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.

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.