Earth, Wind & Power Blogazine

Green on the Red Carpet!

By Erin Marquis

The Oscar buzz isn’t over just yet, as the media is still looking at who wore what on the big night. But who dressed green? Here’s a look at sustainable glam from this year’s Oscar awards.

SUZY AMIS CAMERON

Director James Cameron’s wife wore a dress the same color as the earth loving creatures in her husband’s academy award nominated movie Avatar. The dress was constructed from a zero waste pattern meant to minimize or eliminate any scraps. The material was peace silk which is derived from silkworm cocoons without killing the pupae inside.

LIVIA FIRTH

Wife of Best Actor nominee Colin Firth has made a pledge to only wear ethical and sustainable dresses to award shows this year. Her dress at the Academy Awards was no exception. Her simple black gown was pieced together from end-of-roll fabric, discarded silk, organza offcuts and salvaged silk chiffon from unfinished petticoats.

ROBERT KENNER

Academy Award nominee Robert Kenner, the director of Food Inc. is obviously dedicated to environmentalism, and he exemplified this by wearing the first American-crafted organic-wool tux ever to be made for the Oscars.

WOODY HARRELSON

The Best Supporting Actor nominee wore a black, custom tuxedo made from…hemp! Very appropriate, considering that Woody Harrelson is a an outspoken advocate of hemp reform.

Click here for more green fashion articles from Road & Travel Magazine.

Eco-Friendly Exercising Never Felt So Green!

By Liz Kaadou

Imagine how much energy and natural resources are wistfully wasted at your local gym? From towering treadmills, to fabulous flat-screen TVs, vending machines overflowing with bottled water, and even to the hoards of towels washed every hour.  The terrifying truth is that most gyms around the globe are far from basking in green glory.  While finding eco-concious gyms are a tedious task, here a few environmentally friendly ways to add a glimpse of green glimmer to your daily home workout routine.

 

1) Instead of investing in electrically powered exercise machines like treadmills and stationary bikes, why not explore the great outdoors.  Go for your daily run on a beautiful trail in your neighborhood and along the way stop for some push-ups and lunges to elevate your workout.

 

2) If you must purchase some exercise equipment for your home gym, opt for eco-powered ones, like Eco-Powr treadmills. These resourceful running devices use one third less energy than your traditional treadmills, making your eco-imprint on the world much friendlier!

 

3) Bypass the bottled water aisle in your supermarket and instead buy a Brita water filter.  This way you can quench your thirst during grueling workouts without wasting water bottles on a daily basis. Click Here to buy one!

 

4) Fill your home gym with effective, yet energy efficient workout gear like dumbbells, jump ropes and medicine balls. This Medicine Ball Set with Rack by TKO is a great addition to any home gym! Click Here to purchase one.

 

5) Greenfiy your workout wardrobe! Materials like organic cotton and bamboo get the eco-friendly stamp of approval, or gracefully glide your way into eco-fashion heaven with these Earth Glide Vegan gym shoes. 

 

For more eco-friendly workout advice, visit RTM's Earth Tones section

 

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Take Your Jewelry Collection from Glam to Green!

By Liz Kaadou

Green clothes, green shoes… and now green jewelry? Yes, the world of shiny and sparkly stones has transgressed into a ravishing realm of eco-friendly elements composed of fallen wood, grass, nuts and even seeds. These environmentally friendly materials get the eco-seal of approval and provide a great option for eco-lovers looking for some luminous luster that would make the environment sing its praises.  Although finding green jewelry may seem like a tedious task, here are a few daring designers dedicated to providing trendy and totally natural alternatives to fulfill your need for some gorgeous green glam.

 

Made from zulugrass, which is sustainable natural grasses that are dyed an array of different colors, these beads are handcrafted and entirely eco-friendly.  Click Here to buy these neat and nifty necklaces- they would make a great gift idea!

 

A stunning and unique piece by Tribal Chick, this necklace is created completely out of tropical pumpkin seeds, acai seeds and melon seeds.  The center is adorned with Tagua nuts in hot pink hues and even comes with a set of earrings! Click Here to purchase this artistic and alluring creation!

 

Check out RTM's Earth Tones section for more ways to go green!

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Take a Trip to the Eco-Salon

By Liz Kaadou

Did you know that most blow-dryers use as much energy as an electric toaster and that nail polish is riddled with harmful solvents and resins? It is quite scary to think that almost all of the items we use on a daily basis could be harming the environment, but have no fear; there are plenty of eco-friendly beauty products for the green-go-getter in you.

 

Green your manicure with PeaceKeeper all natural nail polish.  Rated as the safest paint-based natural nail polish by the Environmental Working Group, this pretty polish comes in an array of environmentally-friendly shades.  Click Here to buy.

 

 

Get the shiny, healthy, voluminous hair you deserve- minus the harmful chemicals with Poofy Organics Lovely Lavender Shampoo.  With natural ingredients like organic lavender essential oil and organic apple cider vinegar, this shamppo will leave your hair and the environment squeaky clean!

 

 

Blow-dry your hair in true green style with this Eco Ionic hair blower by Conair. This dutiful drying machine uses 25% the amount of electricity as traditional hair blowers and is packaged in one hundred percent post-consumer recyclable material. Click Here to purchase.

 

 

Shave your way to smooth skin with the Power Plus Piranha Dynamo Shaver. With no power supply needed, it is perfect for camping or traveling.  Say goodbye to dead batteries, simply wind it up to recharge and you are good to go! Click Here to buy.

 

For more eco-friendly beauty advice, visit RTM's Earth Tones section.

 

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Fabulous Boots: A Green Guide to a Warm Winter

By Liz Kaadou

 

Nothing says high fashion like a great pair of shoes, and nothing says eco-fashion better than a cute pair of vegan boots. Yes, stylish vegan boots do exist and with winter right around the corner you may want to think about investing in a pair. These all natural, eco-friendly shoe materials get the vegan seal of approval: bamboo, jute (a plant from Asia), hemp, pleather, satin and microfiber.  It’s time to take a step in the vegan direction.These four fabulous finds will take you eco-lovers from boot blah to boot bliss.  

 

Perfect for snowy and rainy days, these waterproof Elite Vegan Rain Boots are made from over 70% recycled material. Equipped with Bio-foam cushioning and an incline to help you burn those extra calories, these bright patent boats will defnitely fulfill your passion for eco-fashion. 

Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Who would ever know these boots are certifiably vegan? Chic, stylish and ultra trendy, these Comfort Vegan Slouch Boots are made entirely of pleather.  Perfect for a chilly night on the town or even running errands during the day. Either way you'll walk taller as a veganista.

 

Vegan men around the globe, the eco-fashion world has not forgotten about you.  Whether its snow shoveling or hitting the hiking trail, these 100% organic MBO Men's Hemp Boots are the perfect addition to any shoe collection.  Made from organic hemp free of any chemicals or pesticides, these snazzy shoes will make any man proud to go green. For fancier footwear, take a look at these Men's Vegan Boots.

 

Check out RTM's Earth Tones section for even more eco-fashion tips.

 

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Natural Beauty from the Kitchen or Grocery Store

Many make-up, skin-care and hair-care lines have long lists of unknown and non-pronounceable ingredients. Not only can our skin be very sensitive and react to these chemicals with rashes and irritations, but we can find much better and more environmentally progressive alternatives easily. Even though the beauty market has many skin care and make-up organic lines out, but check the labels before you make a purchase to make sure the product is organic. Natural products, found at a health food store or in the comfort of your kitchen, can be especially effective and make you feel (and smell) like a natural beauty.  

 

To Exfoliate Skin: Mix sugar and olive oil.

To Hydrate Skin: Use Shea butter, found at most health food stores.

To clear up a Blemish: Dab on a lemon, or some tea tree oil.

To Soothe a Cold: Add peppermint or eucalyptus pure essential oil to your bath or shower.

 

For more eco-beauty tips visit RTM’s Earth Tones section.

 

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How To Buy the Best "Green" Natural Make-Up

Attention luxury beauty junkies with an eco-conscience: green brands like Cargo PlantLove and Eco-Tools can keep your make-up bag well-stocked and your green heart warm. It'll be (literally) a smooth transition between animal hair or synthetic brushes and Eco-Tools' new - and inexpensive - bamboo ones. The tools, found in drugstores or online, come in convenient sets or singles, include responsible packaging and are a total steal, especially since they last so long. It still feels like my bamboo blush brush is straight out of the package after a year of using it.

The PlantLove section of Cargo products at Sephora is a one-stop-shop for all the green (not literally) high-end makeup products you could want. With it's adorable yet biodegradeable packaging and botanically-infused ingredients, PlantLove is the only prestige color brand to carry the globally recognized Ecocert natural designation for its comprehensive environmental commitment. For example, if you plant the lipstick box, it will grow wildflowers - seeds are planted in the earth-friendly outer wrapping, the rest of the package will biodegrade in 46 years.

The products are highly recommended not only for their quality but because the ingredients are actually beneficial in the long run - remember, a large percentage of everything you put on your skin seeps into your body and can cause longer-term problems. Organic products are loaded with antioxidants, healthy oils and other organics that you'd actually want to put in your body.

All PlantLove products get the Sephora natural seal, a set of standards created by Sephora since other natural standards are not regulated by the FDA; many other Sephora products have this seal. Put it all together by adding bamboo brushes - from kabuki to lash & brow -at the drugstore, and you've got it in the green bag! 

For more eco-style advice, visit RTM's Earth Tones section.  

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Eco-Fashion Goes Mainstream at NY Fashion Week

Guess what? It's time for New York fashion week - and it's going green. A new part of Fashion Week, The GreenShows Eco-Fashion Week is a two-day fashion event committed to eco-friendly, ethically sound, fair-trade fashion, that will feature a selection of eco-conscious fashion designers who have been given the opportunity to show their Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

“We should not have to sacrifice our planet for fashion” says Eric Dorfman, founder of EdMedia Inc. and The GreenShows. “The fashion industry needs to be more accountable to environmental damage and pollution. While eco-designers are leading the way for a more sustainable lifestyle, without sacrificing style, prominent fashion designers need to take on more responsibility to safeguard our natural resources and achieve zero waste. The GreenShows is designed to foster and support eco-designers to continue creating fashion and as a platform to bring eco-fashion mainstream.”

The GreenShows are also partnered with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) for a new "Don't Bag Indonesia's Rainforests," campaign. The campaign reaches out to fashion and luxury product companies who use paper packaging such as shopping bags that are made of the tree pulp from endangered tropical rainforests in Indonesia. Driven by market demand from the United States, the rapid destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests is causing massive global greenhouse gas emissions, destroying Indigenous communities, threatening unique ecosystems and pushing species like orangutans and Sumatran tigers to extinction.

Runway shows will include eco-fashion designers Izzy Lane, Bahar Shahpar, House Of Organic, Lara Miller, Mr. Larkin, and STUDY by Tara St James and a presentation by Bodkin. With innovative green fashion also comes eco-friendly hair and makeup by John Masters Organics and DEX New York, respectively. Extending even further, beyond fashion and style, The GreenShows will also debut BodegaGreen, a replica of a neighborhood convenience store featuring a selection of lifestyle eco-products.

The GreenShows will follow a rigorous path, from top to bottom, to make sure the production is 100% environmentally-friendly and energy efficient. From the runway to the lighting, the design team will use recycled, recyclable, and compostable material to create a beautiful and resource conscious layout as a backdrop to the collections.

Read the full release here. 

For more green fashion news, check out RTM's Earth Tones section.

 

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Green Shopping: The Great Return Policy Problem

Even the wonder of exceptional customer service doesn't come with a side of wastefulness and environmental harm. In fact, most features that stores offer to please customers and keep them coming back create conflict with their so-called "going green" programs - which are supposed to entice the growing number of educated consumers. Fancy bagging and pretty packaging continues to be a selling point - would shoppers rather be seen with a pretty logo bag or a re-usable tote, and would they rather by quality product with minimal packaging or quality product with extravagant packaging? At this point in the environmental movement, it's still a tough call.

But the return-policy is proven effective, and this is in part because consumers either believe that their returned items are being fixed up and resold, or because they don't consider what happens after the transaction. And the truth is, most returns, due to safety and health codes aren't fit for re-selling or worth the company's time or money to fix. Few companies have programs for giving products to charity or making product donations - especially in corporations, where this sometimes is not even allowed.

In fact, most returns are thrown away, and in a time where the ability to make returns is often encouraged as a selling point, this is a huge point of consumerist waste that should be handled effectively. To stores whose packaging fills mall-dumpsters nightly, a small bin of returned items may not seem so wasteful, but these products become product or e-waste when many organizations, or consumers looking for a discount, would love re-furbished versions of them. A used lipstick could be cleaned and donated, or a returned GPS could be fixed or re-packaged and resold, but often this is more trouble than it's worth.

The best way to reduce this sort of waste as a consumer is to try or get recommendations before you buy, and if it just doesn't work out, try to find another use for a product yourself or get it fixed rather than return it to the store. If you're a return-junkie, buy only from stores that are responsible with their returns, and encourage the stores you frequently shop at to adopt similar programs. If you work in sales, use your position to present a new return-policy policy and oversee it.

For more environmental lifestyle coverage, see RTM's Earth Tones archives.

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Eco-Friendly Beauty Tip For A More Efficient Shower

Here's just a quick little tip to apply next time you want to cut down your shower time and beauty product use. Keep in mind that while buying organic shower products such as natural soap bars or Lush products is green because you're supporting eco-friendlier companies, buying less products is the greenest and least consumerist way to go. The fewer products you buy, less packaging is thrown away, and fewer chemicals go down the drain and risk contaminating water systems. Even if you recycle all your containers, it still takes energy to transport them to a recycling facility and to complete the process of recycling.

That being said, try doing double duty with one product next time you're in the shower. After you've shampooed and rinsed your hair, and applied conditioner, don't be so quick to rinse it out. For one, you can avoid using shaving cream by using the leftover conditioner on your legs. Plus, you can use just about any conditioner to do a deep-conditioning treatment if you leave it in for long enough. Just squeeze the end of your hair lightly so conditioner rubs off in your hand, and rub it into your legs before shaving. Then rinse the remaining conditioner from your hair and continue your normal shower activities. In a pinch, or if you don’t use conditioner, you can do the same with shampoo - both products will soften the hairs and help the razor glide over your skin. It’s even better if you can turn off the water for this period before you need it to rinse. Happy eco-showers!

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