I attended a lecture by Dr. Wangari Maathai this evening. Dr. Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the environment and human rights in Africa. She is an amazing speaker and has a great way of making very complex issues very accessible, often with a little humor. Her talk covered everything from water challenges to women in development. A common theme was how people need to work together as communities to solve problems. She also emphasized the importance of education often. She ended by reading several passages from her recent book "Unbowed" which again as both touching and humorous. I was honored to attend a reception for Dr. Maathai last night at the offices of NBBJ where I had an opportunity to chat with Cecile Hansen, Chairperson of the Duwamish Tribe. She too has an amazing outlook on the challenges facing our world and also employs a lot of humor when discussing how we can work together to improve the world. I've heard Ms. Hansen speak and lead ceremonies many times so it was wonderful to be able to sit down and chat with her.

Maui Mana - Green thinkers and farmers

2007-08-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Haiku was the starting point of our adventure today. We met with Rob Parsons, former Environmental Coordinator for Maui County and current mastermind behind Maui Time Weekly's The Rob Report, a weekly column on environmental issues on Maui. Rob is truly a fountain of information on sustainability topics. Even more important, he's active both in his journalism AND in his turning out for county council and other important meetings to bring attention to the issues.

Next stop was about a half hour drive to Kula to check out the O'o Organic Farm which provides organic greens and produce for the very well known and respected Lahaina restaurants Pacific'O, I'O, and Feast at Lele. Wow, what an experience! A beautiful hillside organic farm, stunning view, great people, DELICIOUS FRESH ORGANIC FOOD, and lots of great information on organic farming...both at O'o in particular and generally too.

Chef Sean Christensen (above left) and Richard, the Farm Manager (above right) did a great job telling the story of O'o Farm which was started up about four years ago by restaurant employees, the proprietors and head Chef James McDonald. Richard actually used to be one of the restaurant employees before he headed up the hill to run the farm. Nowadays, Chef Sean heads up the Thursday lunches at the farm and restaurant employees continue to come up to the farm to help out and get their hands into the may greens and other produce grown for the restaurants in Lahaina. They do a great educational tour and then there is of course, the meal. Ah yes, the meal. Incredible fish, lots of fresh salads, some organic Bonterra white wine, and even some dragonfruit and chocolate desserts to finish it all off.

The last stop today was at the Ali'i Kula Lavendar Farm which happened to be about 5 minutes up the hill from O'o Farm. I'd happened to meet their business development director, Lani, on the ferry to Molokai earlier in the week so I was really excited to check out the farm. The lavender happens to flourish on the dry hillside so since they don't need a lot of water and don't need to use pesticides and fertilizers, they've been able to be another great model or sustainable agriculture and sustainable business. And then there's the view...fields of lavender looking out over a territorial view of Maui from 3,000 feet. Nice, very nice!

Maui Mana - From Wailuku to Whales

2007-08-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day indeed. We started at Maui Community College (MCC) where we had a great conservation with Zoe Norcross who will be teaching a Sustainability 101 class this fall at MCC. Zoe comes from the geology world and is now working a lot on beach erosion which, with global warming and all, is not looking so good these days. She said that thing that really plunged her deep into sustainability is peak oil though, which I totally understand. She's rounding up some great speakers and adventures or the class so I must say I'm a little jealous. I should also say that Chris Taylor, President of the MCC Sustainability Club has been really AWESOME about sending me folks I should meet up with over here. MCC has some great things going and lots more ahead I'm sure.

Next it was off to Wauluku to have lunch with Jennifer Stites at The Dowling Company which is Maui real estate development company that is leading the way in green development, green building, and LEED certified projects on Maui. I ran across an article by Jennifer in a Maui real estate magazine on sustainability so couldn't wait to here more. Having worked for a company myself (Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom for 14 years), I always love meeting up with other sustainability types in companies. As you might imagine, Jennifer has one of the best and - at the same time - most challenging jobs on Maui. She gets to do cool green building projects, but in an industry that is very controversial on Maui, and actually...pretty much everywhere these days: real estate development. No one on Maui wants to see things go the direction of crazy developed Honolulu, but at the same time, development is going to happen. I'm just glad that companies like Dowling have people like Jennifer on staff to help make sure they do things in a way that is as socially and environmentally responsible as possible.

After lunch we walked a few blocks to meet up with Chris Craner, a friend of MCC's Chris Taylor's, at the very green Cafe Marc Aurel, a certified green restaurant with the Green Restaurant Association. Chris was another great resource. He's working on stormwater runoff and drainage issues but has a lot of other great ideas on many of the environmental issues facing Maui too.

Our final stop of the day was at the Maui Ocean Center. They had a great traditional Hawaiian quilt at the entry made up of all sea creatures (see pic at left). I was really impressed with the MOC, both with the collection and education efforts. The many aquarium exhibits were out of this world, particularly the big tank where rays and many other fish swam directly overhead. But impressively, they identified plants along paths, had lots of interactive learning areas for youngsters, and some really great exhibits about traditional Hawaiian relationships with the sea.

Maui Mana - A 'Blue Hawaiian' of a different kind

2007-08-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Lahaina shopping was the theme today. My big catch was a t-shirt from Crazy Shirts. Not only is it there very special Global Warming T-shirt, I discovered that they have a lot of cool environmental efforts in place. Their Global Warming Sucks campaign for example. The fact that they use eco-friendly water based inks from things like ash, coffee, beer, hemp, hibiscus, lavender, and Blue Curacao (what my shirt is died with) is pretty cool too.

Maui mana - A day of flowers and fish

2007-08-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

I spent the most of the day updateding my blog and getting my fancy new Seanslist pages up and running. The Seattle and Maui pages are getting there but still need a lot of work. But it's fun and I love, Love, LOVE putting things like Seanslist together. Hope you enjoy and please DO send me any items that you think should be on the lists. I'll get started on other cities soon. After lots of updating, I started out to tour some of the gardens at the hotels and resorts along Ka'anapali beach in preparation for the book and website I'm going to start called Corporate Gardens. Basically, the project entails visiting the gardens of companies and organizations, as well as learning about some of the corporate social responsibility efforts. Today we visited checked out the Whaler (the condos where we're staying), the Westin, the Marriott, and the Hyatt. Although the Whaler and the Mariott gardens were beautiful, I have to say the gardens at the the Westin and especially the Hyatt were really outstanding. Along with the actual gardens, I'll be keeping a close eye on design of pots and other unique elements of their efforts so the pic to the left is a sneak preview. We had lunch at the Westin's 'Tropica' restaurant where I was pleased to find a lavender vinegrette made from lavender from the Kula farm we'll be visiting on Thursday.

All the garden touring lasted most of the day so by the time we got back in it was time to Dinner. I was excited to visit Pacific'O, one of James McDonald's three restaurants in Lahaina that include I'O and Feast at Lele. Chef James' restaurants all feature local fish of course, but also greens from their own organic farm called O'o Farm that we'll be touring on Thursday. I had the KONA WINDS fish preparation: fresh fish (I chose Mahi Mahi) seared with house spices, served over wilted O'o Farm grown arugula and bean sprouts. Topped with warm avocado, Maui onion salsa, goat cheese, macadamia nuts, and soy bacon vinaigrette. Needless to say, the food and service was INCREDIBLE at Pacific'O, I only wish I could try each and everything on the menu.

We were so stuffed after our dinner we had no choice but to go for a walk. Luckily, it was another awesome evening in Lahaina. Even luckier, the Pacific Whale Foundation store was still open. Being a conservation biologist and all, I was psyched to get a little shopping time to support one of my favorite conservation organizations. I got a very cool t-shirt with a PWF whale design and an cap that I may never take off I love it so much.

Maui Mana - Aloha Molokai

2007-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just returned from three days on Molokai. I must say, I LOVE MOLOKAI! The ride over on the Molokai passenger ferry on Thursday was absolutely beautiful. It was amazing seeing more and more detail of the island as we got closer. We docked at the wharf in Kaunakakai and met family friends of Paul and Amy's Dad...Bill, his grandson Ben, and Ben's girlfriend Kelly. We were to meet Bill's wife, Lynn, later that day. First stop on the way back to Bill and Lynn's was an outlook over Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Kaluapapa was a forced isolation area in the early to mid 1900s for people in Hawaii suffering from Hansen's Disease (leprosy). The peninsula is beautiful and the lookout was breathtaking.

Next it was off to Molokai Coffee Company. We could smell the organic beans roasting as we toured the small store and had one of the best shakes I've ever had.

And finally we were off to Bill and Lynn's. They live very near Papohaku Beach Park, just a burm away from the 3 mile long beach. Wow, now I know what relaxing in Hawaii REALLY is. They have a beautiful home that is completely off the grid thanks to solar power. The house consists of a main living area with two bedrooms and then two pods about 20 feet from the main house accessible via the 2nd story boardwalks that completely wrap around all three buildings. The rest of the day was spent working on crosswords and sudoku puzzles with everyone. The evening ritual of taking wine over the burm to watch the sunset was, of course, observed fully. I chased a few sand crabs at sunset and then saw more stars than I've ever seen before clearing the geckos from our pods and going to bed.

Friday we took a walk up the coast to Kawakiunui Bay. Another incredible experience, especially with Lynn's knowledge of indigenous and endemic plants such as 'akia (Thymelaeaceae), pohuehue (Ipomoea pes-caprae), and hinahina kolo (Vitex rotundifolia). A little snorkeling, a little sun bathing and then it was time to head back already for a late lunch. After lunch we headed in to Maunaloa so Lynn could mail some letters and we could check out a couple small shops and the Molokai Ranch Lodge. We perused the Big Wind Kite Factory and Plantation Gallery (where I snapped the picture to the left), checked out the small museum near the lodge, and then took a tour of the lodge and grounds...REALLY beautiful. The lodge has a mix of Hawaiian and Western (as in cowboy) look and feel. Very cool indeed. The Molokai Ranch has also started an eco-retreat called The Beach Village at Kaopoa Beach. Solar powered, composting toilets, canvas tentalos, etc. It's an impressive project and I hope more developers take note. Then it was back to Bill and Lynns for nap, sudoku, sunset, stars, sudoku again, dinner, and sleep. Nice, very nice.

I spent a bit of Saturday morning trying to keep up with Bill on his tennis court. The heat and my poor condition didn't give us much more than an hour. We then had another great lunch, lazied around for a bit and then it was off for the ferry back to Maui.

Maui mana - Delia, Haiku, and hemp

2007-08-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

This morning I had brunch with Dehlia Montgomery of Chic Eco. Dehlia is an incredible resource on where and how to get sustainable materials, textiles, etc. and her industry directories are the best thing out there. We had a great chat about environmental issues on Maui and other islands, about sustainable business and design, and she gave me lots of good 'must-sees' as well. Dehlia's moving to the Big Island soon so I'm sure she'll have even deeper into sustainability issues then. After, our brunch at Casanova we strolled around the shops in Makawao...art galleries, t-shirt shops, a Western wear store, and even one of the Down to Earth natural food stores on the island.

Next it was off to Haiku where I tried to track down a 'Green Guide to Maui' that I was told might be available at The Studio Maui, a yoga and dance studio in Haiku in part of an old pineapple cannery. Alas, they never actually produced the guide in association with a fest they hosted in 2006, but I can say the space was incredible. If I wasn't on the other side of the island, I'd be doing yoga there every day. The good news is, the guide is soon to be released by Holistic Hawaii.

Finally, we were off to Paia to check out Hemp House. I figured if anyone would have the scoop on sustainability things on Maui, Hemp House would. Well, as to be expected...they were experts on hemp but not so much on other topics. For example, they knew there were organic farms on the island, but didn't know the names of any for me. Nonetheless, it's always great to stop in the local hemp store to check things out. They had the usual hemp stuff, even a few aloha shirts...but sadly, none in my size. On the route to Paia we ran across some cows grazing on the hillside. I have to say, they must have the best pasture on the planet. I was told by Delia that many of the former pineapple farms are being converted to ranch land. I guess this is a good example of one. But as she said, the locals are thankful that the farms at least the farms aren't being developed into big hotels.

Maui Mana - "I ka wa mamua ka wa mahope"

2007-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's my second day in Maui and I'm LOVIN it. I came to Maui for the first time last year and crammed as much sustainability stuff as I could in one week. This time around I have two weeks and am doing my best to get even deeper into all the sustainability efforts underway on Maui and other islands. The translation of the phrase above is "the future is in the past" and I think it fits the philosophy behind sustainability efforts here very well.

One of my favorite things to do when first arriving is to visit the Savers store. It is essentially the same store as Value Village back home in Seattle, but the great thing is they have a huge selection of aloha shirts, shorts, flip flops, etc. I have lots of plans starting on Wednesday, so do check back. For now, I'm going to do my best to put together lists of the plant, bird, and fish species I see in my runs, swims, explorations, etc. Keep an eye out on the left column.

Speaking of birds, I've been very entertained by the cattle egrets on the island during my morning runs. I've actually love them since I was a kid running around at the zoo where my Mother worked in Albuquerque. They are of course beautiful, but they also have this very cute "who am I, why am I here...oh, there's a bug [gulp]...wait a second, who am I, why am I here" look about them. It's also funny to watch a sedge of egrets chasing after lawn mowers to nab the new bugs and then have that same "wait a minute...who am I, why am I here" look about them.

Priuis breeding behavior

2007-08-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

Another moment I couldn't resist. Being a behavioral ecologist and all, I'm always on the lookout for species' behavior in their natural environment. I've studied up on the pigeon sex dance in my years, so was quite excited when I stumbled upon these Prius' exhibiting affiliative behavior...a Prius sex dance if I've ever seen one! Hehehe...too cute.

In other news, I went to a Seattle blogger meet up last night organized by Seattle tech blogger Chris Pirillo and hosted by KOMO TV. It was a lot of fun. Kind of like radio, you never get to see the people behind the blogs so it was fun seeing the real live bloggers in person. Got a quick tour of the NW Afternoon studio and a peak at the new newsroom too.

Greendrinks, food, and film

2007-07-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was quite busy for me, whew! I made my usual stop at the monthlySeattle Greendrinks. If you have a Greendrinks in your city, you should go...if not, you should start one. As usual, lots of good people and discussions.

Next, it was off to a screening of The Real Dirt on Farmer John hosted by none other than Seattle's own The Warren Report. Being a hippie-greener type small town farm boy from Nebraska myself, this movie touched about every emotion in my body. The story of a farm boy growing up in Illinois, with classic themes of the looming loss of a farm, family members passing, neighbors turning against one another, etc. But in Farmer John, you get a few, shall I say, "fabulous", twists and turns along the way. The story itself is wonderful, the film beautiful, but the fact that it is a great explanation of the importance of community supported agriculture (CSA) makes it by far one of my favorite movies of all time. It's one that I will see over and over again and encourage everyone I know to see as well.

God is green after all

2007-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist snapping a pic of this sign. I've always knnown God is a greener.

It's been a busy couple weeks. I spent the 4th volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe where I sold many prepared many a hotdog for the parade and street fair crowds. I'm also an official grad student now. I'll be working towards a Masters of Arts in Policy Studies. I'm REALLY psyched! Considering I am a conservation biologist at heart I can't wait to get started given that conservation biology is a true mix of science and policy. With two BS degrees in science, this will be a well-rounded addition to my academic career. Next stop will be a science Ph. D...just not sure in what yet. I started a new part-time gig at UW Medical Center that I'm really excited about, doing patient relations.

Finally, I've had a great correspondence with CNN anchor and reporter Nicole Lapin regarding one of my new projects, The Smart Set and her campaign "Being Smart is Cool" showing that, regardless of the Lindsey Lohans and Paris Hiltons that seem to get a lot of press time, young people today are engaged and aware citizens. Besides being the anchor for CNN's streaming video, she also hosts a weekly interview show called Young People Who Rock.

MsK Nursery

2007-06-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

At long last I finally paid a visit to MsK Rare Plant Nursery in Richmond Beach just north of Seattle. I was on my continuing mission to find a source for small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum). I've been volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe for a couple months now and since the word 'Steilacoom' comes from the native word for the flower, I thought it would be great to have some in the ethnobotanical garden we are planning. It's a tough one to find though. Luckily, Deborah Horn and Art Kruckeberg himself were able to help me out and we are now hot on the trail. MsK Nursery is an amazing place so I'm sure I'll be going back...soon and often.

Afterward, I couldn't help but stop by my favorite bookstore these days, Abraxus Books that took over the old, and very vintage modern, Ballard Library (the new very green Ballard Library is a few blocks away, green roof and all). They now have a fountain outside on one of the patios - used bookstore with a fountain...I'm in heaven.

Earth Day Everyone!

2007-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

My big Earth Day project this year was hooking up with the UW Restoration Ecology crowd to do a restoration project on Snoqualmie Indian Tribe land near Snoqualmie. It was just a small corner of their property that had been logged long ago, but it was covered with blackberry bush. The group had previously cleared one of the hillsides so today's group just had one hillside to go. My job was to pitchfork the piles of stems and roots up to the top of the hill. As you can see from the picture, we did quite a number on the hill. The crew will follow up later this week and plant the 2nd hillside with seedlings. It will be fun to check back in now and then to see how it looks.

Student Synergy

2007-04-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

I started my Earth Day weekend at Evergreen State College as a panelist in the sustainable business session for their annual Synergy conference. My co-panelists were Karen Nelson and Stanley Stahl of the renound Fertile Ground Guesthouse in Olympia, Karin Kraft who works for the Washington State Department of Ecology in environmentally preferable purchasing and green building in the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program and is chair with the Sustainable Communities Roundtable of South Puget Sound, and Marie Poland from Womenrock Productions who also served as moderator (check out the Your Money Matters Coupon Book they put together). It was a great group with a lot of audience participation. And I must say, I was totally diggin the Evergreen campus. It changed a lot since I last visited probably over ten years ago. Lots of big, modern cement buildings and several buildings that were uber modern and totally green. Very nice indeed.

I also got a chance to catch up with an old friend, Health Smith. I'd met Heath ten years ago at a Wildlife Society conference in New Mexico. Back then we were both students trying to figure out where our interests in wildlife would take us. Today, ten years later, we got to see just where that was. Health is now working at the UW Center for Conservation Biology on several projects that use dogs to track scat (yes, that's poop) that aids genetic research utilized for wildlife management and conservation efforts. The Center was started and continues to be run by Dr. Sam Wasser one of the coolest, most amazing people I know. Very cool stuff. Makes me miss my fieldwork days. Hopefully, I'll get back to fieldwork myself someday soon.

A Green Dream Come True

2007-04-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. When I co-founded SSF four years ago I boldly said that we couldn't say we've succeeded until Oprah had a green giveaway show. Well today my friends, it happened. To top it all off, my friend Josh Dorfman was on the Martha Stewart Show. Yee haw!!!

Oprah's show was Green 101. It featured Simran Sehti (of Treehugger and Sundance Channel's The Green fame) showing all sorts of ways to go a little more green in our lives. Oprah had some great 'real life' stories and guests and several celeb camios too...Laurie David and Sheryl Crow for example. And of course...the giveaways, from Oprah's organic canvas grocery bag to a Shaklee basket of cleaning goodies.

It was also really great seeing friend Josh Dorfman of Lazy Environmentalist fame on the Martha Stewart Show. Josh did a great job demonstrating eco-products to the domestic goddess. Aaaannnndddd...Oprah, Martha, Laurie...that brings the total number of SSF 2007 Best Dressed Environmentalists I saw on television today to three! Man, we can pick 'em.

Closets, Culture, and Cuisine

2007-04-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another full day of sustainability. I started off by paying a visit to the California Closets showroom in Bellevue since we're still trying to find a good closet system for our remodel. I was somewhat dreading it because I figured we'd never find an affordable option for closets. Sure, you can get a cabinetmaker to do an amazing closet in sustainable wood but it would cost a fortune. Given the salience of the price topic during my KUOW Weekday discussion on Thursday, I figured I had to make a valiant effort on this one. To my pleasant surprise, California Closets now has a green option!!! How awesome is that. Well, at least a greenER option. They've partnered with Roseburg Particle Board to use Skyblend. Skyblend is made from 100% pre-consumer recycled material and doesn't contain urea formaldehyde which, as y ou might guess, is nasty stuff. Pretty darn cool actually.

I then spent most of the day at the 36th annual First Nations Powwow at UW. A lot more food for the soul. The drummers and dancers were amazing and the crafts set up around the pavilion were equally as impressive. I've gone to this powwow since I attended UW in the 90s and will continue going forward. Black Lodge singers, who I had just seen/heard on Wednesday drummed here as well...with their full family of 12 in the house, it was even MORE incredible than Wednesday's performance.

I ended the night by having dinner with Paul and good friend Kristen at Rovers, a very high-end French restaurant that specializes in sustainable, local, and seasonal food. Um...WOW! Absolutely amazing food, incredible service, and the fact that it was sustainable...priceless :-) which is good as the meal was on the expensive side, but very much worth every penny.

From Rock Man, to Funny Woman

2007-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

At long last, I finally stopped in Fremont on the way home to meet and chat with Fawzi Benhariz, or "Benny" as most of us know him. He's also called "The Rock Balancer" and "The Stone Dancer" by many. A rock sculptor, Benny has been around for a long time on one of the main drags in Fremont building and balancing rock sculptures for the locals to enjoy, from school children to city planners (who sometimes aren't so charmed by the unlicensed use of the street parking strip). I had a great chat with Benny. Besides having someone to chat with, he said he especially liked my warm hands. When I came back with a few dollars to pay my "gravity bill" he wouldn't shake my hands since they were dirty so instead suggested a peck on the cheek European style. I was happy to oblige. He was one of the most authentic people I've met in a long time...right up there with Julie Butterfly Hill.

The plan for the evening was Paula Poundstone. Went by the new downtown Whole Foods. Had some tasty organic grub and picked up the May issue of Vanity Fair, their latest green issue. I just did a quick read, but was pretty impressed, they went a lot deeper into the issues this time around. Right before the show, I ran in to Chantal Stevens, Executive Director of Sustainable Seattle. We had a great chat and conspired a little on possible future projects for our little sustainable corner of the world. The show itself...flawless! Paula was hilarious, no surprise there. She actually brought up several sustainability topics so I was pretty psyched...global warming, overconsumption, urban sprawl, and several more key topics. Unfortunately, I was laughing so hard through most of it I can't remember any of the good lines.

From NPR to Native Research Celebration

2007-04-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, I had a busy day today...but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I started out by sitting down with KUOW's Weekday host, Steve Scher, to discuss sustainable style...can you be stylish and sustainable at the same time. It was my first time on radio so I was pretty nervous leading up to the show. Once I was in the booth though, it went great. I've been a fan of Weekday and Steve Scher for a long time so was pretty familiar with the format, a quick back and forth with Steve and then listener questions. Steve was right on it as far a touch questions. And the listeners were right on as well with great examples or suggestions themselves. Afterward, I got lots of text messages, emails, and voicemails from all sorts of folks, friends, family, and I guess I'd have to say brand new friends. In the end, I just hope I did well by SSFand everyone out there trying to live a bit more on the sustainable side.

So that was the start of my day. The end of my day was spent at the launch of a new institute at UW called the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI). It is an incredible new effort that will do incredible things and produce incredible results. But speaking of incredible. The evening blew me away. The ceremonies and lectures were inspiring and the performances were out of this world. Two performers in particular really left me breathless. Pura Fe completely amazed me. This woman should have shelves full of Grammies. Not that you can really describe her voice or style, but if you crossed Janice Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Bonnie Raitt...you'd be close. The other great surprise was Kinnie Star, a young female performing artist from Vancouver. She started with some awesome poetry, did a couple more Top 40 type songs, and then ended with some Rap/Hip Hop that ROCKED!!! Now Don't get me wrong, the Black Lodge Singers and Keith Knight (a six string guitar player) were outstanding too, but the women really stole the show I must say. One of the final acts was Ulali, a trio of Native women (including Pura Fe) that I think could have easily, literally set the house on fire. They combine some traditional native sounds with etherial melodies that were food for the soul. Wow, what an amazing day!

It's a green GreenWorld

2007-04-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm fresh back from the local IIDA Chapter's GreenWorld event. A lot of local interior designers getting the latest info on sustainable products and services to take back to their clients. Ray Anderson of Interface and InterfaceFlor fame was the keynote. Gobs of people, great food, and good work all around.

In other news...I've decided it's time to take up another language. I've always tried to learn a bit of the local language when I travel - and have gone pretty far with Russian, Spanish, German, and French - so I figured it's time to learn a local language here in Seattle, one that goes way back...Lushootseed, the language of the Duwamish Tribe whose land Seattle was founded on, as well as other Puget Sound tribes. I've purchased several books, a dictionary, and have found several great online resources so here goes. The alphabet and grammar are quite different so I have a lot of work ahead. I've started with ten phrases, "hello, how are you" and such so I'm looking forward to slowly growing my vocabulary.

NASAA Native Scholars

2007-04-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

I attended the 2nd day of the annual Native American Students in Advanced Academia (NASAA) Symposium today. The audience was educated, informed, and inspired throughout and it made me decide I wanted to quit working and just attend conferences for the rest of my life. I wish! The students that presented were doing incredible work and the keynote speakers, Dr. Robert Warrior and Dr. Taiaiake Alfred were amazing as well. Best of all, I got to hear my friend Deborah Guerrero sing one of the opening blessings.

Cheers for Chaya

2007-04-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Another successful SSF Cocktails for a Cause event tonight. This evening the partner nonprofit was Chaya, established in 1996 to serve South Asian women in times of crisis and need, and to raise awareness of domestic violence issues. The venue was Amanda Rosenthal's La Rousse near 4th and Virginia in Seattle. The event also featured organic wines provided by a new natural wine club here in Seattle called Way of the Vine and Del Forte Denim jeans by designer Tierra Del Forte. Tierra actually attended the event so it was really great to get to chat with her for a bit. A great night all around.

John and Teresa Heinz Kerry

2007-04-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight I attended Lecture at the Seattle Town Hall by John and Teresa Heinz Kerry promoting their new book together "This Moment on Earth". The lecture was quite good, John Kerry's component was a bit too political for me but he did make some good points. Teresa Heinz Kerry on the other hand had several interesting contributions, particularly regarding her chapter of the book on toxins in the environment. I can't wait to read the book. Also, during the Q&A section, I got up the gumption to ask them a question. I started by congratulating Mrs. Heinz Kerry on being on the SSF Best Dressed Environmental List for the 2nd year in a row and then asked if felt that all the attention global warming is getting, along with all the magazine issues these days has moved environmental issues out of the margin and into the mainstream, or if she feels we still need to do more. She had a great response, basically saying a lot has happened for the better but there are still things to be done. I continue to be really impressed with these two. More when I finish the book.

Soweto Gospil Choir

2007-04-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the out-of-this-world pleasure of attending the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel choir. This is another situation in which words cannot describe the incredible experience. The music and voices of the group are ethereal, the costumes, dance, and performance - thrilling, a kaleidoscope of color for the eyes and soul. Add to all this they are goodwill ambassadors for South Africa and Mandele's AIDS Foundation. In fact, much of their tour is devoted to raising money for children with AIDS. What blew me away the most was the celebration in their voices...of life, of freedom, of hope, and of global unity.

Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival

2007-03-31T20:47:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of serving on a discussion panel during the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival this evening. The topic, 'Communicating about climate change', was moderated by KUOW's Steve Scher and the other panelists included Earth Ministry's LeeAnne Beres, Climate Solution's KC Golden, and Grist's David Roberts. Prior to the panel, we joined festival-goers in viewing four films: Climate: A Crisis Averted, a humorous short film looking back at climate change from 2056; Gone, a music video style short produced by Bill Madden; Out of Balance: ExxonMobil's Impact on Climate Change, a guided documentary on Exxon's many mishaps during the Valdez spill; and Greenpeace: Making a Stand, a documentary on the origins and continued spirit of Greenpeace by Leigh Badgley. Climate: Crisis Averted busted me up with lots of comic relief (including a magazine cover with Martha Stewart showcasing pastel solar panels), Gone was incredible aesthetically,Out of Balance appealed to the conservation biologist in me, and Greenpeace: Making a Stand completely inspired me. All are worth seeing, but Greenpeace: Making a Stand especially should be seen by as many people as possible. In particular, I think it goes a long way in defining what a hero truly is and can be. Although we sometimes slipped into broader issues than climate change, the panel discussion was great and the audience questions were right on task. Mark your calendars for the next Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival next March. Even better, keep an eye on their website for ongoing events.

Torino Sostenibile - Green Grenoble

2007-03-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Paul and I were off to Grenoble for the weekend today to visit Paul's friend Susan from college. The road to Grenoble from Turin was filled with many tunnels and even more toll gates to pay for the tunnels and other road access. I actually think that is kind of a good idea...charging for road use and such. Needless to say, the drive was beautiful. The French side of the trip was especially beautiful with many castles and sweeping vistas along the way with the Alps as a background.

Besides a lot of wonderful time with Susan's family in Voreppe, a village just outside of Grenoble that included lots of incredible food, cheeses, and coffee we did get a little sight seeing in too. The big trip was to the tram in Grenoble up to the old fort. My first green discovery was that the tram was powered with green power and the sign hanging right by 'les boulles' little cabins made sure everyone knew it. The view from atop the fort, La Bastille, was incredible and I even discovered a little mural celebrating recycling.

Later, in Grenoble, we stopped by the local Sunday market which had quite a few local and organic options. I noticed all the organics were labeled "bio" so not sure if they were organic, or even better...biodynamic. Best of all, while sipping a bit of espresso outside a street cafe, a Prius drove right up and parked in front of us. How picturesque, Non? The last evening we had dinner at Chateau de la Commanderie, a former "maladrery de la Levade” or "leper-house" of Templiers up until the 1300s. The castle of course has an amazing history that stretches back into the 1200s. Chateau de al Cammanderie is where is staged my own little mini protest, what I call my last action in France, my sustainable style stand...I refused to order any foie gras! on the grounds of it being animal cruelty, so should you. Now I grew up on a farm in Nebraska eating lots of meat (including a few chickens that I had become best friends with as they were growing) so I don't have too many issues with eating meat (must be organic, I prefer to personally know the farmer/butcher, and I always take a moment to honor the animal) but the modern day practice of stuffing food down the throats of geese and ducks is just sad all around.

On the way back home, we ran across a road sign identifying the local hydro power plant. Kind of neat that that they brought attention to it.

Torino Sostenibile - Oasi Zegna

2007-03-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today my friend Paul and I set out to visit Oasi Zegna, a conservation area in the Biellese Alps established by the Italian men's clothing company Ermenegildo Zegna. I first came across Zegna while working at Nordstrom several year's back. I discovered that the company had been working on environmental, particularly conservation, efforts in Italy for over 70 years. They also sponsored the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards in Hollywood for several years during the 1990s. I later discovered that their environmental interests were taking hold in their products as well and two years ago purchased a beautiful sportcoat made of bamboo.

So, when my friend Paul said he would be staying in Turin for a month and invited me to stay for a week, I confirmed that one of my tourist stops would be Oasi Zegna. And, as a conservation biologist and fashionisto, I must say it was well worth it.

One has to be determined to find Oasi Zegna. It is located about an hour northeast of Turin. There are a pretty good sprinkling of signs to Oasi Zegna along the way, but you certainly wouldn't find the Oasi by accident. Luckily, we had a GPS to help out on certain sections along the way. The Zegna Panoramic Road leading to the Oasi was quite beautiful, and once on the route, you're certain to find the Oasi.

Unfortunately, it was off season in Oasi Zegna, they hadn't had much snow fall over the winter so a lot of the winter sport areas and attractions were closed. It wasn't spring yet either so a lot of the spring sport areas and attractions weren't open either. Regardless, the countryside and panoramic views along the way were breathtaking. I did see a few birds and small mammals along the way as well. We drove through Bielmonte, the ski resort area, but it was closed down for the season. I was pleased to see lots of interpretive signs along the way describing the area and various conservation efforts. We had hoped to find the offices and load up on lots of brochures and such but didn't discover that we had missed it until we had made it through the whole park to the other side. The office and the Zegna factory were located in Trivero, the town from which we started our drive. We came out of Oasi Zegna into several small hillside villages and then into Bielle for lunch. I tracked down a phone number for Oasi Zegna and gave them a call. I spoke to a very enthusiastic woman named Laura who, although she wouldn't be able to meet that day, did give me information on the Oasi and where I could find tourist info on the park in Bielle. She was very pleased to hear I was a biologist and felt bad that she couldn't give me a tour since Oasi Zegna has such incredible conservation efforts underway. I told here that I would be coming back for the World Design Symposium in 2008 and so we made plans to meet up to tour the park then. She also suggested that we stop by the Zegna outlet store in Bielle and said she would arrange a discount. A Zegna outlet store! On top of that a DISCOUNT at a Zegna outlet store! Being a conservation biologist and huge Zegna fan I must admit I was in heaven. When we found the tourist office in Bielle, we gathered lots of brochures (including several copies in Italian to bring back to the hotels and friends) and had a great chat with the women in the office. They then told us that we had spoke to Laura Zegna herself. Whoa! Very cool indeed. Needless to say, we had a great time shopping at the outlet store as well. Lucky for me, the size and cut of their clothing doesn't really work for me. I did get a knit polo shirt, a Zegna Sport baseball cap and a very cool military inspired, casual sportcoat that is a hemp/cotton mix. I am really looking forward to my next trip when I can spend some quality time at Oasi Zegna learning about their efforts, meeting their staff, and touring the factory.

Torino Sostenibile - Turin Polytech

2007-03-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last night Paul and I had an incredible five course meal at a nearby restaurant that offered several items from the local area. It's amazing that five courses made up of very small portions can fill you up, but it did. And did I say that the food was incredible? Just goes to show that local and fresh is the best way to go. With Italy being the home of the slow food movement, I figure I might as well make the most of it. After dinner, Paul and I spent a couple hours walking around central Turin visiting some of the sites, but more importantly trying to walk off the very filling meal. As often happens to Americans, we were blown away by the amazing architecture and bountiful history in the city. For example, we visited a small piece of the original wall protecting Turin during Roman times, dating back over 2000 years.

This morning, I had the honor of meeting Luigi (Gino) Bistagnino and Pier Paulo Peruccio in the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design at the Turin Polytechnical Institute. The department is located in the breathtaking Valentino Castle along the river PO in Turn. I can't even imagine trying to do work in the building, it is so beautiful. Gino and Pier Paolo are very involved with sustainable design work in Italy and internationally and are part of a systems design Masters program that focuses on sustainable systems in industrial design. After some great discussion on their efforts and state of sustainable design in Italy, Pier Paolo gave a copy of his book on design in the Piemonte area that included a sustainable design project in Korea and a copy of Gino's book "Design con un Futuro". Apparently, I just missed Janine Benyus, founder of the biomimicry movement, who had lectured the previous Sunday. Pier Paolo also pointed me to a great company based in Novara, Novamont. Novamont has been working with bioplastics since 1990.

Later, I came across a great children's museum on environmental issues, Museo A come Ambiente, and on my way back to the hotel from the days events, I picked up the latest issue of Natural Style, an Italian magazine for "the woman who has chosen a new lifestyle: that natural one".

Supper was filled with another five course meal that would have made the slow food movement folks quite proud of me. We dined (I can truly call it that) at the famous Il Cambio, a restaurant that has been serving Turin's citizens and tourists since the 1700s. As usual, I tried to keep all my selections local. Not being a food critic, I cannot put worthy words forth about how wonderful everything was. The service was even better though. And eating in a restaurant that has existed for two hundred years...priceless.

Torino Sostenibile - Slow Food Central

2007-03-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm one day in to my trip to Turin, Italy and am pretty impressed with the sustainability efforts I've run across so far. As usual, the trip starts with purchasing carbon offsets for my flight via Native Energy Next on the list is usually what magazines I find for reading on the plane that have sustainability in them. This time Fast Company, Dwell, and Outside. Interestingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the cover of two of the three. Fast Company's "Fast 50" includes people and companies working to improve the planet while making money. Arnie is #1 on the list with his "Green Ultimatum" effort to promote green markets in California. Arnie is also on the cover of Outside's Green Issue. Dwell's headline is "Renovate!, Reuse!, Recycle!"

My next brush with sustainability was in the Frankfurt Airport where recycle bins could be found everywhere. They had a very cool look to them and they accepted many different materials. I was also impressed to see recycled content paper towels in the bathrooms. They were a green and probably the most effective paper towels I've ever used, including conventional.

Upon arriving in Turin, I met my friend Paul (who is working in Turin for a month) and then taxied in to the Hotel, the Golden Palace. Can't quite tell how eco the hotel is, but a few things pleased me: 1. they use cloth napkins in their restaurant and bar, 2. water, yogurt, and such come in glass containers (I'm not a fan of plastics), 3. the room has an automatic power shutoff when you leave (shows they're interested in conserving energy), and 4. their toilets have small and large flush options to conserve water.

I took a short nap and then we took off to explore Lingotto, a former Fiat factory with a rooftop test track. Several of the design components are quite impressive, including the car helical ramp leading up to the track. Next to Lingotto was a great find by my friend Paul, a huge food store called Eataly. It is an AMAZING store, a cross between Ikea and Whole Foods if you will. Paul had found a lot of bamboo plates and such and we then found some biodegradable plastic items called 'Bioplat' made by Scatolificio Del Garda (SDG). Very cool! Italy is also home of the slow food movement and you could certainly feel the spirit of the movement alive in well in Eataly. We tried to buy an issue of the Slow Food magazine but discovered they were only for display when we were checking out. Doh!

Book Review - What We Believe but Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty

2007-03-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

This was a fun read, always a good time when scientists and other leading thinkers let their minds go a little crazy. But I must say I wasn't really 'wowed' by any of the many, many short essays. This was the 2006 edition of John Brockman's annual question to the members of The Edge website, an online thinktank/blog or sorts. Some funny essays, some boring essays, and quite a few that were well worth their read if for no other reason that they were by famous scientists.

Flock of Dodos - ID vs. Evolution

2007-02-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

I Went to a screening of Flock of Dodos last night. LOVED IT! The movie explores the 'circus' around the intelligent design vs. evolution debate going on in America these days...and a circus it is indeed. The movie was directed by Randy Olson, a former marine biologist now turned filmmaker (see also Shifting Baselines for another example of his work). Randy does a great job treating both sides of the intelligent design vs. evolution debate fairly and pointing out the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the debate, but he has no issue making it clear which side he comes out on.

Having degrees in behavioral ecology and conservation biology myself, I'm pretty much right there with him. But I also fall in line with biologists like Jane Goodall that find studying the natural world IS like studying the mind of god, the creater, a designer or whatever. Physicists have long said you don't get organization from chaos so the fact that we have a very organized universe means 'something' somehow has caused the universe to be so organized. In addition, the fact that you have things like the Fibonacci sequence that appears throughout nature in plants, animals, crystals, the curve of waves, etc. makes one wonder sometimes. Furthermore, being a bit of an animist and having a keen interest in Eastern and First Nations spirituality keeps things interesting for me too. Which takes me back to the movie. Perhaps the biggest star of Flock of Dodos is Randy's outspoken 83 year-old Mom, Muffy Moose (aka Muffy Olson). She was by far the most interesting character as she seemed the most open to hearing both sides, the most curious about both sides, and the most interested in the crossroads of her own personal spirituality and beliefs. You go girl!

My new offset addiction

2007-02-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

I just received my certificate from Native Energy for offsetting my carbon emissions from my Toronto trip. I know it's a little crazy getting all excited about receiving it but yes, was quite happy to find the pdf in my inbox this morning. I've done carbon offsets before but all you get is a receipt so this fancy certificate is quite nice. I'm addicted. Now I want to offset EVERYTHING, maybe even double offset by buying tree-plantings too. More offsets, give me MORE OFFSETS!

Children of Men

2007-02-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

Whoa! I just saw the film adaptation of P. D. James' Children of Men. WHOA! This is an amazing flick. And, I'm very pleased that an environmental issue other than global warming has made it into the media. The basic storyline is that, among many other major social and environmental problems the world is facing in 2027, women have become infertile...so the human race is literally doomed to extinction. England is the last bastion of civil society but has chosen to deport foreigners and even stooped to internment camps to facilitate the process. In the book, I believe it is male fertility that has been lost, even scarier since scientists are already seeing this very situation starting to happen today.

I want to read the book to get more insight on how the world spirals downward so quickly and disastrously, but the fact that chemicals in the environment have affected the human endocrine system resulting in infertility is incredible bold and timely. True, global warming threatens to change the world as we know it, making human life not so fun anymore in many ways, but chances are we will still go on somehow. Lose fertility and we could really be in trouble. The movie is completely depressing but does provide moments of hope along the way. Again...whoa. This movie is a must see.

Genre's green issue

2007-02-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

The library of green magazine issues just got bigger. Genre, a US magazine for gay men recently published their very own 'green issue'. Not many people get to say they bought a gay magazine for the articles, but I just did. I have to say, I'm really impressed. The green theme actually shows up throughout the magazine (unlike some of the other green issue contenders in which a couple articles and a page on green styles seems to suffice). For instance, did you know that C-N2 offers a line of bamboo underwear, including briefs, tanks, boxer briefs and trunks? Finally, some cool stuff for guys. Lots of other green products, feature articles, and even some humorous green bashing to round things out a bit. Kudos to the good green gays!

Mama Earth

2007-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight I attended the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Network's Monthly Green Film Series. The film tonight was Leslie Bloom's Mama Earth. While it was by no means a Hollywood budget blockbuster, it was a wonderful film. The content was superb, the format charming, and the message loud and clear. I think the film hit pretty much every major environmental issue, including some controversal topics like using taxes to create change. The experts in the film were very accessible and the humor throughout the film was perfect since the topics presented could be heavy if not balanced well with some lightheartedness.

Sustainable Style in Toronto

2007-02-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

So I am fresh back from my quick trip to Toronto to catch Green Carpet Series' fashion show An Evening of Sustainable Style. After offsetting my air travel emissions with Native Energy (of course), I set out for a two day trip to Toronto. My Canadian eco-experience began at the Customs desk. The agent asked the usual "why are you visiting Canada" to which I replied "business". He then asked "what kind of business", I said "nonprofit". He then asked what kind of nonprofit, I said environmental. "What sort of environmental stuff", he said. So I explained a little about SSF. Then, for about 10 minutes - really - the agent told me all sort of things that he'd been doing to be more 'sustainable'. He went into some politics, some celebrity stuff, etc. Pretty funny actually.

I chose to stay at the Fairmont Royal York since I had noticed a pretty impressive environmental effort underway at Fairmont Hotels when I stayed at the Empress in Victoria recently. Once again I was very impressed as their environmental efforts go far beyond the usual hotel activities (e.g. not changing the sheets and towels everyday) and their environmental commitment was actually pretty prominent. I recall from my Victoria stay that they chose to use all LED holiday lights for example.

I had to rush off pretty quickly to the event. I got a chance to speak to Green Carpet Series' Leslie Domenico for a bit before the show and then found some Toronto friends to hang out with. The event was a HUGE success, tons of people, and some great fashions. There was also a big Canadian Celebrity turnout, including hosts Gill Deacon and George Stroumboulopoulis, as well as Sarah Richardson, Kim D'Eon, and more. Most of the designs were pretty typical eco-design (yoga wear, repurposed, active wear, etc.) but a line called Preloved really stood out and was certainly my favorite (picture to left is from a earlier show).

The next day, wanting to make the most of my trip, I went out for a little touring. I paid a visit to Preloved, of course, and another great green lifestyle store called Grassroots. Grassroots recommended a great little place down the street for lunch, Fresh. YUMMIE!!! I had the vegan mushroom burger and an absolutely perfect double chocolate chip cookie.

2007 Speaking & Other Engagements

2007-01-01T23:32:00.000-08:00

3/2/07 - Lecture. Seattle Pacific University, Geography of Natural Resources class. "Social Entrepreneurship". Seattle, WA.

3/31/07 - Panelist. Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival. "Panel: Communication and Climate Change". Seattle, WA.

4/12/07 - Interview. KUOW, Weekday with Steve Scher. Socially Responsible Products and Design. An hour discussion with host Steve Scher on whether style and sustainability can co-exist. Seattle, WA.

4/21/07 - Panelst. Evergreen State College. 6th Annual Synergy Sustainable Living Conference. Panel: Sustainable Business Form. Olympia, WA.

Dove's campaign for beauty

2006-10-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

I was absolutely blown away when I saw this clip for the first time. Called 'evolution' it is part of Dove's Campaign for Beauty that highlights how distorted our idea of beauty is and promotes self esteem among girls and women. There's also a great commercial with young girls that is very inspiring.

Victorious Verdant

2006-10-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

I am SO stoked to be reading the preview issue of Verdant Magazine. I think it is perhaps one of the best entries into the green mag arena yet. Lots of information and resources, some great articles with very novel perspectives. I find myself wanting to read EVERY article and sidenote. Best of all they really hit that we all need to make more sustainable personal lifestyle choices which I am all for. Fashion, food, interiors, architecture, automobiles...it's all there and very well done.

Grey's pink anatomy

2006-10-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's always great to run across ways we can express support for causes. The latest development in Ford's Warriors in Pink campaign has the Grey's Anatomy crew dressed all up in pink. Well, it's actually a contest to win a chance to go to the Grey's Anatomy set and a Ford Fusion, but it's all good. So go for it! I'd love to see them get into the environmental links to breast cancer (see www.breastcancerfund.org for more info on that) but it's pretty darn great to see them get into issues at all.

Pocket pesticide guide

2006-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Working Group has done it again. This handy dandy little pocket pesticide guide shows which produce to buy organic and which you can get by with if no organic is available. Keep in mind that a lot of produce also has fertilizer and defoliant residue as well. Sure you can buy the stuff to wash vegies with...but who knows what's in that! Best bet is to go organic if you can.

Home Sweet [small] Home

2006-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. architect Carib Daniel Martin designed the Help House to provide emergency housing that is not just a roof over one's head, it also provides a sense of home. It's really amazing how much functionality he squeezed into the 8' x 12' space but it really is all there. AND it has a great aesthetic which is what makes it so much more than just another portable temporary house. I actually came across a website with lots of tiny houses that are worth taking a peek at. Maybe we could all use a little downsizing now and then.

Sustainable Softseating

2006-10-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Green and groovy! Softseating by Vancouver-based Molo Design is made of non-bleached kraft paper. Softseating provides seating for many but then folds up like a Japanese fan. Their full line, including Softwalls, is stunning but I haven't been able to figure out what some of the other paper lines are made of (hopefully some recycled content).

Eco-Elmo in the making

2006-10-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Could this be the next Elmo-esque toy craze? The H-Racer from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is a toy hydrogen car. It comes with it's own fuel cell refueling station that creates hydrogen fuel by combining solar power and water. Apparently it doesn't run for all that long, but that's because it's fuel cell is so small. But hey, still way cool for any budding eco-kid on the block. I remember having many a remote-controlled car growing up...all battery powered of course. The H Racer is like a chemistry set and toy car combined.

Native riders take to the slopes

2006-10-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

I was completely blown away and inspired by this latest find in the sports world. Founded in 1996 by Olympic Downhiller and World Freestyle Champion Suzy Chaffee and Colorado Ute Unity Leader, Alden Naranjo, the Native Voices Foundation is a unique partnership between First Nation tribes, ski resorts, and sports legends to both honor and heal the past, as well as provide hope for the future. NVF was established to provide an opportunity for First Nations youth in Canada and the United States to learn and excel in alpine sports. Their latest project, Snow Riders, is doing just that and even includes a Winter Olympics bid. Sustainable wisdom is a big part of NVF's programs as well.

Green, it's a good thing

2006-10-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Whoa...Martha's going green. Ran across Elizabeth Hurley and Evelyn Lauder on Martha Stewart today (yes, I do watch occasionally - she recycles a lot, what can I say?). Liz is going all organic in her new farm endeavors and Evelyn Lauder was on to promote involvement with breast cancer awareness. Totally psyched that Martha has a little green going on, actually the whole week is filled with eco peeps, product and eco-tips.

I was lucky enough to meet Evelyn Lauder several years ago while working at Nordstrom. She was doing a trunk show of the latest and greatest Lauder product. But she was also raising awareness for breast cancer. In fact, a good half of her time was devoted to breast cancer and half of that time was dedicated to the environmental links to breast cancer. Needless to say I was very impressed. I got a chance to speak with the Lauders at a lecture later that afternoon and actually asked them their thoughts on some of the evidence on environmental links to breast cancer.

Later on a trip to NYC in my role as Sustainable Business & Development at Nordstrom I got a chance to speak to several senior managers at Lauder on the topic as well. Again, very impressed with their knowledge and commitment. The last thing I'll mention on Evelyn Lauder, she put together a beautiful book of nature photographs called "An Eye for Beauty". The photographs are truly stunning. It's good to know someone of Mrs. Lauder's position not only finds beauty and inspiration in nature but also understands key elements of the environmental challenges facing our world.

Nigella's grean feast

2006-10-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

I was SO psyched to see that my favorite chef, Nigella Lawson, has another show on the tele. I was a diehard fan when her shows Nigella Bites and Forever Summer were on the Style Network. Her latest show, Nigella Feasts is on the Food Network and in her first episode she's already pushing organic. I recall from her previous series in the UK that she had a green powered kitchen so its great to see her continuing her green ways in her latest gig.

Cheers Pardners!

2006-09-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

Another great discovery while doing the Puyallup Fair...several of the beer gardens were serving Wild Hop Lager, an organic beer by Anheuser-Bush. Tastes like...beer, a pretty good beer at that. But it's ORGANIC.