Linda | 
05 31st, 2010| 
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May
31
Is Greed Trumping Expertise in Ebbing The Flow?
Excuse me BP, but I have a couple of questions. I know you are kind of busy and all but, are you trying to save that well?
I am not an petroleum engineer but it seems to me with all your failures – Top Hat, Top Kill, and Top [...]
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Read the rest on my blog.
May
30
We are NOW in day number 41, of the worst oil spill in U.S.History.
I live in Washington State. We are currently supplying shrimp, for a lot of the restaurants down in the Gulf Coast region, at this time. While, it is good for us, economically speaking, the beaches, tourism and wildlife, AND entire way of [...]
May
29
You thought wrong.
Hurriance season + really really large oil spill in the Gulf = oil all over the place inland. And not like a little bit inland...they are predicting that it could extend over a major chunk of the US. Can you just imagine how gross this is going to be and how much bigger the environmental impact will become?
Hopefully there won't be any hurricanes for awhile but unfortunatly that is not what they are predicting. They are saying there will be more than normal.
I wonder if this will cause the government to kick it into high gear to not only plug the leak (seriously how is it still leaking 5 weeks later? RIDICULOUS) but to clean up the oil that is already out there.
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What's the Deal with Veal?
Random Act of Kindness
May
28
A fun note for a Friday: The MIT Energy Conference, which I covered in March here, here, and here was cited by US Senator Jeff Bingaman when he introduced Supply Star Act of 2010, a bill designed to bring about energy-efficiency improvements in supply chains, much like Energy Star has done for appliances.
The Senator indicated that the idea for the bill came from this year's MIT Energy Conference, where he and his staff were particularly influenced by a panel discussion titled, "Supply Chain Energy Use: Exposing Opportunities for Innovation in a Global Economy. (link to video)"
Bingaman specifically mentioned the MIT conference, saying that the hurdles surrounding optimization of supply-chain energy consumption "were discussed in some detail by an expert panel. The hurdles include a lack of information and analysis tools for important parts of far-flung supply chains, which often lie far upstream or downstream (and therefore out of sight) of a particular firm, as well as a lack of leverage with which to drive global suppliers toward more efficient practices."
The bill, Bingaman said, is aimed at helping to address this lack of tools and information.
Kudos to the student organizers of the energy conference for making an impact.
For more information: Student-run MIT Energy Conference influences national legislation
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The Senator indicated that the idea for the bill came from this year's MIT Energy Conference, where he and his staff were particularly influenced by a panel discussion titled, "Supply Chain Energy Use: Exposing Opportunities for Innovation in a Global Economy. (link to video)"
Bingaman specifically mentioned the MIT conference, saying that the hurdles surrounding optimization of supply-chain energy consumption "were discussed in some detail by an expert panel. The hurdles include a lack of information and analysis tools for important parts of far-flung supply chains, which often lie far upstream or downstream (and therefore out of sight) of a particular firm, as well as a lack of leverage with which to drive global suppliers toward more efficient practices."
The bill, Bingaman said, is aimed at helping to address this lack of tools and information.
Kudos to the student organizers of the energy conference for making an impact.
For more information: Student-run MIT Energy Conference influences national legislation
May
28
When I opened our PR package with the Green Cleaners in it I also found 2 surprises. Otterbottles for Joey and I!! We didn't have stainless steel water bottles so this was perfect. What did we use for water then? Jen - well I used plastic reusable bottles. I have about 4 of them, 3 of which smell and the 4th has a broken lid. Joe - he drinks bottled water. The empty bottles are all over his truck. It is depressing.
Joe picked which Otterbottle he wanted first but really it was easy as one had butterflies and flowers on it and the other had a cool tree. Obviously he wanted the butterflies and flowers RIGHT JOEY???!!!
So what do we think? Joey is converted. He loves cold water so bottled water was always what he wanted. Not any more. He loves that his new bottle keeps his water cold for a really really really long time. At first he said he would only use it if his water didn't taste like metal. I didn't so that won him over as well. He takes his bottle everywhere with him now....it is like Linus and his blankie. His only complaint - the bottle rattles around in the cupholder in his truck. It is too narrow for the cupholder. I am not sure what kind of waterbottle would fill the cupholder up...maybe a jumbo slurpee??
What makes these bottles different than other stainless steel bottles out there? The Otterbottles are 100% 18/8 stainless steel. There is no liner and no aluminum.
The last 2 things that I love. These bottles were created by a Canadian lady named Shannon Andrukow who lives in Calgary. I also love that for every bottle sold they are donating proceeds to the David Suzuki Foundation. If you want to grab yourself some of these awesome bottles head on over to Otterbottle.
We absolutely love ours and will be using them for a very very long time.
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May
27
As All Eyes Are On The Gulf Coast Devastation, Green Is Slipping In Through The Back Door
On March 19, 2010, ECOtality, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and its subsidiary, eTec (Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation) announced The EV Project. The EV Project was created last August when eTec was awarded a federal stimulus grant of nearly $100 [...]
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Read the rest on my blog.
May
27
Before we went on vacation in February we went to get a few supplies, one of which was sunblock for B. I insisted that we get Aveeno Baby SPF 55 because I thought that it was the best and safest option based on what was available. We don't seem to have the same organic or environmentally friendly options as the US does so things can be kind of limited.
It seems like every blog is talking about the EWG's 2010 Sunscreen list so I thought I would check it out. I am actually totally in shock that B's Aveeno sunblock is ranked at a 7 (meaning it should be avoided due to the harmful and toxic ingredients). 7!!!! a fucking 7. The No-Ad sunblock that Joe and I use I thought for sure would be a 15 even though it is only a scale to 9. Nope it is better than the crap I insisted we get for B.
Joe had wanted to get Coppertone Waterbabies because it was cheaper then Aveeno but I said no. Le sigh....I just had to admit that I was wrong. I am never going to live that one down am I? Coppertown Waterbabies is ranked as a 3. Not a 7....a 3.
Looks like I need to hit up the store to replace the toxic crap that I have been slathering onto him to protect him from the sun.
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May
26
In 2009, 10 million new cars were sold and 14 million cars were scrapped (www.Earth-policy.org). Now, if each of these cars has at least two wiper blades, that's 48 million rubber wiper blades bound for a landfill somewhere. Not good. But you can't drive ... [visit site to read more]
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May
26
I am not the traditional environmentalist by any means. I am in no way crunchy (well except for those years in highschool when I wore bell bottoms every day - and no this was not the 60's) and I am a big believer in making change from within instead of fighting it from the outside. I have worked for a chemical company (oh the horror) and loved the change I was able to make while there. Do I have a line? Yes ofcourse I do. I remember clearly when Joey came home last year and said he had a job offer from a local company. I asked what they did and he looked nervous to tell me. One of their sectors was veal. I lost.my.shit. This was over my line. I didn't want any money from a company in this industry even though he wouldn't be working with that sector at all. To me it didn't matter.
Several months ago they invited me to come to their veal farm to look at their practices. I know they were trying to win me over. Heck if you can win someone like me over then you have a fighting chance at increasing your market share with those not as focused on the environment as I am. Before I went I posted online and asked why people are against the veal industry. The results were not surprising. People felt the same as I did and we all pictured baby cows chained inside of small isolating pens where they are unable to walk or be outside. I went into this meeting open minded but also thinking I knew what I would see.
I was surprised. This wasn't anything like I had pictured or even imagined.
When we first arrived at the farm I saw the calves who had just arrived. My first thought? My son. I don't know why my mind went to him but it instantly did. Perhaps because when he was born I only had a brief amount of time with him before he was taken away and I didn't get to see him for several hours. I imagined the mother cows thinking similar thoughts. So why take the calves away from their moms right away? In Europe they remain with their moms for several weeks. I really don't know what is the better situation. To have that bond for weeks and then lose it or to not get that time together at all??? See this is why companies like this have a hard time winning me over. I frickin compare my thoughts as a human mom to a cows thoughts. (it's okay to laugh at me).
We continued on our tour to the large rooms where the cows are kept according to age. Several ran up to me to lick my hand. Yes they ran up to me. Obviously because I am delicious. They were not chained or confined in any way, infact the stalls were spacious. They eat ate a state of the art feeding system that regulates how much milk replacer they are eating and can adjust their food by reading their ear tag.
At this farm the cows do not go outside but the company is piloting a program at another farm where the cows do have access to the outdoors. While indoors they are not kept in the dark. They have access to 16 hours of daylight through windows and ceiling lights. The cows weren't being pumped full of antibiotics either. At this farm they approach it the same way most of us do with our kids. You treat them when they are sick.
These animals were treated humanly. I was impressed by that considering I have heard nothing but horrible things about the industry. I also don't think it was all show just because I was there.
Okay now the cool stuff...the stuff that gets my heart racing like I am 16 and going on my first date. They are turning the cows poop into energy. There is a huge biodigestor that will allow them to put electricty back into the grid to power 500+ houses and to sell pathogen free land nutrient to golf courses and local farms.
With movies like Food Inc. being the trend right now people more than ever are wanting to know where their food is coming from. I am no exception. Veal isn't for everyone, including me. Will I ever eat it? Probably not. I know this is not what they want to hear from me but anyone who knows me won't be surprised. Afterall I went vegetarian for several years after realizing my university residence put chopped up spare beef parts (I have no idea what it was) into the pasta sauce. However, if someone asked me about the industry and this farm in particular I would recommend it. If you are going to eat any type of food why not go for the best? Pick the option that is the most humane and that has the least impact on the environment. Know where your food is coming from and what has gone into producing it.
And now the fine print - I am writing this because visiting the farm had an impact on me. It changed the way I think about the veal industry and farming in general. There are good farms and ofcourse bad farms in every industry. You just have to do your research on where your food is coming from. The fact that Joe works for a company owned by this farms parent company has nothing to do with why I am writing this. Isn't it ridiculous that I have to even say this?
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May
25
The fourth annual Sunscreen Guide by Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives low marks to the current crop of sunscreen products, with a few notable exceptions. EWG researchers recommend only 39, or 8 percent, of 500 beach and sport sunscreens on the market this season.
Full report here: <a ... [visit site to read more]
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May
25
The video of our 2nd Annual Investor Forum is available now:
Here is a link, in case you can't see the player: http://bit.ly/cVKmR3
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Here is a link, in case you can't see the player: http://bit.ly/cVKmR3
May
25
Welcome to the May 24th, 2010 edition of All Things Eco.
Be sure to Stumble the posts you like, or submit them to other social bookmarking services. Let's promote each other, as well as this ... [visit site to read more]
© Focus Organic for 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
May
24
The folks at Software Advice, think paper receipts represent a wasteful vestige of the last millennium. There is no reason – legal or otherwise – why consumers or retailers need paper receipts. Electronic receipts are completely valid and they are far more efficient.
Most recently, I asked you to take a short poll on this subject, [...]
May
24
Joe has said this to me twice this weekend.
The first time was when I opened the 3 pack of Stride gum we had purchased and saw that each pack was individually wrapped in plastic. I don't understand why it is necessary when it is already in an outer package . I suggested switching to a different brand and I heard "Okay now you are taking this too far".
The second time was when we were at Canadian Tire using the self checkout. I picked up the 4 items we had purchased and started to walk out of the store. I didn't take a plastic bag. Joe stopped me and said "You aren't putting them into a bag?" I said "No" and he told me again I was taking things too far.
The first time made me realize how different we are with regards to what we are willing to give up for the sake of reducing our impact on the environment and what we aren't willing to do. I like that he has a 'line' and I can respect that as I know that he respects mine.
The second time just made me laugh. But then as B was sticking his hands in Joe's sausage condiments (okay that sounds horrible) I really wished I did have our stuff in a bag. Time to start carrying reusable bags in the truck.
Okay now back to LOST.......
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EZ-Cracker WTH?
Me? An Environmentalist?
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May
22
These 2 lucky ladies will be enjoying some cold water really soon. Congrats! I will be emailing you both to get your information.
Cass D - for taking the Filter For Good pledge
Trish - for voting for me in the Top Mommy Blogs
May
21
May 21st's Tip
Wedding gifts: With summer here, and June, July, and August being the top three months for weddings, you may among the many who will soon be attending a wedding and need a ... [visit site to read more]
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May
20
Known for their extreme comfort, style and durability, OKA b. shoes are washable, bacteria resistant and made in a zero-waste cardboard and raw materials facility in Buford, Georgia. The plant regrinds "well-loved" OKA b. sandals and combines ... [visit site to read more]
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May
20
After the fiasco with our last all purpose cleaner I have to say I am a bit jaded of products working and being green. I have been using Gloves Off Disinfectant for about a month now and was immediatly impressed with how well it cleaned. My counters have seriously never felt or looked cleaner. It gets almost everything up off the counter too. The only thing I found that it would not remove was a small stain from the curry we had last Friday (mmmmmmm curry). But you know what did work? The Gloves Off Stain Remover! It is like Batman and Robin in action. I have used the disinfectant on our kitchen counter, stainless steel appliances, bathroom counter, sinks, toilet, walls and kitchen table all with the same outcome. This product just plain works. The smell is great too...no strong chemical odour here.
This product is made from plant based biodegradable materials so it is green (compared to some competitors on the market who just claim to be green but aren't really). I also love that it is registered with Health Canada for eliminating 99% of germs (does it work on cooties though?????).
*** I was given this product to try out and review. I was also given some to giveaway to my readers. This however had no influence in my review because I am not a sellout.
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May
20
I'm in San Diego and dropped by the StockTwits West studio to sit down with Howard Lindzon to talk about cleantech, oil and gas, and just have some fun:
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May
20
Criminally Appalling Disregard For Life and Nature In A Quest For The Almighty Dollar
Last Sunday night 60 Minutes interviewed a walking, talking miracle – Mike Williams, at work as the chief electronics technician on the Deepwater Horizon the night it exploded. Employed by Transocean, the largest off-shore drilling company and owners of the rig, leased [...]
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