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Changing the Way We Eat - TEDx Manhattan, Watch Live

“Changing the Way We Eat” takes place today, February 12, 2011, in New York City. A one-day event, it will highlight several aspects of the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy, nutritious food is accessible to all and is hosted by TEDxManhattan. It will be streamed live as well.  

"If you really think about it, almost every issue can go back to food," says Diane Hatz, creator of the event and director of The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming. "The industrial model of food production we have right now is totally unsustainable. I think it's important, because I think we're close to the tipping point."

Kiss My Face Peace Collection Giveaway

 

Well, the holidays are upon us and there is no better time for “kissing”. To celebrate the holidays Kiss My Face has created a new Holiday Peace Collection.
 
The Holiday Collection features our new 100% natural all-purpose castile soap in a liquid form and also a foaming hand soap. As consumers are searching for ways to remove toxins from their lives, this versatile soap is the perfect solution. The liquid soap has over 101 uses from the shower to the kitchen to the lake and even washing man’s best friend. All bottles come with a to/from holiday card for easy gift giving.
 
Available in 4 “peaceful” scents: grassy mint, lemongrass clary sage, pomegranate acai & lavender mandarin scents.
 
In addition, we have soy wax Peace Candles in the same wonderfully relaxing scents.
10% of the profits will support Seeds of Peace, an organization that brings together teens from countries of conflict, like Palestine and Israel, to a camp in Maine where they learn about “the enemy” and leave more educated and compassionate about their neighbors.

Please share the ways in which you create a peaceful season.  Winner will be drawn from the giveway hat (our version of the sorting hat from Harry Potter!) on Dec 7th and shipped soon thereafter. 

Now's the Time to Compost Lawn Clippings

You know how much waste mowing your lawn generates. And, you're likely tired off emptying the mower bag and starting over each time.  Why not compost the clippings !!??  It will not only motivate you to remove grass clippings from your lawn, it will help to create an all-natural, nutrient-rich material that you can use to fertilize your lawn and garden. It's a win-win situation! 

Enter to Win the Cook Islands "Eco-Wedding" Contest

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and Pacific Resorts Rarotonga & Aitutaki are celebrating their commitment to the environment by giving away the first "carbon neutral wedding". Eco-conscience brides and grooms from the USA & Canada are eligible to win the wedding of their dreams in the Cook Islands. The lucky winning couple will also get to bring along four family members, or friends to celebrate with them!

Prizes includes roundtrip airfare on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles, CA to the Cook Islands, accommodations for the bride & groom and their four guests, and an eco-friendly wedding ceremony and reception including South Pacific traditions.

Help Eliminate Plastic Bags

The elimination of plastic bag use is a big part of the conversation across the nation, but remembering your re-usable shopping bag is often a problem.  How many times have you been in the grocery store and your bags are still in your car??  For EARTH DAY 2010, Conserving Now is offer a FREE window cling to put on your car window to help you remember.  

CN is a community of individuals dedicated to preserving the planet for future generations. Their members are committed to eliminating plastic bags from their lives

The static cling can help in two ways:

 1) It is the last thing you see when you get out of the car (reminding you to grab your own bags)

2) Demonstrates your commitment to the environment to others (and maybe reminds them too!).

Get your free cling @ ConservingNow.com

Peer Pressure, The Way to Get Power Conservation ?

Surely not a high-tech method, but a startup company, OPower has learned that when utility companies send their customers personalized reports on their energy consumption, and compare usage with their neighbors, folks can be persuaded to save energy, reduce emissions and help fight global warming.  Seems like folks still like to top their neighbors!

Studies have found that customers who get the peer-to-peer companies cut their energy consumption by 1.2% to 2.8%, on average.

Read more @ MarcGunther.com

Sir Paul McCartney Hosts New PETA Video, "Glass Walls"

PETA released a video short hosted by longtime PETA friend, Sir Paul McCartney. "People ask me every day why I became a vegetarian, and I felt that in this case—unlike in my songs—images speak louder than words," he says. In the video, McCartney shows viewers what happens on factory farms and discusses the recent U.N. report revealing that meat production is responsible for 18 % of global carbon emissions; more than all the cars, planes, trains, and boats in the world combined. The chilling video, titled "Glass Walls," can be seen here:

Find out more at Meat.org.

And for all of McCartney's many fans out there (and who isn't), to team up with the launch of "Glass Walls" video,  Peta's launched a contest to win The Beatles: Rock Band. More info,  here.

Mitsubishi Joins National Recycling Program

Mitsubishi has announced they are now participating in MRM’s national recycling effort!  This will allow consumers to drop off all Mitsubishi TVs at any recycling center throughout the USA ( see location list @ mrmrecycling.com).  In a statement,  Mitsubishi said they're watching out for the environment during the entire life cycle of the product: from production, to product usage and all the way to its end with this recycling program. 

Mitsubishi looks to continue being at the fore-front of green electronics with its energy-efficient televisions and now is making it easier than ever to reduce waste with this recycling initiative.  With more and more attention on energy consumption, Mitsubishi continues to improve their LaserVue televisions- the most energy efficient large-format and high-definition television available on the market today. 

National Parks Week NYC Announced Timed With PBS Ken Burns Series Airing

The nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, filmmaker Ken Burns and PBS announced the launch of National Parks Week NYC, a week-long series of events in NYC, September 19-27, 2009, featuring an evening of music and film in Central Park’s East Meadow on Wednesday, September 23 starting at 7p with highlights from the upcoming Ken Burns PBS series “THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA.”  The series will premiere on Sunday September 27 on PBSand releasing on dvd October 6 (order thru GH below).

During National Parks Week NYC, a series of public events will celebrate the  history of our national parks and launch a national dialogue about the future of the parks as they enter their second century. A number of park-related events will take place in NYC, including a green carpet gala on Tuesday, September 22 for friends of the parks to celebrate the cause. National Parks Week NYC will provide countless opportunities to entertain and educate the whole family, from a Lantern Tour of Fort Wadsworth to Grant’s Tomb After Dark and an Evening Tour of Liberty Island.

The main event of the week, “Feel Free: A National Parks Celebration in Central Park,” will feature highlights from the Ken Burns new PBS documentary, “THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA,” and musical acts by an array of talented performers. The live show from East Meadow in Central Park will be shared via satellite to PBS affiliates and other partners assembled in various locations around the country.  NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to kickoff the evening and Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will speak, along with other dignitaries.

TAPPED, and the Bottled Water Industry

Are you aware that in America, we buy 29 billion single-serve bottles of water every year? The new film, Tapped takes a look at the craziness of the bottled water industry, from the economic to environmental impacts. You'll think twice before drinking from a plastic bottle of water again.

To learn more more info on the anti bottled water issue, pick up and read Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle Over America's Drinking Water by Elizabeth Royte, and watch the clip below -