| (Green)Grounded |
| Green Grounded. Ashley Sue’s adventures o’ Green. |
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.
FYI, flowers are lovely and all, but incredibly eco-unfriendly. Particularly when you’re talking the scale of the Rose Bowl Parade. Doubting they are grown with much concern for toxins, not to mention the global transport for these flowers. I have no doubt by refusing to watch the parade I am making a difference, too.
Meh.
Oh yeah, and HAPPY 2010! I’m thirty now!
Sustainably yours,
Ashley Sue
Feeling trapped in plastic, much like this poor couple, I came to a new stance for Marc’s and my wedding (and sanity).
Somehow, when I Googled “Plastic-free wedding”, I found nothing, though I figured all the overlay of eco-concern and weddings would naturally have had a blog or something named this.
Anyhow, I am not going the route of creating a specific website and blog to this specific topic, but you will find posts regarding how I try to make my upcoming wedding friendlier to the Earth and our future. My first vow is to make my wedding as plastic-free as possible.
I have already been weighing the disposable plateware versus china rental conundrum. I think I am within a week’s decision on that one. How about everything else though?
The wedding industry (sometimes referred to as the WIC – Wedding Industrial Complex) is a complete craphole for useless, disposable, stuffs. Favors, decorations, hair goodies, foods, clothing, invitations, programs, and so much more. In fact, it feels that with each year, new crappy disposable things get tacked on to a new bride’s “must-have” list.
Like Save-the-Date cards (sadly referred to as STDs). Those used not to be at all. Now, not only do many brides feel they are mandatory, but the new thing is Save-the-Date magnets. I have received three from friends… and while they are actually cute, it feels weird to leave magnets of all my coupled friends on my fridge for years to come.
We are just bypassing wedding STDs completely. *chuckles*
Today, 10 December, means for those of you buying Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for your loved ones, time is ticking.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
With that, I have a few awesome, heart-felt, useful, and even handmade options and ideas!
1. I already mentioned Equal Exchange fair trade, organic, yummy coffees, chocolates, and nuts and berries! Cheers to that, and you get rockin’ deals on their baskets THROUGH 15th DECEMBER! Less than five full days, so get to ordering!
2. Ashley from Our Little Apartment has an awesome Etsy store. You know, I dig handmade stuff, and Etsy is cool, but I quickly tire of a lot of the frivolous stuff I see as crap you can buy on Etsy.
Yet, I just <3 Ashley’s store. I absolutely drooool over her earrings, and a rad idea on being more eco-chic is getting quilted coozies for your coffee cups! Next time you roll into a coffeeshop, slip out one of these awesome bad boys from your purse and tell them to keep their cardboard sleeve! Seriously… I am in love! Go Ashley!
3. Allie from The Greenists (previously Allie’s Answers) has an awesome roundup of fun, ethical and healthy gifts… both for her and for the child in your life. This is the best list I have seen. The Lola mini clutch and both necklaces make me giddy, while I love all the wooden, classic-style playsets for kids!
4. Dianne (also) from The Greenists has gone the route of giving what can be eaten! Dianne’s take:
A few years ago I decided that edible gifts were the perfect way to go. They are simple, yet still show someone you care and are thinking about them during the holiday season.
Pass along the recipes too, and the receiver might joyfully remake that for years to come. That is how I acquired some of my favorite holiday recipes! In Dianne’s post, you’ll find her links to several great holiday gift ideas you can devour.
So, there you have it… my favorite picks for holiday gifts for 2009.
Cheers, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Sustainably yours,
Ashley Sue
As I try to plan a wedding, something which you think you can do until you are in the position to, and then realize you have zero experience in doing so and should not be given the privilege*, I am faced with yet another conundrum.
Do we use disposable dinnerware for the wedding reception, and what options are there besides plastic?
The whole thing arose when I told my Sis and Gramms over Thanksgiving that I did not know how much rental dinnerware would cost us, and Gramms suggested I could get pretty clear plastic plates from Walmart and probably save a bundle.
Yep, Gramma. I could save a bundle, but I edit and write articles about not doing exactly that. Using plastic plates just does not jam at all with who Marc and I are.** So, I thanked her for the suggestion but explained how that could not work for us.
I have noticed, however, that I am far from alone on this debate. Forum board after forum has brides talking about going plastic.*** Then again, many boards are slamming plastic.
Paper is getting slammed, too.
Enter Bambu Veneerware, made of 100% organically-grown bamboo. The products look chic enough, and I found Pink Argyle and Kirstin Endemann talking up the products.
I am thus torn between renting dinnerware, buying cute mismatch dinnerware I have to wash myself after the reception, or buying this Bambu Veneerware which is still stylish while being super easy to clean up after (plates only, not the bamboo utensils) and says it biodegrades in less than six months. Hmmm…
I really dug this post by Apartment Therapy where Kristen Lubbe debates this exact issue when it comes to hosting parties. I dig the honesty of questioning which to do, and where we (as environmentalist and social-conscious humans) should allow ourselves some forgiveness for accepting a little convenience over moral high-ground. But check out the tremendous slew of comments afterward, many bashing the author for not taking the route of renting or buying new dishes.****
So, suggestions? Feelings why you lean one way or another? Or what you would never do?
Let it fly… I have stuff to decide. And you know you would feel gratified and proven right if your comment is what sways my decision. 
Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue
*Who am I kidding?! I love this challenge! Nine and a half months left to figure it all out!
**Except plastic plates are cheap. Marc and I are cheap. :/ Cost, however, is not enough of a jam for us to forsake our ethics.
***I’m a honking big snob anyhow and just think plastic is tacky. I would avoid it however I could.
****Commenter Oneformybaby at November 23, 2009 11:25 pm really expresses my feelings regarding this Apartment Therapy post and the commenters with “i totally understand about the need to preserve our environment but why dont we stop attacking each other for trying to make our lives just a little less stressful and start putting our attention to where it really can make a difference. Its like telling someone they are horrible people for eating fast food once in a while! Sometimes, you just need a break!”
Sounds kinky (and maybe even fun for some of you), but what I am weighing is how environmentally-friendly latex balloons are. Or aren’t.
Five years ago I did a project for my fraternity, during which I found the fact that latex biodegrades at the same rate as an oak leaf: about 26 days.
Well, as I plan for a wedding that is in nine months, I am trying to weigh out different decorating options. You might know what I mean – what do I need to buy, what should I certainly avoid buying, what do the things I buy need to be made of or where… and the questions keep going.
original on Austin Wedding Blog
While I also have to debate the equally pressing question of how tacky balloons are as decorations for anything except a 10-year-old’s birthday party, I decided (at 3 a.m.) to Google how environmentally sound (or destructive) latex balloons are.
As with everything, that all depends on who you ask.
Some blogs have ridiculously uni-dimensional and short-sighted views condoning balloons and claiming “all natural latex balloon releases are safe for the environment“. There is even a Balloon Council (and several variations) looking out for the welfare of latex workers and balloon advocates everywhere.
I found that many green bloggers out there have already questioned the same thing. Leslie Garrett over at Gaiam has the most comprehensive weighing of the issue that I have found, sharing the compounding issues such as latex’s slowing of biodegradable capabilities in certain temperatures, as well as her personal experience of constantly finding latex balloon remnants littering the ground.
Plus, what about the plastic ribbons knotted, tangled, and dangling from these balloons? Those are toxic. They get tangled around animals or eaten, right?
Some people have tried to feel good about using latex balloons by adding wildflower seeds inside to spread across the land after mass balloon releases.
Change.org has us pondering how many children in India are involved in human trafficking, making the very latex balloons we use to celebrate our own children’s birthdays. They site this November 23 article from Times Live.
From an environmental perspective, some of my research showed promise that latex balloons can be used responsibly (like this and this). And everything concludes to Green Sexy’s final thought: Mylar balloons are always bad, so latex is the choice between the two.
Me though… pictures like this are all I needed to know that, as cute and whimsical as giant balloons are (SERIOUSLY check these cute wedding pics!), I have to decline.
Photograph by: ANDREW BIRAJ Credit: REUTERS
Just because I am blessed to live where I did not have to work in horrible conditions as a child to support my family does not mean I also have the right to buy products manufactured in such ways.
… in fact, it means just the opposite. It is our responsibility to create a better world for others too.
Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue
PS. A mere hour after writing this original draft, I went for a walk at Shelley Lake here in Raleigh, NC and spotted this balloon debris just off the path, washed up from flooding… Perpetuating the solid no of balloon use.
If you struggle to make greener decisions, sometimes the battle within yourself is if the green you need to save most is the green in the world or the green in your wallet. With the holidays zooming toward us, temptation to shop “big sales” and get “huge savings” can bear upon you.
Black Friday sales woo tons of shoppers annually and mark the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season. I understand that retailers need shoppers in order to make profit, which in turn means sales associates keep their jobs and can pay their bills. I get it, I get it, I get it.
I beg you to consider, however, the kind of purchases you make when you shop these stores, these sales, these “giant blowout” events. I yearn for you to realize that big box stores want you to get caught up in the whirlpool of low numbers, shiny vases, plush blankets, sparkly dresses, and jingling toys.
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These sales want you to spend beyond your means.
These stores want you to buy now, and pay later. Like still paying it off in September 2010.
These “shopping holidays” want you to feel like whatever you give, it has to be big to prove it is given in love.
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… to fear that no matter what you give… that the receiver might give you something that even bigger. Now you wouldn’t want to look like a cheap shmuck, right?
… to continue handing over that plastic-fantastic credit card, blissfully ignoring the poisons in those toys (every child should chew on some lead and phthalates, right?), slave labor in that jewelry, and child labor and questionable labor practices in… well, just about everything, right?
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Now, is that the backstory you want for gifts you give?
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Perhaps you’ll say no. If so, consider a handmade holiday. Or consider a no-gift holiday. Or the challenge of a “Made in America” only holiday.
Just consider that the holiday is really is about spending special time with the special people in your life.
Whatever you choose to do, make the most of your Thanksgiving weekend.
With much love, tremendous thanks, and sustainable thoughts,
Ashley Sue
Sorry guys, this is not an homage to The Karate Kid, so you may want to tune out while I address body waxing to my female audience. Parissa at-home Salon Hot Wax kit scored well with me, so I thought I would share the details.
I stumbled across Parissa products at Whole Foods and settled on the strip-free hot wax for face, brow, and bikini. I have used other brands that use strips, and decided strip-free would reduce some of the waste.
I used Parissa on my underarms, something I have never waxed before but shaving always leaves me a little teeny bit stubbly… which I loath. I also used Parissa on my bikini line, as swimming and Outer Banks were in my near future. One kit (pan) did both my underarms and bikini area.
The pros:
The cons:
If you plan to wax, I think Parissa is a pretty great eco-friendly option. If shaving is more your thing, I am happy to reshare my review of Preserve brand razors.
Happy smooth and 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
After the SIGG debacle, which turned into the GAIAM debacle, it has turned to the war of bisphenol A-laden receipts. Yes, according to articles in the last month, receipts are a primary BPA source that all Americans are exposed to (as well as canned foods).
Miss the receipt-full-of-BPA news clips? Check here.
Really, this is annoying a bit.
Scare tactics abound us in the realm of living “healthy” and “green”. Media and many other message-pushers rely on fear to get you motivated. Have you seen the “Eat fruit alone or it gives you cancer” email? Or “don’t drink cold water or it will give you cancer” email?
Further, we begin to feel like “hey, what around me isn’t toxic?”
It reminds me frequently of a conversation with my best friend Sara (also on Twitter) where we discussed ~ when is enough enough? What all do we have to do in our daily lives to feel like we can breathe easily and safely?
Is avoiding nail polishes with formaldehyde, tolune, and phthalates enough? What about your vinyl accessories? Or the upholstery in your furniture, carpets, and car? What about the paint on your walls? Your drink bottle? Your deodorant? Your grocery bags?
And now, your receipts?
The loose-powdered BPA from receipts reportedly is much easier ingested and concentrated than that “locked” into polymers of can liners and water bottles. Meaning, wash your hands super frequently because otherwise you eat it easily as the BPA moves from receipt to hands to food.
What about sticking the receipts in your wallet or purse? Have you just transferred mega-toxins into (and onto) everything else you touch a hundred times a day and can barely wash out?
I mentioned last week that “no one gives” a hoot “about going green”, which I meant (in earnest) as a jab at deceitful companies such as SIGG and GAIAM.
The deeper issue is, however, it can be hard to give a hoot when it feels like a huge losing battle anyhow.
For instance, besides lousy water bottles and everyday receipts, you can find BPA in:
Find more info on that here.
So, what is a girl to do?
Give up?
Take it all on and battle every frustrating piece of news we get?
Quit our jobs and lobby congress?
All I can offer is the reminder that you are not alone in your frustration and efforts. Together, we can hold our heads high and make differences where we can, forgive ourselves for the things we let slide, and resist temptation to give into the media pressure to scare you.
Stressing out frequently will kill you and your loved ones far quicker and more miserably than your receipts or your SIGG.
And as you keep living your life consciously and in stride, say no to receipts when you can (as a budding environmentalist, you prefer to save trees anyhow). Pay attention to what is in your food… and cosmetics… etc. Vote with your dollar and support companies you can believe in, who strive for progress.
Any suggestions? I would love to hear from you.
Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue
