Okay... so it has been a year and a half since I have written anything here, but believe me, it has not been because my passion for all things green has waned. Indeed, my concern about the health of our earth has only increased. But I have been busy starting a new business as a massage therapist to support myself, while I continue to do all that I can in my local community to walk the talk and educate others about living a more sustainable lifestyle.

To that end, I have invested much of my personal green energy into producing the Framingham Earth Day Festival, an annual community event to educate and excite folks about making greener and cleaner choices. Along with around 20 other passionate and generous volunteers, and partnership with Framingham Sierra Club and many other sponsors, (Framingham DPW, Staples, Refoamit, GreenUp Day and Levine Design) we had our first event last year.

This year, Framingham Earth Day Festival 2012 will be even better. More vendors, new great live music, fun kids' activities, composting, recycling (of bikes, fluorescent light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, eyeglasses and styrofoam!), an interactive "prayers for the earth" display, a magician, a walking labyrinth and more! Indeed, this event has started to take on a life of its own as the greater community has become more involved and invested in its success.

The event is on April 28th, and between now and then, I hope to maintain updates on these pages; Not only to bring awareness to this great event, but to also regain my habit of maintaining a green connection with the handful of you who once decided to follow me!

So, if you're in the Framingham, Mass area on April 28th, the event is from 11am to 3pm on the Framingham Centre Common. If it rains, you will still be able to enjoy the event at Framingham High School! So please, LIKE us on Facebook, put it on your calendars, tell your friends, and bring the whole family!

And between now and then, I hope to buzz again into your life with some tidbits of greenformation that you think is worth your while...

Until then,

Happy Spring from the Green Bee

Answer The Call on 10-10-10

ANSWER THE CALL:

Are you a tree hugger? An armchair environmentalist? You want to save the oceans? The rainforests? The polar bears? Or maybe you’re a locavore, a vegan, or a raw foodie. Or you drive a hybrid, ride your bike, or take public transportation. Or maybe you're sick of coal mine disasters.... and Deepwater Horizon disasters. Perhaps your house sports a solar panel or you like the look of wind turbines, and you wish we were building them here instead of buying them from China and Denmark. You may even think a strong green business sector is what we need to really boost our economy. Or maybe you want cleaner air for your kids to breathe… or maybe you're concerned about the impacts of climate change.

It doesn’t really matter what your angle, or your passion. The reality is that it’s time for all of us to come together, behind one action, and let the world know there’s a large number of us who want to make this world a cleaner and more sustainable planet for future generations. There are enough of us, I am sure, despite our different paths, to reach a tipping point in consciousness.

But what will it take for all those who care about the earth’s wellness in all their different ways, to come together under one banner and pull in same direction? And what will it take for YOU to join in?

If you do not yet know about the worldwide call to actions sponsored by 350.org, on 10-10-10 (Sunday, October 10^th) I urge you to go to their website and check out the details of the mission, and the upcoming Call to Action.

But the bottom line is this: Around the world on 10/10/10, thousands of events will be taking place where people will be taking personal action to reduce humanity’s carbon footprint. Everything from tree plantings and home winterization projects, to green fairs and bike repair workshops. It’s a local community initiative to let our leaders know that we are mad as hell at their inaction, and we aren’t going to take it any more. We are going to start making changes in our homes, and our communities, and let them know we expect they will follow our lead and take the moral and responsible action necessary to move us toward a clean and green energy future.

Put in your zip code and see what is going on in your area. Join an event… anything. Just show up. If it’s something you can get behind.. great. If it’s something you’re unfamiliar with, learn something new.

And, if there’s nothing happening in your area, start something. 350.org’s website has lots of ideas. Even if only a handful of folks show up, you will have started a local group to move ahead with community support and actions on this very important issue.

And while you’re at 350.org’s site checking out a local event or logging your own, be sure to look at all the photos from last year’s event. Young and old from every corner of the earth participated. It’s a beautiful international and multicultural quilt of humanity, all striving for the vision of more sustainable future. Isn't that something we can all get behind?

Add your voice, your action, your face to this effort. And tell everyone you know about it. Every one of us counts. Every action has its impact.

Your grandchildren are going to ask you about this... On 10-10-10, don’t let the day slip away without answering the call.

thanks for all you do..

Green Bee

A Chip off the Old 'greenwashing' Block

OK, I admit it. I bought into the marketing hype hook, line and sinker. Even with twenty years experience in advertising sales and some finely tuned marketing radar, I still couldn't resist adding the bag of SunChips to my shopping cart.

I had seen the ad on TV weeks before. It showed a SunChips bag laying in the soil and slowly disintegrating, ultimately becoming compost. Yup... they had my attention. Fast forward to my local supermarket with its extensive natural and organic options, and there, on an endcap: SunChips in huge bags, sporting the 100% Compostable logo and a special reduced price. After much deliberation, ("well, I can at least write about this on my blog"), I actually returned a box of organic, seeded, whole grain crackers to the shelf, and replaced the carb content of my cart with this super sized, crinkly, compostable bag of artificially colored snack food.

Now, as far as snacks go, SunChips may not be the worst addition to your kids' lunchbox compared to Frito Lay's other products, but let's face it: health food it's not. I haven't seen Yellow Lake 6, Yellow Lake 5, Blue 1 or Red 40 on the nutritional food pyramid lately. But this brand is no stranger to clever marketing hype.... peruse some of SunChips' print advertising from last year (before the focus on environment), and you'd swear it was part of an FDA recommended healthy heart diet!

My intention is not to slam this product, or judge FritoLay's environmental efforts as solely opportunistic. I truly believe that everyone can only start where they are, and that each step in the right direction deserves encouragement. Their solar powered plant, compostable bag, and educational website explaining how to compost, is certainly a start.

But caveat emptor... buyer beware. When you judge a product by its marketing slogan when it comes to your health and the health of our planet, you are at risk. We need to dig deeper, read the fine print, and think holistically about the impact of our choices.

The best snack foods - like fruits, nuts and veggies - come in their own biodegradable and compostable packaging. And instead of empty calories, along with the sweet, savory and/or crunchy satisfaction, you will benefit from the vitamins, nutrients, sustained energy and a sensual experience of smells, tastes and textures that only nature can provide. Make that snack organic, and you're further supporting the health of your body, the planet, and a sustainable economy.

With all that said, the bag of SunChips now sits empty on the counter. My belly is a bit disgruntled from the experience, but what's a little suffering for the sake of an educational experience?

Tomorrow, that bag goes into the compost heap. I hope it's better at digesting this product than I am.

EARTH DAY's 40th ANNIVERSARY

"Earth Day is the first completely international and universal holiday that the world has ever known. Every other holiday was tied to one place, or some political or special event. This Day is tied to Earth itself, and to the place of Earth in the whole solar system" - Margaret Mead, 1977

The first Earth Day was April 22^nd, 1970, and was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in an effort to bring environmentalism into the political mainstream. Industry was spewing toxic sludge, V8 engines were guzzling gas, and the industrial revolution was moving ahead full force with little regard its impact on the Earth.

Sen. Nelson saw how successful grassroots efforts and “teach ins” were impacting the Vietnam war, as well as the civil and women’s rights movements, and thought, “hey, we can do that!”

This is what was written in the NY Times 3 months prior to the event:

"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam...a national day of observance of environmental problems...is being planned for next spring...when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'...coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned...."

And what a success it was: 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment! The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. It is definitely something to celebrate.

Here we are, 40 years later, and we still have our work cut out for us to clean up and protect Mother Earth. This perfect confluence of (still) breathable air, drinkable water and an amazing ecology that supplies us with food and the raw materials to support our lives, is at risk. And we are the ones who have to do something about it.

So today, make a commitment to change ONE thing in your life that not only helps support the health of our environment, but likely your health as well. Decide to bike or carpool to work/school one day a week, or hang your clothes out to dry on the line, or use a refillable water bottle instead of buying plastic, or remember to bring your own bags when you go shopping, or buy an energy star appliance for your next household purchase, or a hybrid car, or start composting your kitchen waste, and of course, keep recycling.

Choose ONE thing, and really commit to it. And if you already do all these things, your work is not done. Do more. Talk to others and encourage and educate them. Make noise. Get involved in your community, your office or your school.

Earth is our only home.

Make a change in your life to take better care of it.

Make Earth Day, every day.

No time like the present!

You know that feeling when you’ve waited so long to do something that you lose your mojo to do anything at all?

Well, yesterday I received a letter from Al Gore. He wrote to thank me (along with the 3000 others he trained to give his climate change slide show presentations) for the work we've done educating people about climate change. He also implored us to continue our work in reaching people during this critical time "..to preserve the healthy climate balance on which our civilization depends".

Nothing like a personal (well, personally signed at least!) letter from the honorable ex-vice president to get one's environmental mojo back in gear!! I had been struggling for months, with fits and starts, to get active on this blog again. With more than a handful of half finished entries sitting on my computer (all filled with extremely insightful ideas and useful tidbits for my expansive fan base :), I have been stuck in a state of limbo... unable to commit to any subject matter... or much of anything for that matter!

No shock here, but it's been a bit of a metaphor for my life. During the past four months of unemployment (aka: sabbatical, as I like to call it) I have truly enjoyed the rest, rejuvenation, self reflection and personal freedom that I had been craving. This time off was truly "a good thing" (thanks Martha) in my life.

But, like any good thing, moderation is key. And my lack of structure, although well earned and whole heartedly embraced, has peaked in its usefulness in my life. Too many half written blog entries, half finished business ideas and half cleaned out closets line my path, and now focus is required to move forward.

So spring finds this Green Bee "honing" in ("honey" in Dutch, btw!) on the pollen to fertilize what is next in my life.

And what is that, you ask?

On the professional front, starting next week my passion for health and healing (both people and the planet) will be quenched by going back to school to study massage and bodywork! I am excited to get some structure into my life, to be back in a learning environment, to connect with other like-minded folks, and to add another healing modality to my quiver of health resources.

And on the green front, in addition to a recommitment to this blog, I will be doing a climate change presentation at Framingham State College on Earth Day! My first such presentation in almost a year, my goal is to make this a useful and inspiring message to the generation who holds the sustainability and viability of life on this planet in their hands. I will post the time and location of this event shortly in case you are local and interested in attending.

So, stay tuned! I am back! Check in for updated musings, green and otherwise, of this Green Bee’s journey to a fulfilling, sustainable and wellness centered life.

Meanwhile, an action step to leave you with.....

This April 22^nd is the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day!!! Don’t let this one pass without taking some action as a positive change agent…. sitting by the sidelines just doesn’t cut it anymore… we need a revolution.

Be a patriot, and check out http://earthdayrevolution.com/ then spread the news on Facebook, Twitter and all your other resources. And don't forget to sign the petition!

Thanks for all you do.

Poly-blogomous

What's the scoop with blogs... is it acceptable to have more than one, even if they're on the same topic?

A month ago I was invited by a friend to join a group of 50 professional 'green' people to blog on greenopolis.com - a website focused on making the world a better place by offering education/inspiration on recycling, conservation, sustainability... well,you know the drill.

I couldn't refuse the invitation.... as a newbie in the blogosphere, I was excited to expand beyond my committed, yet intimate group of followers (that'd be YOU) to reach a wider audience with my personal escapades in green living.

But something happened as my inbox filled with emails from the administrator reminding me to post... I had all these great blog ideas, but couldn't write them down! Do I write them on my own blog? On Greenopolis? Where oh where do my allegiances fall?

Meanwhile, my life got more complicated (FYI: Looking for a new job if any of you have any suggestions!), and my silence became harder to break. Yes, I was still mono-blogomous, but in reality I became a victim of abstinence.

That was until yesterday.....I took the plunge with a story that has been brewing since 350.org day.... that rainy Sunday where my guilt for inaction took its toll, and I found an environmental action in my home town that has opened my eyes to the environmental issue of STYROFOAM....

So, for your environmental enhancement, here's my other post... and don't hesitate to follow me there as well. Who knows... perhaps I'm clever enough to keep both uniquely interesting!

Even if you don't own a hybrid.....

Would you think to rent one?

Last month my daughter, niece, sister-in-law and I drove 1200 miles from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, w/ several awesome stops along the way. It was an all girls road trip extraordinaire, with side splitting laughter, spontaneity and flexibility, scarey winding roads, spectacular night skies, amazing redwoods, waterfalls and ocean views, great meals, great wine, comfy beds and one unfortunate speeding ticket.

We decided to have a laid back attitude, booking only our flights (barely weeks) in advance, and trusting the rest would "come together" in the end. But as our departure day neared and we had not yet rented a vehicle (a responsibility that I had promised to take on), I began to panic.

With out a doubt I wanted to rent a hybrid. I wasn't sure if a Prius would be big enough for all our luggage and a week's worth of comfortable traveling, even though my 2001 was not an accurate reflection of the newest model... but I did figure we'd fit easily into a Ford Escape Hybrid. I'd seen those at car rental lots before, and in the Portland area there'd have to be a plethora of choices! Right? Well.... maybe not.

I called and googled every major car rental company (most of which are all owned by the same parent, by the way) only to find that that no hybrid SUV's were available for a one way trip with a drop off at the San Francisco airport. However, I could get a midsize SUV from any of these companies, no problem. 18 Miles to the gallon. But we'd all fit. Without any credit card needed to reserve one, I finally relented and held the cheapest option I could find, and continued my hybrid search.

Many frustrating hours later, I booked the only hybrid vehicle I could: A Prius. I totally ignored the little images on the website that showed a Prius holding only 3 pieces of luggage comfortably. I thought if we packed light enough and our bags were all small enough (who was I kidding!), perhaps we could jam it all in. And I wouldn't have to embarrass myself on this blog by admitting I'd rented a gas guzzling SUV. Again, no credit card needed, so with two vehicles booked, our options were open.

While we waited in line at the Hertz rental kiosk I had time to run to the lot and look inside the Prius to get a sense of the trunk space ... such a disappointment. No way would all our stuff fit in there. I trudged back to the group, defeated.

We were up next. I explained to the patient woman in the Hertz uniform our woeful story of wanting a hybrid but having too much luggage for the Prius. Other than a gas guzzline SUV, what did she suggest? She turned to her monitor, typed for a few minutes and said: "How would you like a Nissan Altima Hybrid? We don't usually have them but someone just dropped it off from out of state. The trunk holds 4 suitcases"!

I was ecstatic! We all agreed we had some great trip karma.... well, for the most part. As we walked up to our beautiful "race car red" hybrid Esther said: "Oh no, it's red.

The color most frequently pulled over for speeding!"

It could have happened to any of us, Esther... sorry it was you!

On a final note... the more we as consumers ask for green options, the more will become available. Next time you or someone you know needs to rent a car, ask for a hybrid. Perhaps the next person who needs a hybrid SUV will get one!