The Audi “Green Police” Super Bowl commercial last night was a major letdown for many environmentalists (not all), as well as a major shot in the arm for extremists on both sides.  I think it was a marketing fail on Audi’s behalf not to take a more grounded approach… or at least hit their target properly.  And I explain why here on AshleySue.

You know how I have difficultly finding shoes I like, but TOMS makes finding a shoe company I want to support easier with their One for One Movement.  You buy a pair of organic canvas or such shoes from TOMS, and they give a pair away to a child needing shoes.  Yes, they give a pair of shoes for each pair purchased.

TOMS has been really great at keeping me abreast of some of their initiatives and efforts.  I was happy to offer them the opportunity to explain in their own words what the initiative is.  Check it out:

According to UNICEF, every year, nearly 10 million kids in other countries die from preventable causes. More specifically, causes that can be prevented by simply wearing a pair of shoes. TOMS decided to do something about it – in fact, Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie founded the company solely (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to help counter that problem.  When consumers buy TOMS shoes, any pair at all, the company gives a pair to a child in need. They’ve already given more than 140,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need — in just 3 years. By the end of 2009, TOMS will give an additional 300,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need all around the world, including places in the US.  It was such a great idea that it worked and managed to help a whole lot of children in just its first three years. Not only that, but TOMS sells organic and canvas shoes — this not only teaches children a little bit can go a long way to help, but also the importance of organic materials in today’s world.

Thanks to several mothers and fathers who wanted to teach their children the power of giving and helping and the importance of organic materials, TOMS created their TOMS Youth Collection. This collection offers several styles for children, and buying any pair of shoes from the collection can support the One for One Movement.

The first collection of TOMS youth shoes, Tiny TOMS, will have nine different canvas styles for boys and girls. October might be a little late for back-to-school, but shopping for new shoes for your kids online with them, whatever the occasion, can help spread the TOMS One for One Movement and help get even more children who need shoes those shoes.

Just by shopping for TOMS youth shoes for back to school, a pair of shoes goes to a child who doesn’t have any. By wearing TOMS organic shoes, you – and now your kids! – can support the One for One Movement. Now that’s something that takes a step toward a better future.

Personally, I love this.  TOMS makes great shoes that are environmentally and socially responsible, as well as having vegan lines.  TOMS has a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and YouTube, proving they get what community means today in our culture.

Check out their comfy kicks and know you’re voting with your dollars for a company that cares about the world in which they are a part.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

At the 2009 N.C. State Fair, I had the completely, unabashed, enchanting pleasure during the Deep-Fried Tweetup to meet Steve Trash, who needs our vote for President Obama’s Green Job Czar.

Steve Trash is my new Enviro-hero in addition to being a comedian and magician.  Yes, an Eco-minded Magician and Comedian, but Steve is no joke (though he is a complete kook!).

I have wondered about illusionists and magic since I was a mere child, always fascinated with David Copperfield and, in more recent years, Chris Angel.  All I can help but wonder is, are these guys for real?

I saw Chris Angel take a woman and her friends right off the sidewalk, take her necklace (an heirloom from her Grandma), take a hammer to it and break it up (putting the woman in tears), place the fragments in her hand and tell her to squeeze it really tight, and when she opened her hand, she seemed genuinely shocked to pull it out in absolutely perfect condition.

I thought… wow.  I wish I were that chic.  I want to have the experience personally so I know I am stumped as to the magic.

Enter Steve Trash at the Deep-Fried Tweetup at the N.C. State Fair.

He had a few cube-shaped sponges, about two inches cubed.  He placed one in my hand, another woman had one, and Steve had one.

I kind of rolled the sponge around and looked at it, just checking it out.  Just a little squooshy sponge, you know.  He told me to squeeze it really tightly in my fist.  I obliged happily, even noticing that a smidge of it was peeking out between my pinky and palm, and I poked it back in.

The other woman, Linda, also squeezed hers, and Steve squeezed his tight.  I watched this happen.

Then, Linda opened her hand… her sponge still stood sweetly in her hand.

Steve opened his hand (by the way, never moved his hands around, no sleeves, etc… trust me, I was watching for that); no sponge.  Then Steve told me to open my hand.

“I can’t!” I replied.  He assured me I can, to which I replied, “No, I can’t!  I’m scared!”

The little child in me was desperate to find both his sponge and mine, shockingly together in my hand.  The adult me prayed I would find only one sponge, joyfully sitting open in my palm, and the world could continue to make sense.

I held my breath and pried my fingers open, and…

I literally screamed!  Then I continued to squeal and nervously giggle.  I began to jump up and down!  Both sponges were in my hand.  I felt as if I had somehow blacked out and it had been planted.  That is the only scenario where these things happen without any knowledge or recollection, right?!

Steve laughed and said this is why he does magic:  magic makes people happy!

Are you curious why I tell you about Steve Trash, the magician?

All of his props are previous trash and recycled goods.  Things he finds, sometimes not even knowing what they previously were used for (”What is that?  A googles lens?  I toy submarine window?  I don’t know.”), and finds ways to incorporate them into his act.

Plus, he uses magic as a fun way to teach kids, and apparently the kids inside of us adults, about recycling and eco-responsibility!

I just adore Steve Trash, and if you want to know more about him, you can check out this awesome article on him, as well as his website.  Cool as he is, it should be no shock he is also on Twitter, Facebook, other Facebook, and Vimeo (think YouTube).

Steve, you have my vote!  I am writing President Obama now!

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

In honor of Earth Day, I figure I should share a completely beautiful and inspiring video of David Gottfried and Van Jones discussing what we are working toward and how this transformation is happening.

You could certainly say I am drinking the Van Jones kool-aid.  After all, he’s beautiful, he’s a humanitarian, he’s intelligent, he’s positive, he’s insistent.  Why would I fight that?

Truly, take a few minutes to fall captive to the video on urban renewal and environmental progress for a new world.

And take a minute to smile.  Take a deep, rejuvenating breath, exhale, and smile.

Happy Earth Day!

Sustainably yours ~ Ashley Sue

The Fun Times Guide to Living Green posted on Earth Hour… and steel-chair-wielding Pandas… Great post, which reminded me to share with you guys that I am participating this year!

Last year, I will admit, I did not.  I forgot about it.  Until the next day. 

Wah wah wah.

But loads of others got involved, including Google!

This year, the list of people involved is only growing, as awareness of Earth Hour and its purpose spreads.  Even our favorite green dog, Johann, wrote a fantastic post on Earth Hour and the WWF.  The posters this year (there are three) are Shepard Fairey originals (the guy who brought us the Obama poster, in case you are not familiar).

Really funny, two of my favorite celebrities (Janeane Garofalo and Alanis Morissette) have promoted Earth Hour 2009 through hilarious videos.  Please take the minute and a half to watch them! Heeaha

This year, I vow to get turned off.  How?  What will I do?

I will turn my lights out.  I will also not be using anything requiring battery power.  That is just energy I will be making up for later when I recharge those batteries or replace them.

A Saturday night, from 830-930 pm.  No power.

No going to a local bar.  That’s cheating.

Candles.  Some yummy food.  Maybe easy, raw meal (no power for having cooked it).  Or maybe just something precooked and yummy leftover.  Maybe I will not be with Marc.  I will be alone.  Maybe reading.  Maybe drawing.  Maybe playing board games with my sister and my bro-in-law.  Maybe I will be with Marc… in which case, I am sure we can find ways to stay entertained in the dark for at least an hour.

You could have a game of backyard hide-and-seek by moonlight.  You could get a glow-in-the-dark golf ball and practice your swing on the local course (probably not a great idea, actually, trespassing and all).  Get a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee and play outside.  Go sit by a river and listen to the water with someone you enjoy.  Opportunities abound!

How will you spend Earth Hour?

How will Alanis Morissette spend Earth Hour?

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

PS.  If you want to take your Earth Hour to the next level, take the Earth Hour to Earth Day challenge as mentioned on the Fun Times Guide to Living Green!

I follow up the first Tasty Tuesday post with a Wet Wednesday: a recap of Asheville’s Twestival and pledge to help more people have access to clean drinking water. 

If you do not know what Twitter or Twestival is or how important Charity: Water is, check out my previous post here.

Also, however, I found a GREAT post today on The Good Human regarding the greenwash known as “Fiji” bottled water.  All bottled water is, as far as I am concerned, evil.  To present your bottled water company, however, in a masquerade of “every drop is green”, you better be able to deliver.  As we find out, “Fiji” water may be the most atrocious of bottled-water companies.  The Good Human says

So when they say that “Every drop is green”, nothing could be further from the truth. To their credit, they are doing several things to try to be more environmentally friendly, but marketing water sold in a plastic bottle as “green” is definitely not one of them. Add in the fact that a study by the Environmental Working Group found that bottled water had the same amount or more of chemical contaminants than tap water does, and you can really see the greenwashing in full effect. I wish bottled water companies would just come out and say

The Good Human has other posts regarding bottled water from 3000 B.C., 12 Reasons to ditch bottled water and bottled water with medications, fertilizer and disinfectants.  Great reads.

Sustainably yours,

Ashley Sue

Water.  What’s greener than water?  Where is it coming from?  How clean is it?  What comes out of it?  What do we put in it?  How do we use it?  How do we abuse it?  Water.  Our driving force of life.  How long can you live without water?  Mere days.

We love it.  We squander it.  We are at its mercy through floods and droughts.

Charity: Water is always working to build wells in developing nations for clean drinking for those citizens.  This is something we take for granted, as some nations have people drinking out of the same water that they must bathe, clean clothing and dishes in, and animals constantly deficate in.  

We are blessed not to battle these water issues.  Granted we have other ones… mercury, antibiotics, etc, but that’s a different conversation.

How can you help Charity: Water?

THIS THURSDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2009, Twitter groups across the globe are holding local Twestivals.  North Carolina alone has FIVE Twestivals happening Thursday night.  I personally have ties with the Asheville Twestival and Triangle Twestival.

Rock Out in Asheville on Thursday night, 6-11 pm.

12 February 2009, 18:00, Windows on the Park, 1N. Pack Square, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801

Check out the video to find out about Twestival 2009, and see why I feel incredible to be a part of the Asheville community!

While you’re at it, Ashevilleans, make sure you are following @avltwestival @h0zae @itswendylou @topfloorstudio @juneallison @orbiting_chaaa @wumedia

Expect AWESOME fun, such as silent auction with fantastic goods, music, local food, Bruisin Ales beer for $1 a cup, new friends, and more!  Announcements are to come.

Also, if you aren’t of the Asheville area, you can check out where your own local Twestival is.  I just about guarantee you have one near you!

Sustainably yours,

Ashley Sue

I watch a silly show:  Kimora Lee Simmons: Life in the Fab Lane.  A couple weeks back I was going to write a post on how her Fashion Week plans could have been much more eco-friendly and less dramatic had she not hired a Chinese factory to produce her men’s clothing line (which were late in being flown to LA).  I hesitated, however, and Kimora came through in this week’s episode ”Smells Like Fabulosity” with even more green fodder.

Truth of it is, there’s no need for me to give a full-on analysis of how contrived of an episode it was, juggling moments of her eco-spending spree, hybrid SUV purchasing, and “Going Green!” chants with the filming of her new commercial touting her choice of transportation via personal cars, chauffeurs, and a private jet.  Pennyrile does a better job than Icould.  By the way, Pennyrile, I dig your perspective.  Grounded, realistic, and without the pretentious idea of instantaneous green-perfection. 

As cute as her daughters are in absorbing the “go green” messages Kimora was teaching, I WISH Kimora had taken a more realistic and honest approach, as I feel it would inspire more people than she did with an episode that seemed entirely too gimmicky and ultimately like a self-absorbed publicity stunt.

But hey, maybe she really was inspired to do her part, and gimmicky is just Kimora’s style.  Effort deserves applause, right.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

PS.  The Daily Green touches on some of Hollywood’s more annoying Green Trends that border on blatantly hypocritical, and that’s actually how I felt about this episode of Fab Lane.

Don’t vote.  Do not vote.  As much as Green Grounded has previously taken the stance that you need to vote, we’ve changed our tune. 

Don’t vote.  Not like it matters anyhow.  After all, this whole last week has shown me what good it all does anyhow.  Right?

Now tell all your friends… don’t vote.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

Let’s all hope we can appreciate our selves and our lives more with each year, and cherish the functions of each part of who we are, and radiating humanity and compassion for ourselves and others, just as Jane shares in her video…

  Thank you, Jane.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue