Greenification

It's no secret that Ted Turner has had his bite of restaurant industry experience, and now he's also trekking cross-country preaching the green to restauranteurs everywhere. [via: TreeHugger]

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Hippie-like Sunday [4:20]

[Green Apple Music Festival]
Last night in an attempt to hold off on the reality that Monday was almost here, I attempted watching Dave Chapelle's Block Party on Hulu. I fell asleep before the opening credits were done.
Today I find out the line up for the Green Apple Festival and it's almost like fate would have me not watch it so I could experience it all live. And for free, no less. DC yet again provides a great opportunity to hear some great minds speak on Greenifying and Global Warming whilst listening to some great live music.

Participants:

The Roots & Friends
featuring Doug E. Fresh, Ne-Yo,
Talib Kweli, will.i.am,
Chrisette Michele and more
O.A.R. Acoustic
Gov't Mule
Thievery Corporation (DJ Set)
Toots & The Maytals
Warren Haynes Solo Acoustic
Umphrey's McGee
CityDance Ensemble
Joy of Motion: Urban Impact
DC Boys Choir
Special opening performance by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks

Speakers:

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
Wendy Abrams, Founder Cool Globes
Actor and Environmental Activist, Ed Begley Jr.
Dave Chapelle, Satirist
Comedian, Actor Chevy Chase
Jayni Chase, Founder Center for Environmental Education
Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals
Donna Edwards, Member of Congress (MD-4)
Wayne Gilchrest, Member of Congress (MD-1)
Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (invited)
New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman
Jim Fuschetti, Head of Environmental Affairs, Chase
Jane Harmon, Member of Congress (CA-36)
David Hawkins, Director of NRDC’s Climate Center
Denis Hayes, Organizer of the First Earth Day
Joe Holland, Olympic Skiing Medalist
NASA Climatologist and Columbia University Professor, Dr. James Hansen
Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters
Edward Markey, Chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (MA-7)
Actor, Ed Norton
Comedian Chris Rock
Reginald “Flip” Hagood, President, Student Conservation Association, Inc.
Goldman Prize Winners Rosa Ramos and Marina Rikhavanova
Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
Kathleen Rogers, President Earth Day Network
Russell Simmons, Record Producer, Entrepreneur
Robin Talbert, Executive Director of the AARP Foundation
Rev. Yearwood,President of the Hip Hop Caucus
Cathy Zoi, President, Alliance for Climate Protection

Golden showers. In your mouth.

I really don't have the words to get into all this, so I'll quote and let you all read on your own.

Users will test their urine before the reaction. Then, they will add an enzyme, wait for their urine to hydrolyze, and then add Magnesium Chloride. A sediment will build up at the bottom of the jar. Using a filter, they will pour off and flush the liquid, leaving the fertilizer in the jar. They can add water and the seeds included in the kit to grow their own watercress hydroponically in the glass container used for the reaction. [drinkpeedrinkpeedrinkpee]

No. Seriously.

Chopstick Fetish

It's no secret I love chopsticks. It could even be argued that I'll try and eat almost anything with them.

One part cutlery, one part chopstick, and 100% bamboo, Choplery is a fun dining tool that begs the question "Does Pad Thai taste the same with a fork?" Created by Brooklyn-based designGO!, they simultaneously offer options and almost force a choice when eating: knife, fork & spoon, or chopsticks? [Treehugger]

[Treehugger]
Not only are these 100% bamboo, which is a great a sustainable and renewable resource (green!!) They also double up for that hard to reach rice at the end of the meal! So hot!


[Treehugger]

Emeril Goes Green.

Although I'm not a huge fan of his work, I do have to admit this is a pretty good idea, if anything for the support of greener food enterprises and for the recipes (you are free to shop where you most like). Apparently after the end of Emeril's last season on the Food Network, he went crazy and sold out his Emeril cooking line (or most of it anyhow) to Martha Stewart.

Now he's back as Emeril Green, and this time he will be cooking from inside a Whole Foods store using all organic, free-range products. Sounds interesting and very similar to something I had been talking about earlier today. [Slashfood via Ecorazzi and Treehugger]

Are you green?

I remember back in middle school when "are you green?" was a question completely unrelated to the environment. Now, although in a completely different context, you should still always answer yes, even if you're not; and do your damn best to get there.

I do what I can to try and make my 27 year old carbon footprint not as big on the planet. Try to throw some sand over it and cover my tracks. There's things I try to do, and although they don't always seem to work out as well as I'd like to, or at least how I've envisioned them in my head, I make a conscious effort to rehabilitate my lifestyle to conform to a more ecologically-friendly state of mind.

I quit smoking, which in cigarette butt-value alone is a great deal. I try to focus on more sustainable eating by purchasing more organically grown/bred, free range products. I have done my best to cut back on my bottled water drinking and try to drink out of a water fountain and get the reusable gallons for the cooler at home.

The recycling part, I need to get a little better at, although at work I do use my recling bin regularly and try to print as little as possible (even if my department specializes in tree killing). As far as my living environment, until I get out of living in an apartment and get a place of my own, there's not really much I can do to control what goes in and out of the aprtment short of using more efficient light bulbs and making sure lights are turned off in unecessary places.

I have seen a number of greenification projects sprout up in the area, which make me excited. Especially with all the recent talk of our apocalyptic demise as a planet.



For the past few years, I've been making a conscious effort to be a bit of a minimalist at home. I try no to have things just for the sake of having them. I hate clutter (although judging by a mid-week bedroom of mine, you'd be unable to tell), I hate bunches of paper, books, magazines, furniture. Things that need not be there, need not be there. I think it makes for a crisper, fresher, more spacious and organized environment. There's nothing wrong with interior decor, hell, I'll be the first one to sign up for some sweet home accessorizing, but again, until I have that space of mine own...

In any event, after a bit of background on this and tad long-winded intro, I leave you with some of the sweetest and eco-friendly accesories I would probably have in said living space. (Take notes, for once the house warming happens, you know what to bring)


[Kursi]


[Bel Air]


[Vitamin Living]


[Rolf Benz]

I'll let you browse through these websites, while I go change my pants.

This would appear to be one of those ranty entries, but I think I stated my point.
I will try to keep up with my sustainable living progess. No longer a product of my environment. My environment, soon to be, a prodcut of me.