sustainable style foundation*

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

In today’s world, we are hearing the word “green” and “sustainable” alot. We are hearing these words attached mostly to what we can buy to save the world. While this is a terrific start, there is more to be considered. Recently, a client of mine forwarded an email of a video that had been shown in her grade school child’s classroom “The Story of Stuff”. It is a fabulous and entertaining way to check out the production of “stuff” and how it impacts us socially and environmentally.

In 2008, I plan to devote a majority of my blogs to what we can do to save the world and keep it consistent with our personal “style”.

Our fall interns, Anne-Marie and Olivia, worked hard on creating fantastic list of Sustainable Style Living Tips and I am going to put their work to great use. Stand by for a new tip every week.

Also, there are several books out there to check out as well; if you do a quick search for “ways to live green”, a good collection of books and other blogs will come up. For us at SSF, it’s about looking at the big picture, beyond green.

I look forward to your comments and an on-going dialogue about how we can continue to save the world in style.

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!

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.

(Pier Paolo - Torino, Italia) - Apologizing for my basic English I am starting blogging today, first post, first pictures, of course from Torino, the city where I live. A special thank to Sean who invited me to join SSF, I am really proud to do this. Why blogging from Torino? First because the city has been changing a lot for 5-6 years, when was appointed to be Winter Olympic Games in 2006. After the Games, the city has continued to enhance its development and now we are approaching the Year of Design. Torino has been changing very rapidly from One company Town (Fiat Group Automobiles) to a city of services, of culture, of creativity, arts and sports. And the city today shows all the signs of this profound transformation.

Now we are awaiting 2011 when we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. In the meantime the city will be the first World Design Capital for one year, a leading project of the International Design Alliance (IDA), currently managed by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). Twelve months of events, exibitions in Torino and in the entire region to offer a clear vision on the design culture in Piedmont. A design approach that sometimes seems bold and multi-faceted, other times hidden, anyway almost always high level projects.

The real commencement of the World Design events was fixed for the New Year’s Eve of Design, December 31, 2007. After that the programme will tie up with the well established calendar of fairs, exhibitions and festivals that take place in the city’s major venues all through the year. For instance in October the main subject will be design and food, to coincide with the Taste Fair and Terra Madre World Food Meeting edited by Slow Food movement. In November the focus will be on the relationship between art, media and industrial design (Torino Art Fair and Torino Film Festival) and before the summer period two important appointments: “Changing the Change: Design Visions, Proposals and Tools”: this is the title of a conference that will be held on July 10-12, 2008 at the Politecnico di Torino in the framework of Torino 2008 World Design Capital. It will highligt new visions in the field of sustainability and outline the state of the art of ecodesign research. The second event is the 23rd International Union of Architects World Congress that will bring to Torino the International community of architects, planners and designers (June 29-July 3). Green will be the colour of the visual communication of the Year of Design. Why green? First because green represents the combination of the two “corporate” colours of Torino: blue and yellow.Second because it occupies a central position on the scale of human visual perception, it is the colour of reason and of course also the one of sustainable design (green design, eco-design, systems design).

Last but not least I want to mention the Luci d’Artista works and installations. It is a real art gallery en plein air set in streets and squares of Torino from November to February. It has become one of the symbols of the city for 10 years. The 2007 edition includes 19 installations with the well known works of Rebecca Horn, Nicola De Maria and Mario Merz (who used the first Fibonacci numbers written with red neon on one side of the Mole Antonelliana four-faced dome).

It was so great to check out what I predict, and hope, will be the worlds’ premiere destination hotel in the future last night. I went to the 1 opening where hotelier Barry Sternlight (W Hotels), recently highlighted in Vanity Fair’s Green issue, mentioned that this project meant a lot to him personally. Designed to be a luxury eco-friendly hotel and residence, the overall feel of the model suite was very hip. You got the feel of the environment without the “lodge” feel. The neutral palate was surprisingly warm and was completely Zen. SSF’s you can” live well, do good as well as look fabulous”, was completely demonstrated in the design of the space as well as the forethought behind its operating model. I did hear from Barry that if you drive a Hybrid, your parking will be free…let’s hope this policy will have to change because there are so many alternative fuel cars coming in. As far as food at 1, B.R. Guests founder Stephen Hanson, known for his fabulous franchise of restaurants in New York, Chicago & Vegas, will be the master mind behind the dining concepts. If it will be anything like the food served last night, we know it is going to be out of this world. It warmed my heart to hear the chef go on and on about shopping at our own Pike Market where the fabulous tidbits from ceviche, to oysters and mini kiwi dipped in chocolate were created from. There is already a list for the residences as you can imagine…stand by for more news on this project. It really is going to be the wonderful to have Seattle be a landmark for another amazing concept. 1residences.com. RL

Today my friend Paul and I set out to visit Oasi Zegna, a conservation area in the Biellese Alps established by the Itialian 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.

Last night my friend 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 sytems 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 slections 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.

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 Schwartzenagger 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 sustainabilty 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 containters (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 compenents 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!

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!

Working from the idea that travel can transform not only your perspective, but the vitality of communities, places, and people, Travelocity has launched a couple important and positive programs to make travel more sustainable. Travel for Good is their effort to embrace travel as an agent of positive change; as part of this campaign, Travelocity has teamed up with several volunteer vacation partners to promote "Voluntourism" -- a way for travelers to take part in a volunteer project while on vacation.

Another part of "Travel for Good" is what Travelocity calls "Go Zero," which is their carbon offset program. According to the site, "when you book a vacation package on Travelocity, you can make a contribution to The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program which will negate the carbon emissions created by your trip. How? Your donation goes to the planting of native trees which absorb and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere." A contribution of just $10 offsets an average trip including air travel, a one-night hotel stay, and rental car for one person, while $25 negates air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for two people. $40 equalizes the effects of air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for four people. Learn more about "Go Zero" and Travelocity's partnership with The Conservation Fund here, and learn how to offset your next trip with the handy guide here. With Expedia partnering up with TerraPass to offset flights booked through expedia.com, we hope there will be more to come from the travel industry soon. [Travelocity's Travel For Good], [Go Zero] via [Gristmill]

With our annual membership drive starting to wind down (less than a week to go!), SSF is very happy to announce that we've added a new membership benefit, and it's a nice one, if we do say so ourselves. Every new company or organization that signs up (and every one that has this month) will receive a copy of "One World," a documentary series starring Olivia Newton-John about the Galápagos. In three half-hour episodes and an hour-long special, ten-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Harris presents these truly singular and evocative specials from Ecuador's Enchanted Islands of The Galápagos. Olivia joins researchers from the world-renowned Charles Darwin Research Station and The Galápagos National Park Service for a look at the work of naturalist Charles Darwin, exploring the amazing creatures that inspired his "On the Origin of Species" and theories on evolution - almost as controversial today as they were in Darwin's time.

Of all the specials done here, "One World" is also the first to focus equally on the people of The Galápagos as it does its famous wildlife. The programs feature extraordinary photography from veteran Director of Photography Kevin Ely and an inspired soundtrack from seven-time ASCAP Award-winning composer Tim Truman. The shows embody a genuine sense of adventure and discovery, as Olivia and her daughter Chloe embark on their first journey to this World Heritage Site and meet the people working every day to preserve and protect it. Olivia also visits with "Lonesome George," the last of the Pinta subspecies of Galápagos giant tortoise and according to Guinness, the rarest animal on Earth. SSF Co-founder Rebecca Luke was Associate Producer of the series, which is now seen in over 25 countries around the world!

We're proud to offer the DVD as a benefit of membership in SSF, and would encourage those of you still pondering it to sign up today; your membership fee is tax-deductible, gets you some cool benefits, and goes directly to support SSF's work.

"1" Hotel and Residences, a concept claiming to be the first luxury, eco-friendly global hotel brand, was recently launched by the Starwood Capital Group. The concept will "combine the best of environmentally sustainable architecture and interior design with impeccable service and luxurious comfort," according to the press release. Among other sustainable ideals, "1" will adhere to green construction and operating principles and commit to environmentally sensitive consumption of natural resources, demonstrating that green principles can coexist and even enhance a luxury hospitality experience and healthy residential lifestyle. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is on board as an environmental advisor, with the initial goal of setting a new standard for environmental excellence and, over time, to transform the entire hotel industry...no small goal, indeed.

LEED building standards will be incorporated into the interiors and exteriors of each new hotel, and care will be taken to run the restaurant and spa in each location with local resources and sustainable practices. The first five locations will be in Paris, France, Seattle, Scottsdale, Arizona, Mammoth Lakes, California and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. [Starwood Capital press release (pdf)] via [fiftyRX3]

"Eat some, salt some" is a great Hawaiian philosophy...eat some now and save some for later. I'm off to Maui for the first time ever (or any of the Hawaiian islands for that matter) and absolutely loving it. Of course for the amazing beauty of the scenery, flora and fauna, but also for the many things I'll learn about traditional and modern sustainability efforts under way. I'm traveling with my friend Paul and two other friends. Paul's family has had a time share condo for many years so it will be great to hang with someone who knows the island well. We're staying in Ka'anapali just north of Lahaina, the historic Royal center of Maui.

Boeing's 747, the big workhorse for cross-country and international flights since the late 1960's, has been redesigned for the 21st Century. The new features, including the bowed, bird-like wings and cleaner, more efficient engines, are designed to make the plane more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient; the resulting decrease in exhaust will make the plane much more environmentally friendly than the older version. Dubbed the 747-8, the plane slightly resembles Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner; the first freighter versions of the 747-8 will be rolled out in 2009, with passenger versions to follow. Looks like a smooth ride... [Boeing 747-8] via [Gizmodo]