I recently had the honor of being part of a panel at the NOW Conference in Los Angeles, CA focusing on Women In the Public Eye. What a fantastic treat to see such a wide range of women come together in one place. I was particularly impressed with the young women. Bumped into Patricia Klauer, who is doing great work with The Women’s Technology Cluster Social Fusion in San Francisco. Zoe Nicholson is just lovely and ever so gracious - even in all her power! - and Lani Lee is a passionate and inspired young leader to watch. Sharing the panel with me was Mary Hunt, author of In Women We Trust, editor of Smart Products, and a consultant to the Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (SMaRT Standard). Mary is a dynamic and passionate interconnector and a brilliant source of information, working in the exciting intersection of women and the corporate marketplace. Reminding us just how much power we have to implement big change with our “tiny” choices. Corporate America is listening. What are you telling them?
National Organization of Women Conference
May 2, 2008 – 1:29 pm
Composting for Earth Day and Every Day
April 23, 2008 – 1:47 am
In honor of the 38th Anniversary of Earth Day, and due to the graciousness and generosity of Robin Wright Penn, her husband Sean Penn (who chipped in with direction), our Program Director Chrise de Tournay Birkhahn and Jeff Brooks, who kindly donated his cinematography and editing skills (and put up with our very spontaneous and unscripted project), we’ve put together an Introduction to Composting Video for you. Technically, as Chrise says, we’re more rotters than composters but the point is that this is an easy and affordable way to reduce your waste.
- Over 1/3rd of all trash that ends up in our landfills comes from green waste.
- With landfills around the world quickly reaching capacity, we’ll soon have to start transporting our trash to new locations further increasing the natural resources used in waste management.
- Less trash =’s reduced use of fossil fuels and fewer CO2 and methane emissions, both of which contribute to global warming.
- It’s a great way to teach your children about the food cycle.
- Composting can save you money on trash collection and help fertilize your garden (or your friend’s garden).
So we hope you’re hosting an EcoMom Composting Party today, or plan to soon. Check out the Video with Robin and send it to your friends too. Earth Day is a great day to celebrate this wondrous planet we are blessed to live on, but every day is the day to take action.
Goldman Prize Ceremony
April 21, 2008 – 11:51 am
As it seems life most often does when one is “in flow,” last week’s Goldman Prize Ceremony came at a perfect time in my life. Things have been a bit crazy ever since the story about the EcoMom Alliance appeared on the front page of the NY Times (gratefully overwhelming is what I’ve been saying), but that night I really needed a little connection and inspiration. As the guest of social butterfly and green builder John Shurtz the evening was just what the doctor ordered. The story of each of the prize recipients tells an amazing story and and I felt privileged to bear witness to their being honored in such a global arena. Ignace Schops, who led the effort to succesfully establish Belgium’s first National Park, finished his acceptance speech with, “We must think globally, act locally, and change individually,” and this seems perfect for tomorrow’s Earth Day celebrations that will be happening around the world.
I was particularly touched by Feliciano dos Santos, of Mozambique, whose work in sustainable development uses the power of music to promote the importance of water and sanitation. In his acceptance speech he shared of turning to Mother Nature when looking for answers and inspiration. His words brought tears to my eyes as I thought of my own experiences on Vision Quest, and how I pray that Corbin - and all the world’s children - will also have nature to turn to as they seek meaning and guidance in their lives. It is what keeps me going and gives me strength every day. As dos Santos stated so eloquently, “By loving the natural environment as we would a child, the environment will love and serve our children, producing food and clean water for future generations.”
No eco-angst here, just great photos!
April 9, 2008 – 9:39 am
So as far as the photogenic ones go in my family, it is definitely my sister and her family. Then there’s my little monkey Corbin who never wants to get his picture taken, but gets upset when there are not as many pictures of him around as there are of his cousins. Fortunately my dear friend Annie Robillard, of Annie X Photography works like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. She’s also become a favorite among many of the EcoMoms I know as well as those just about to become moms, those just getting married and everything in between. She’s also doing her best, in a not so eco industry, to take strides to reduce the ecological footprint of her business. To start, her website is hosted by wind powered Sustainable Websites, all of her collateral is printed on recycled paper with soy ink, she uses recharchable batteries on her cameras (up to 24 at a time!), recycles all packaging and she works out of her home to avoid long commutes. Offsets a good portion of her travel too.
Ode to Ode
March 28, 2008 – 7:10 am
If you have not yet picked up a copy of Ode
magazine, I urge you to do so today. I started snagging copies of my Dad’s
subscriptions years ago and it has long been one of my favorite
magazines. Editor-In-Chief Jurriaan Kamp’s Letter in this month’s
issue offers a perfect glimpse into why it is growing in mainstream
popularity as well. "The history of humanity is very much a story about
creativity, about finding new solutions for new problems - in short,
about progress," he writes. "It might be better for the planet if we
all went back to our pre-historic caves . . . but it’s not going to
happen - unless a meteorite hits Earth. Our real challenge is to find
ways to make our world a better place from the starting point of our
current reality." I’ve started reading sections to Corbin and he is loving Ode too. As their subtitle says, To People, To Passion, To Possibilities. To you. Read up.
Heading in a Better Direction
March 25, 2008 – 10:30 am
Had a lovely opportunity the other day to visit with Jennifer Drubner Eagen and meet Danny Seo, eco lifestyle guru and founder of Simply Green while he was on a shoot for Method and a new green line for Serena and Lily. Speaking of Method, after several of you contacted me, I spoke with them about the concern you had about the ingredients used in their products. In particular, you asked about 1, 4 dioxane, a by-product of a process called ethoxylation, which changes natural oils into gentle, effective surfactants.
In the words of founder Adam Lowry, "We don’t believe there is a healthier or safer choice for the consumer than the ingredients we have chosen to use in these products, and we are 100% confident in the safety of all of our products. In addition to our internal safety testing, we enlist Dr. Michael Braungart, the world-renowned environmental scientist and co-author of Cradle to Cradle, to conduct independent and comprehensive health and safety reviews of all of our products. After the OCA test results came out, we again contacted Dr. Braungart and confirmed that these products are indeed completely safe."
Further, many of their products are reformulated regularly as new, healthier alternatives become available. In my opinion, and perhaps of greatest import, is that these guys always seem open to learning and are genuinely trying to do good while providing an example to other companies that it is possible to do well at the same time. They have never claimed to be perfect but they are doing a good job of heading in a better direction and we can all use more of that.
Knut
March 10, 2008 – 11:00 pm
While Vanity Fair may have gotten some slack for whatever resource rich expenditures were taken to get that picture of Leonardo and the polar bear in last year’s "green" issue, one thing is for sure. The adorable, fuzzy, innocent, looking creatures have most certainly become a symbol of the climate crisis and it breaks my heart every time I see another story about their likely extinction in wild places within the next 30 years or so. For an uplifting story about polar bears, I’ve recently enjoyed reading Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captured the World.
What makes Knut especially kid-friendly is that Craig Hatkoff co-wrote this book with his two daughters, Isabella (age 9) and Juliana (age 12). This is the fifth book that Hatkoff has co-authored with his daughters. Knut features a true story of an animal in crisis and its survival. With amazing up-close photography as well as a simple and creative way to introduce your children to environmental responsibility
without scaring them, the book also provides smart, simple tips that your kids can do themselves.
Corbin is just learning to read and he found this touching and entertaining.
A New Vision
February 25, 2008 – 9:23 pm
I’ve just learned of a very cool project initiated by Stacey Frost, founder of Urban Revision that you may want to mention to your child’s teacher. In short a poster contest called Envision: 2050 this is really an eco-literacy program that asks children in grades 6 - 12 to imagine what their city will look like when that time comes to pass and to use their creativity to symbolize their hopes, fears, dreams etc. The campaign asks, "Where will energy, food and water come from? How will people live, move
and work together? And what will where you live now look like in the
future?" Yet rather than draw focus to the children’s fears, the program offers a unique capacity for students to access some of the most brilliant minds of the sustainability revolution including Hunter Lovins and Van Jones and organizations such as Conservation International and National Outdoor Leadership School.
As Stacy wrote in a recent note to me, "Our intention is to present positive and creative role models who inspire and innovate every day." It seems like they’ve set up a fantastic program to do just that and though we, as EcoMoms, strive every day to help create a sustainable future for our children, it is they, who are growing up exposed to this sort of information, who will likely have the greatest impact in reinventing the world in which we live.
NY Times and Environmental Forum of Marin
February 21, 2008 – 12:21 pm
Last Saturday, just before leaving for the workshop series I am doing with the Environmental Forum of Marin I ran to my computer to check the location and lo and behold there was a "Congratulations!" email from Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange. Turns out the New York Times ran a cover story about the EcoMom Alliance. I was absolutely flabberghasted, thrilled and am now gratefully trying to keep up with the barrage of interest that has come our way. Trying to balance it with still trying to be a good mom of course and wouldn’t you know it, this is the week that Corbin gets that awful flu bug that has been going around. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping up until this morning when he informed, "Mom, I’ve been sick and I need more attention." This even though I’ve been on the couch cuddling with him despite a slew of unreturned calls and emails. So we played inside ball for a while, he felt a little more secure, and now I’m back on the computer and phone for a while. Ah, the dance. If you live in the Bay Area by the way, check out the Environmental Forum. It is a phenomenal program.
True Love
February 12, 2008 – 11:29 pm
With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, the pressure to have, or find, that perfect someone is on - as is the pressure to buy something yet again (didn’t we just have Christmas?).
Last night, my true love fell asleep by my feet during an EcoMom Alliance Board of Directors meeting. At first I was annoyed that my schedule had shifted thus that he would be there while I was trying to get business done. Somehow, "Mom? Mom. Mom!" just isn’t conducive to budget discussions, and certainly, there were moments that tested my patience. But when push came to shove, and I looked down at his pure, little face and his tiny head resting peacefully on a cushion by my chair, I felt so utterly blessed and reminded of what true love is really all about.
I hope you feel this purity of love in your life and if decide you just have to buy something this Valentine’s Day for your special someone, make sure to order from Organic Bouquet. Founded by eco-entrepreneur Gerald Prolman, Organic Bouquet is the market leader in organic flowers
and recognized in the trade as having established the organic floral sector.
Their flowers are
available online and in natural food stores,
including Whole Foods Markets nationwide and with no toxic chemicals, you can breathe in their heady aroma without fear or eco-angst. Check out their giant roses too. Just pure, simple, organic bliss. Kind of like Corbin.
Other options include California Organic Flowers Family Farm
and Diamond Organics but I’m a very loyal person and I’ve known Gerald since he was just beginning and he sponsored an event I co-produced for World Environment Day.
and the EcoMom logo are registered trademarks 2007