sustainable style foundation*

from haberdash.org...I've heard a lot about airlines making efforts to go green, but I'm quite confident that jetBlue has outdone them all with their initiative, Jetting to Green. They're doing everything from recycling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to becoming more active in the community and educating both crew and passengers about environmental activism. Best of all they're out to inspire their industry to follow suit and make an even bigger impact. I've blogged about jetBlue serving organic goodies on their flights so it's great to see them reaching for the sky on sustainability.

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.

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 menteion a good cleansing mask andn source for eco-cashmere). Author Sophie Uliano makes making greener personal lifestyle choices fun and accessible to everyone. She makes it irresistable.

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

(Ari, Seattle, WA) First, welcome to my new blog, "Green Revelation". This is my first entry to I hope you enjoy. Now, on to business...

I have a confession to make: I am a terrible person. Now, I don’t produce child porn, I’m not in charge of a human trafficking ring or anything--I don’t even honk my horn when I’m driving (which I don’t do very often). See, these things are all obvious, big terrible things in which to partake. My crimes are much more slippery. I commit them in thousands of tiny decisions each week—decisions I make because I’m tired, or broke, or late and unorganized. It’s only after a while, when I’ve realized how far I’ve slipped from my original intentions that the guilt of my sins begins to weigh on me. It’s only then when I start feeling like a hypocrite, when the guilt makes me clench my jaw at night and I get defensive over every little thing, that I know I need to make a change.

I am a young, well-educated, recently graduated 22-year-old woman. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. My best friend has convinced me that the apocalypse is coming, perhaps related to peak oil, rapidly approaching in 2012. Last year I wrote a paper on the true state of organics, where I investigated how good organic farming really is for the environment. For the first time in my life I am living on my own and I have total control over what I do with my money and myself, but I am not upholding my beliefs. It is time for me to try harder.

Last night my roommate and I got in a fight over some vegetables. On the way home, we happened by this fruit and vegetable stand with awesome looking stuff at dirt-cheap prices. We stocked up, and I was thrilled at the giant load and the tiny bill. Later, he lamented over all the pesticides we’d be eating, all the guilt he felt for not buying local and organic stuff. It’s not fair trade. It’s genetically modified. It’s covered in pesticides. It’s from so far away. Think of all the oil! And the workers! And your body!

I got mad. We can’t afford all organic food! It’s so privileged to be able to! I’m not a yuppie! Fine, let’s just throw it all away, would you like that!!??

It’s a tough thing, to be criticized for the way you live. It’s tough, after making all these rationalizations as to why, at this particular store, at this particular time, it’s okay to buy conventional. It’s especially hard to see the all the milks, side by side, ranging from $2.99 to $5.99 and picking the more expensive one. But the thing is, regardless of all the ways in which I think it might be better for me, when I make the decision to buy conventional, I am not alone. If I can’t make the change, as a young, educated person who believes all the hoopla and searches “apocalypse” and “2012 peak oil” just to freak herself out on a regular basis, what does that mean for the rest of the population? If it’s so easy for me to make it okay not to buy local organics and other green products, many other people must be making the same decisions.

For me, it all comes down to this: If you type “peak oil” into wikipedia, it will tell you that depending on how quickly supplies become scarce, and depending on how much we have prepared alternative energy sources for the occasion (which isn’t much), the chain reaction might cause a global depression that may lead to the collapse of global industrial civilization as we know it. Now, regardless of whether all of this actually happens, things have got to change. It might already be too late! In any case, I want to start trying to live differently now. I want to save energy, reduce my impact on the planet, and stop benefiting from the exploitation of workers worldwide. And if that means buying milk for $5 instead of $3, well, that doesn’t seem too bad anymore, does it?

New Orleans natives Harry Connick, Jr. and Bradford Marsalis recently teamed up with the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity to create Musicians' Village, a community that will both provide housing to NOLA musicians affected by Katrina, as well as a focal point for teaching, sharing and preserving the rich musical tradition of the city. The project also includes the new Ellis Marsalis Center. From the website..."Another important innovation in the Musicians’ Village effort is the inclusion of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named in honor of the New Orleans native and legendary jazz pianist, educator and patriarch of the Marsalis clan. Focusing on the ethnically and culturally diverse musical heritage of the city, the Center will include a 150-seat performance space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The Center will also support the growth of emerging New Orleans talent and music by providing classrooms, technical and administrative support, and producing the accomplishments of its students. These facilities will be available for residents of Musicians’ Village as well as artists and students citywide." From horns to hammers, here's to sweat harmonies in the 9th Ward!

I (Sean here) was the proud recipient of a Make It Right (MIR) Caputo Cap this holiday season. Made with eco-friendly materials, proceeds from the hat will help build sustainable homes in New Orleans. Brad Pitt has been doing a lot down in NOLA given his sustainable housing work with Global Green and all so I wasn't surprised to find him behind Make it Right and its Pink Project. The very hip hat is sold out now but there are still quite a few items for you environistas out there including another cap, t-shirts, and cool totebags made from recycled Pink Project materials.

Titan TV, an internet broadcast network, has a great lineup of environmental casts and resources. In their channel Titan Greens, Liza de Guia is their green go-to girl and hosts a lot of the clips under the 'Daily Greens' Title. Her most recent offering "Green Resolutions 2008" interviews folks at the NY Greendrinks Holiday Party and is quite entertaining. Lots more from Liza and other environmental content is available from Titan's main page above. Looks like Liza may be the next rockstar in environmental journalism.

We get some cool products to review here at SSF, but I have to say...this one takes first prize. Its the Solio H1000, a hybrid device charger that takes power from multiple sources (including the sun!), holds power, and then powers multiple small devices like cell phones, iPods, etc. I'm testing it out on an extended holiday road trip to Utah and Arizona. I received a sporty orange version of the charger you see to the left...very sassy. I charged it a bit via my laptop last night but during the days I'm going full on solar with the charger up on my dashboard. Its fantastic! Its hip, its cool, its small so packs away easily in a bag (or purse) and doesn't get in the way, and it provides power any time, anywhere. All the various adapter cables are great too, this thing will charge any small device! A couple folks have seen it along the way on the dashboard (Oregon still requires attendants to pump gas for you) and they think it's way cool too. Best of all, I found a sporty little orange bag (I think it may have been a pencil or cosmetic bag) for it at a secondhand store in Sierra Vista, AZ that holds the Solio and all its accessories. Now that's sustainable style!

We just came across this very cool website, Urban Reinventors. Great look and feel plus lots of great articles on the ideas of urbanism...both positive and negative. There are beautiful images, innovative ideas, and lots of other materials on the topic, both artistic and academic. The site was recently reworked and their second issue of their online magazine adds a lot more to the mix as well.

Now for something for completely different. The Ingterra Project's new Community Change Cards are the coolest thing ever! Its all about shopping locally and sharing the benefits locally. It works kind of like a card. The magnetic strip and bar-coded card functions as a community loyalty card and is not used for payment. The customer pays with cash, check, credit or debit card. Businesses swipe or scan the community card first and then proceed as usual with the transaction. The data is sent using the existing MasterCard or Visa credit card terminal. Cards are now available in Boston and Seattle with more cities coming soon.

Another sea monster emerges from Scottish waters. But this one is going on the grid. The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter (named "Pelamis" for the Latin name for sea snake) is kind of like three train cars, linked together, floating semi-submerged on the ocean and cranking out clean, green power. Since the waves it needs are of the type that will unmoor your lunch from your stomach, the Pelamis is tethered to the ocean floor by anchors and a power cable. The Pelamis is 150 m long (about 490 ft), with three power conversion modules -- one at each joint where the "train cars" are linked together. The Pelamis turns to face into the waves, and as the snake rises and falls, the sections move against each other. Hydraulic rams at the hinges drive generators which produce energy. Ta da! Creator Pelamis Wave Power (formerly Ocean Power Delivery Ltd) is currently working with the government of Portugal to get three of the snakes out into the ocean near Agucadoura. Each Pelamis is expected to generate 750 kw to feed back into the national grid. Future projects include “wavefarms” of up to 40 Pelamis machines deployed over an area of about a square kilometer. Such a farm could potentially produce enough energy for 20,000 homes. More on Pelamis here.

In her Laboratory blog, sustainable style maven Jill Danyelle reports that Nordstrom has officially started down the green path. Having worked for the company for 14 years (this is Sean blogging here) I know they've been doing organic and other sustainable textiles for years so it is a dream come true to see them starting to publically showcase their offerings. A quick visit to their dedicated Organic Style boutique turned up over 5 pages of products for women, men, kids, and the home. Not a bad start at all but I can't wait to see their organic style collections keep growing...and to go on sale of course!

From time to time, we here at SSF like to do a little web search on our favorite keword term, "sustainable style". Since we coined the term back in 2003 it seems to be popping up all over the place. For our first stop on our round the world tour we highlight one our absolutely favorite sustainable style web spots, the Fliker: sustainable style group page. Really, some of the coolest creations around, from fashion to furniture and more. Best of all, it's a thriving online posse with all sorts of great ideas on how to make more sustainable personal lifestyle choices. Who's behind this sassy cyber community? None other than fiftyrx3's Jill Danyelle. Keep up the good work y'all!

Carmaker Scion's independent film series Route has produced some pretty amazing films. One that is currently touring the US is Bling: A Planet Rock by award-winning New York based documentary filmaker Raquel Capeda. Bling connects the world of hip hop with the blood diamond associated civil war in Sierra Leon and does so with no holds barred. Three hip hop celebs - Raekwon (Wu Tang Klan), Paul Wall and Reggaetón king, Tego Calderon - head back to the country to check out the current state of affairs. The Scion tour is almost up, but keep an eye for it to make the rounds on its own.

That's right, Ikea no longer corners the market on eco cheap-chic interiors. Japan based retailer, Muji, is already known around the world (and MOMA patrons) for their simplistic and stylish wares, but with their new store in New York's SoHo and 2008 store in the New York Times building, they're poised to garner a few, well maybe a lot, more fans in the US. From cardboard speakers to their famous 'Countryside and NYC in a Bag' toys made from sustainably harvested wood, Muji is sure to make an impression in the design and eco scene.