Dispatches from the Field & Project Summaries
Thank You Northwest Flower and Garden Show!
March 10, 2011
We had a great time at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle this past week www.gardenshow.com. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to join your amazing event and thanks to those of you who shared your time with us. We loved talking to you all and enjoyed hearing about the great green initiatives taking place in Washington. Here are a few of our favorite stories…
The Evergreen State College in partnership with the Washington State Department of Corrections has initiated an untraditional relationship known as the Sustainable Prisons Project www.sustainableprisons.org. Through science and hands-on experience with gardening and conservation, inmates are able to learn and incorporate sustainable practices into their daily lives, both now and throughout their future. This is truly a win-win program, enhancing both inmate reform
and the preservation of our planet.
The City of Seattle has also been promoting the use of green solutions for problems related to storm water runoff. As a result of roofs, roads and driveways, hillsides erode, houses flood and chemicals flow into streams. Thus, residents in targeted combined sewer overflow (CSO) basins are eligible for rebates on a variety of installations such as rain gardens, cisterns, and porous pavement. Find out how you can be rewarded for living sustainably at www.rainwise.seattle.gov.
Even the Woodland Park Zoo www.zoo.org has jumped on the sustainability train with their popular “Zoo Doo” composting program. Non-primate herbivores such as elephants, hippos and zebras help create one million pounds of compost per year, saving $60,000.00 annually in disposal costs and helping to create organic healthy soils around the Seattle area. We second their notion that, “Sometimes a simple act or change in behavior can create a ripple that has a dramatic effect on the world.”
Washington Green Schools: Sustainability in the Classroom
February 15, 2011
We were pleasantly surprised by the “greenness” of young students in Seattle, WA today. They are truly leaders in the sustainability movement and we thank them all for their admirable efforts. With the help of Washington Green Schools www.wagreenschools.org, your school could easily join them in their ranks as a certified green school as well. Pick an environmental category and start going green today! Share your results and inspire other schools to go green too. Together, we can all help each other live sustainably, “both inside and outside the classroom.”
Start by knowing your Ecological Footprint www.myfootprint.org and learn how to reduce your impact on the Earth. Through
an understanding of our current environmental impact status, we can establish a benchmark by which to measure our personal growth and global efforts.
Join the many schools who’ve already signed up for Green Living Project’s free multi-media sustainability curriculum and share in the inspiration of successful sustainability stories from around the world. Is your school doing something green? Have you initiated a unique sustainability project at your school? Tell us about it, we’d love to hear your progress. Don’t forget, sustainability is a holistic and integrated systems approach including science, social studies, technology, business, communications, language arts, community service and much more. Be creative and share your school’s success story. Join in the fun and excitement that a sustainable lifestyle can foster. You’ll be amazed at the positive results! 
Back in Action: 2011 Tour Begins
February 6, 2011
We’ve officially launched our 2011 Mobile Tour and we wanted to say a special word of thanks to all the San Diego schools we visited this past week for kicking us off on a great start! Your smiling faces and enthusiasm keeps us motivated and focused on the importance of our journey. Since leaving Florida, we’ve had quite a bumpy road, but we are thrilled to be back in action on the west coast. This is our first visit to the Pacific and we are excited to see what awaits us.
While we are loving the southern California weather, we are anxious to make our way up to Seattle over the next month. The opportunity to experience new ecosystems, new plants and animals and new geological features has definitely been a highlight of our tour. Our appreciation and love of nature seems to expand daily. We are always looking for the next state or national park to visit and we can’t wait to discover what the west coast has to offer. During the month of December we were able to hit up 10 national parks and/or monuments and a handful of additional state parks and national forests. While the time for making new years resolutions has come and gone, chances are that many of us have already failed to meet such personal expectations. Instead, why not make a simple life-long resolution to learn and experience as many of the amazing creations that our world has to offer.
Start small and take a day trip to a nearby park or a weekend trip out of state. Find an enjoyable outdoor activity and strive to get outside as much as possible. We guarantee that your love for our diverse and beautiful planet will grow too!
Happy Holidays from GLP!
December 23, 2010
These last few days before the holiday can often be quite stressful and frantic. Thousands of people are still aimlessly wandering
around shopping-malls in search of that perfect gift. If you are one of those people, perhaps “stuff” is not what you should be looking for. Henry Thoreau once said, “The price of anything is the amount of life that you have to pay for it.” In our societal pursuit for more, this extends to the “amount of life” we spend acquiring more debt, the “amount of life” we spend extracting more resources, and the the “amount of life” we spend battling more environmental issues. This holiday season, indulge yourself in the benefits of, “Voluntary Simplicity.” According to author, Duane Elgin, a simpler lifestyle does not mean living with less, but living within a “balance so as to have a life of greater fulfillment and satisfaction.” Such a way of life fosters an array of characteristics leading to a more sustainable future. For a complete list of positive outcomes visit www.awakeningearth.org.
While a simpler life may take some time and effort to achieve, conscious and educated consumer decisions can be made daily. In Daniel Goleman’s book, “Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything,” he explains how we can “do less harm and once again live sustainably in our niche – these days, the entire planet.” We can start today by knowing the ecological impacts of the things we buy, choosing eco-friendly products and companies and sharing what you’ve learned with your friends! Check out some of Goleman’s additional books at www.danielgoleman.info. For some simple last minute holiday gift ideas read, “Less Is More,” by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska www.cecileandrews.com. While we are sadly away from family and friends this holiday season, it has been our simplest and most memorable holiday yet!
Oil Spill Clean-up?
December 17, 2010
Although main stream media has long since archived the story of the Gulf Coast oil spill, clean-up crews continue to roam the shores. In Grand Isle, LA, some beaches are still closed, while most remain arbitrarily divided from the waters edge with bright orange fencing and signs stating, “Authorized personnel only.” Tire tracks, heavy equipment, porta-potties, rest station tents and large piles of sand in various stages of cleanliness stretch across miles of beach front. An odd eeriness hovers in the air here. One can not help but feel deeply saddened and helpless. The residents of such communities have been left dazed and confused as they question the ecological stability of
their island, the loss of their livelihoods, the health of their families and the uncertainty of their future. Will environmental, social and economic sustainability be possible? Will there be long-lasting effects? How can we move forward? There are endless unanswered questions at stake, however we can all help to make a difference. During this holiday season, give a gift that not only supports the, “People of the Spill” but raises awareness about the consequences of our national un-sustainable practices. Check out Shondra Leigh’s, “Stained” jewelry collection made from tar balls and quartz www.shondraleigh.com or adorn your wall with one of Holt Webb’s unique oil spill photographs www.vanishingamerica.net. Most importantly, find ways to live your own life more sustainably and encourage others to do so as well. Make a conscious effort to remain aware of your daily activities and the associated ways by which we are all connected to oil. Watch the film, “Fuel” and become inspired to change www.thefuelfilm.com. Strive to start small, start somewhere, with one thing, and find a way to make that behavior or activity more sustainable. Keep in touch with the “People of the Spill”, join their facebook group, “Gulf Change” (website coming soon) and see how they strive to take back their community.
Holiday Media Madness
December 17, 2010
We hope everyone enjoyed a grateful Thanksgiving and we invite you to share your sustainable holiday stories with us on facebook. Holidays are often associated with time off, whether it be from work or school or simply your daily routine. Unfortunately, many of us will “unwind” by spending additional hours sitting in front of the television. Young people in particular, between the ages of 8 and 18, consume about 7.5 hours of media per day (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Study). Such exposure to TV and video games, even at just 2 hours per day, has been shown to increase the likelihood of attention problems nearly twofold (Iowa State University). The list of negative associations with excessive media consumption even extends to poor diet, poor body image, earlier sexual activity, smoking, violence, disturbed sleep and increased anxiety (Center on Media and Child Health). This time of year especially, we are bombarded with media and advertisements that drive our consumer culture. If you have children, we are sure that you’ve already heard “I want this” or “I want that” several times this week.
Children are programmed at a very young age that they must have “stuff” in order to make them happy. However, research shows that true happiness is created by relationships and quality time spent with our loved ones (Tim Kasser, author of The High
Price of Materialism). So, the next time you have an opportunity to unwind, resist the urge to watch un-educational TV and declare a screen-free day. Check out www.commercialfreechildhood.org to find an array of alternative ideas for a fun-filled afternoon with your family or friends. Drew and I have been without a television since April of this year and we feel that our lives are much richer as a result!
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25, 2010
During this particular week of November, two things typically come to mind…turkeys and holiday shopping. According to the National Turkey Federation, 247 million turkeys were produced last year. While turkey consumption continues to grow in the United States, so do the negative impacts on our health and environment. Unfortunately, like much of our national meat industry, turkeys are similarly raised using severely unsustainable practices. Conventionally produced animals are fed unnatural diets typically consisting of genetically modified grain and soy. Such a diet causes animals to grow at unnatural rates and often results in serious health problems, thus requiring the use of antibiotics and other unnecessary treatments. Look for pasture-raised turkey and read more about the benefits of sustainably raised meat at www.eatwild.com. After you’ve recovered from your family feast, instead of running out for a holiday shopping spree, tune into your life and celebrate www.buynothingday.org. Ninety-nine percent of the products and materials we buy are thrown out within six months!!! Visit www.storyofstuff.com to understand how we became such a wasteful society and take a stand against mindless consumerism. Learn to appreciate what we already have and value longevity. This coming “Black Friday” resist the urge to spend and instead spend an extra day with your grandparents, learn something new, play a game with your siblings, read a book or simply go for a walk.
America Recycles Day is November15th!
November 12, 2010
Did you know that November 15th is “America Recycles Day?” Check out their website www.americarecyclesday.org to find inspiring new ideas for the old concept of recycling. Donate your gently
used shoes to people in need www.soles4souls.org or collect your “trash” and send it to www.terracycle.net to be “upcycled” into new products. Join the rest of the community in this nationally recognized day to educate and celebrate the ways by which to Keep America Beautiful www.kab.org. Organize and register a recycling event in your neighborhood, school or place of employment. Host a swap and exchange items such as clothing or furniture with your friends. Offer to collect old electronics from a group of people and take them to a recycling facility near you. Perhaps recycling options are limited where you live. Start a petition and send a
letter to your city council. Voice your concern and demand a change. Check the website for a whole list of great ideas! Need a little help on what and where to recycle? Go to www.earth911.com to find the answers. There are plenty of resources available to help you get started today. Don’t be scared, take the pledge, commit to recycle, declare to do more and make sure to tell your friends. Let’s all join together and take the responsibility to improve our world!
Local Food….and Local Flowers!
November 12, 2010
A beautiful bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table truly adds that simple, natural touch which transforms
ahouse into a home. Not only do they add color to a room, research shows that ornamental indoor plants and flowers help to significantly increase positive physiological responses in patients recovering from surgery (J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Sep;15(9):975-80.) Unfortunately, 77% of cut flowers in the US are imported from Columbia and Ecuador. Next time you buy or order flowers see if you can determine where they came from. Let’s all add flowers to our list of locally grown and purchased products! Fresh cut flowers can often be found at your local farmers market or perhaps you have a flower farm right in your
neighborhood that you never even knew existed. Check it out, see if you can take a garden tour and buy flowers directly from your farmer. Depending on your geographic location, gorgeous arrangements can often be made year round and since the flowers are generally cut within a day of purchase, they last a lot longer than those shipped from South America. After leaving DC, we were fortunate to catch one of my favorite flower farmers, Bob Wollam, on his farm www.wollamgardens.com in Jeffersonton, VA. He gave us an amazing tour and even showed us off with a bouquet of flowers for the motorhome. The flowers have been a nice addition over the past
week and we are sad to see them go. We encourage you to think local, not just for food and flowers, but for whatever your needs may be.
Pet Food
November 9, 2010
During our visit to the “Markets by the Bluffs” we met a wonderful lady who makes dried organic-meat dog treats. After talking with her and seeing how much our dogs loved her treats, it really made me revisit the idea of pet food. Similar to large agribusiness corporations, pet food has become an industry of its own. While much attention has been paid to the benefits of local and organic food, there seems to be a disproportionate concern regarding the food we feed our pets. According to a survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA, www.appma.org), there were 74.8 million pet dogs in the US in 2007. Over 41 billion dollars were spent on the total pet industry, the greatest of which, $16.2 billion, went towards food. When you stop to consider the carbon footprint of all the energy required to produce the ingredients found in pet food, the processing of such ingredients, the packaging and shipping of the final product in order to reach your pet’s bowl, one might seriously question the sustainability of our cuddly companions. Luckily, greening your pets is easy and fun. Start by learning how to make your own homemade pet food. Check out www.petfoodcookbook.com to find your pet’s favorite recipe. Partner with your local farmer or butcher to obtain meat that would otherwise go to waste, or support the people in your community who already provide a pet food service. I’m sure your pet will love you for it, ours do!