GREENCulture blog

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the first batch of iPhone bills were sent out last week with most arriving in inch-thick USPS packages -not envelopes - with one girl who famously video blogged her anger over a 300 page, $300 phone bill. Even AT&T, who offers their services to iPhone users, admits that it was their bad. After the apologies come the solutions, to which AT&T offered their users the default option of receiving a summary bill, which is a bill that’s normally about 1-2 pages that explains how much they owe, state taxes and how many minutes they used. For full details the customer can either go online or request the FULL bill for an extra $2. As a non-iPhone user and light green citizen, I admit I’ve had my fair share of $300 phone bills (damn text messaging package!), but Verizon automatically opts me in for the paperless billing system. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually nice to save trees. For you iPhone users out there, consider doing the right thing and go paperless because treeless is just not as sexy.

Master craftsman, eco-designer, furniture hero - words that Stephen Staples, maker and co-owner of Staples Cabinet Makers, embodies. Allow me to tell you a little bit more about our eco-superhero Mr. Staples. No, he doesn’t wear a red cape with a large S on his chest, nor can you summon him with your magic ring. But this guy really does know how to save the environment - this hardworking artisan makes gorgeous and natural looking furniture from reclaimed wood from old barns and houses found throughout the New England area. Following a Japanese philosophical style known as “wabi sabi,” which roughly translates to “flawed beauty” in the art world, Staples truly believes that the real beauty in his work lies in the natural contours, knots and stains that have naturally formed in the wood throughout time. With his dedication in using reclaimed wood to create unique furniture laced with historical and aesthetic value, Stephen Staples is our green superhero/super-artisan of the year! To learn more about his beautiful furniture pieces and about his inspirations, visit Staples Cabinet Makers.

In the mood for an Italian cooking class? Why not hop on a plane and take one in sunny Tuscany, Italy? Organic Tuscany not only supplies a week of cooking courses on authentic Italian dishes, including vegetarian meals, but this eco-friendly group also centers on responsible tourism. The hot water used is derived from a solar hot water panel and composting and recycling is an essential ingredient for this lodge as well. Also, pool transportation is offered whenever possible.

From the day you arrive, you are greeted with a basket of organic goodies in your room, including fruit, honey, milk, freshly baked bread, fair-trade coffee and tea, and a couple of bottles of biodynamic wine. With cooking courses offered everyday of the week, you can also choose not to attend and instead, go for a dip in the pool or visit neighboring villas and towns. Daytrips to nearby organic and biodynamic farms, where you’ll pick produce for picnics, and visits to Sienna and Florence are also all comprised in this tasty dream vacation. Peaceful strolls around the vine covered hills are also a must, as the tranquil countryside is wrapped in a variety of olive groves, organic farms and vineyards. It’s almost the end of summer; cut yourself some slack and make your next holiday an eco-friendly one (plus, how can you say no to homemade ricotta cheesecake and tiramisu?!).

Just about everyone has seen neurotic hairstylist Jonathan Antin’s show, “Blow Out”, on Bravo. The third season, premiering March 21, 2006, revolved around the launch Jonathan’s 100% Vegan self-titled “Jonathan Product®” hair product line, and his growing popularity in the piranha-like fashion industry. The following he and his products acquired was bigger than anyone had anticipated. The Jonathan Product® Line has items such as a Beauty Water Purification System, Dirt Texturizing Paste, and Create Straight Straightening Serum; but the one product  that has received just as much attention as Dirt, and I happen to adore, is the Create Motion Shaping Crème Gel. The Create Motion Shaping Crème Gel is awesome! It is a 100% vegan, creamy hair gel that won’t leave your hair feeling sticky, crunchy, or stiff; and it washes out with one shampoo. It gives curly hair beautiful, defined curls that look sleek, shiny, and healthy. It’s also great for giving straight hair just a little bit of wave or short hair some texture without having to use a heavy balm or wax that takes forever to wash out. The best part is, since all of the Jonathan Products® are 100% vegan, there is nothing in there to pollute your hair! In fact, the more you use Jonathan Products®, the condition of your hair will improve. So go ahead, blow it out!

It seems that nowadays celebrities can avoid just about anything from jail time, rehab and long term marriages. But aside from the paparazzi, there’s one thing they can’t run from: pollution. Whoda thunk, right? According to this post on Treehugger.com, one of the worst polluted beaches in Italy is located right by George Clooney’s lovely little villa. You wouldn’t think it, but in those shimmering blue waters lie deadly microbes from unsustainable agriculture and toxic runoff. I’d highly advise against swimming in those tempting waters unless you’re looking to bring home salmonella, dermititis and a variety of other skin infections. Gross!

Think you’re a true eco-traveler because you stay at hotels with the greenest amenities and services? Think again: every time you travel via plane, liters upon liters of non-renewable resources, which took millions of years to create, are exhausted. Additionally, planes use tons of aviation fuel, contributing to the production of CO2 we already produce in abundance. Air travel also generates more than just carbon dioxide, as it emits high levels of Nitrogen Oxide as well, (which is the primary culprit for ozone smog, acid rain, and oxygen depletion).

To combat this environmental hazard, treeflights.com plants a tree with each flight you take. Trees use the sun’s energy to absorb CO2 (globally, forests absorb between 1/5 and 1/4 of all human emissions of CO2*), eventually transforming into renewable material such as wood. A wide variety of tree types is planted with treeflights.com, including willows, wild cherries, and alders, with all of the plantings on rough mountain land. If curiosity strikes, you can even make a visit to Wales or Peru and become acquainted with your adoptee.

Order a treeflight, which costs only 10 pounds, and make your contribution to our communal home. Though the process of planting trees doesn’t balance out the amount of CO2 we produce, nor will it conquer global warming, treeflights.com offers an opportunity to at least give back to Mother Nature.

*treeflights.com

There are many things I adore about the outdoors: crisp mountain air, the mixture of sunshine and ocean salt tickling my skin. I do not, however, like the world of insects in the outdoors. I absolutely and resolutely am scared and grossed out by them. And of all the creepy crawlies in the wilderness, I am most likely to run screaming into a picturesque sunset because I encountered the simple honeybee. Don’t ask why—all I know is the only contact I want with bees is from bottled honey. So it comes as a mild surprise that I would enjoy a beauty product involving bees wax. Burt’s Bees has been a longtime eco-friendly company, using as few chemicals as possible and sticking to the natural stuff, using bees wax in most of their products. I myself am partial to the lip balms. Similarly addictive, the Radiance Body Lotion is over 99% natural and is made from completely recyclable packing and leaves a faint shimmer on your skin, courtesy of mica minerals. It’s also paraben and phtlalate-free, using a specially formulated Royal Jelly replacement and sunflower oil for moisturizing goodness. Maybe those busy buzzing creatures have something more to offer than honey after all.

Growing a garden is a tricky task. It requires patience, nurturing, and carefully keeping track of how your plant is fairing. Every time I’ve tried to keep a plant alive, it ends up in the trash, withered and brown and certainly not producing oxygen. So I greatly admire the people at Dr. Hauschka, who grow their own plant materials to create their wholly organic holistic skin care line. With the help of biodynamics (sustainable agriculture), Dr. Hauschka is able to take into account all of the environmental processes it takes to make its gardens flourish. And that is why the Macadamia and Orange Shampoo, which is 100% certified natural by the BDIH and comes complete with a certified cosmetic seal, is such a great product. It combines self-sustaining, all-natural ingredients with natural essential oils of orange and macadamia nut oil, with the result being an excellent regular shampoo that leaves hair softer and silkier. Which leaves me thinking: maybe it’s time to try watering another peony again.

…greenhouse gas emissions get worse! According to this Yahoo! article, scientists believe that if they can successfully develop a balanced diet of protein, sugars and fiber for cows, cow belching and methane emissions will be reduced. And contrary to popular belief, methane gets into the atmosphere through belching not the other end. Turns out, legumes are the culprit; hard to digest legumes like alfalfa and clover are generally used as animal fodder, which in turn causes the belching. I guess beans are the magical fruit after all.

Summer heat, like so many things, is an equal blessing and curse. It’s great when you’re chilling poolside, sipping an iced tea (or a margarita, if you prefer) and basking in the warm rays. It is not, however, good for keeping lips moisturized. Just like how the sun can wreck havoc on your skin without proper sunscreen coverage, it can also damage your lips, leaving them as dehydrated as Italian soccer players during the fourth quarter. To avoid chapping, try the certified organic Origins Smileage Plus Liptint. Made from an organic beeswax base, this lip balm is packed with a variety of organic ingredients, including coconut, sunflower oil, aloe extract, jojoba oil and cocoa butter that soothe even the driest of lips. Plus, the faint citrusy scent is the perfect summer complement, and the sheer tint is just so pretty.