Jul 30

How Green is your Wardrobe?

Addressing Environmental Issues, Eco-Ethical Clothing, Ethical Business Practices, Guilt-Free No Comments »

And by that question, I am referring to both your clothing and the place where you store your clothes and accessories. The video above features one of the GWG blog’s favorite sources of eco-info. Annie B. Bond is the green living expert at Care2.com, and as you see above, she’s teamed up with the famously positive-thinking Deepak Chopra to produce a newsletter called Soular Energy.

So, gathered from theirs and other positive and eco-loving sources, here are some tips to make your clothes and closet healthier, more environmentally-friendly and even less expensive to maintain! It’s a win-win-win!

Shopping
From Care2.com’s Have a Green Summer Closet

Ï Choose active fibers, those that help your body. The fab four active fibers are linen, cotton, silk, wool. In the summer, especially, wearing natural fibers that breathe with your body, ventilate, absorb moisture, and help you maintain your body temperature, are a gift. Cotton is great for general warm weather; linen is ideal very hot weather because it absorbs 20 percent or more of its weight in water; silk also breathes, absorbs moisture and is soft and mildew resistant; and wool is now used by sports teams in the summers because of its remarkable ability to wick away moisture from the body and help to maintain body temperature.

Ï Carry your own tote bags. It prevents urban tumbleweed. It’s stylish. And it’s tougher than those flimsy supermarket bags…

Washing
From Gimundo’s 25 Ways to Green your Green

Ï If you can, try mineral-salt-powered equivalents to washing powder, like the Ecoballs “flying saucers”. And yes, they work.

Ï 90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes into heating the water. Wash on a cooler setting, and you save energy…and that saves you money on your bill. Plus washing in cool water can protect your clothes.

From Care2.com’s Green Dry Cleaning
Ï Don’t necessarily believe the “dry clean only” label on tags. They only have room to list one cleaning method, Plus they don’t want to be held liable if an item is damaged when the owner follows the listed procedure. Many of these items can be safely washed at home, either by hand or using a washing machine’s delicate cycle.
Learn more about wet-cleaning instead of dry-cleaning your delicate fabrics here.

Drying
You can use solar and wind power in your own backyard!
From Gimundo’s 25 Ways to Green your Green

Ï Tumble-drying needs huge amounts of energy. So go for a combination of an eco-friendly spin dryer for when it’s raining, and washing lines (standard or fancy) for when the sun’s shining. Tumble dryers use around 2.5 kwH of electricity per hour. Compared with the rest of your appliances, that’s huge. Dry naturally, and you’ll save lots of money every year. Oh, and millions of tons of CO2.

Storing
Ï Remove all clothes from bedroom closets that have been conventionally dry cleaned because the perchloroethylene used to clean the clothes will continue to waft around the room and it is highly neurotoxic. Consider alternative dry cleaners in the future, or learn to hand wash using Do-It-Yourself wet cleaning techniques for wool, silk, and rayon.

From Care2.com’s Healthy Green Closet Redux
Ï Shoe polishes are very neurotoxic, even those that use natural terpenes, so store your freshly polished shoes elsewhere.

Ï If you have a non essential-oil-based air freshener in your closet, substitute it with one made of 100 percent pure essential oils or use none at all.

From Care2.com’s Healthy Alternatives to Mothballs
Ï It was sobering to see that naphthalene, the main ingredient in conventional moth balls was recently listed as a registered carcinogen by the U.S. government. How many homes have that memorable smell impregnating their sweater chests and closets? Natural moth repellents are the only safe choice, and their fragrances are effective. If you have mothballs in your house, put them in the trash, and air anything that holds their smell in the sun as often as possible.

Here is how to make an easy and effective moth repellent sachet:

This recipe will fill about a dozen sachets. You can buy herbs in bulk at almost any health food store:

~2 ounces each dried rosemary and mint
~1 ounce each dried thyme and American ginseng
~8 ounces whole cloves

Mix herbs and place some in the center of a bandana or handkerchief (or in a muslin tea-bag, available at health food stores). Tie with a ribbon.

And lastly, from the folks at Garments Without Guilt, the emerging pattern seems to be that natural ways are the healthiest for us all, and in many cases, the most effective. So let’s all support those products that have found innovative and sustainable ways to improve upon our modern lifestyles while enjoying all that nature has to offer!

Jul 23

Where does all the plastic go?

Addressing Environmental Issues No Comments »


“We have very quickly in the last two decades become a throw-away society. Plastic bags, plastic bottles, bottle caps, cups and straws and coffee cup lids, all this junk that didn’t exist say really 25 years ago is now commonplace everywhere. And that idea that you ‘throw something away‘-Where is away? There is no away. We’re finding it in the middle of the ocean.”

That is a quote from Marcus Erickson, one of a team of scientists that was interviewed by NPR, (National Public Radio) about their work with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation studying the effects of plastic on the world’s oceans- specifically in an area of the Pacific Ocean where currents converge.

“The vortex is called the North Pacific Gyre. It extends from 500 miles off the coast of California to 200 miles off the coast of Japan. It’s actually a huge swirling mass of water…and it’s full of plastic from end to end.”

Their latest project to bring the problem to world’s attention is the voyage of the vessel appropriately named “JUNK“.  Made from discarded plastic bottles (150,000 of them), former sailboat masts and what was once the hull of a Cessna plane, the resulting raft is sailing from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

In the video above from NBC’s Today show, a representative of the American Chemistry Council says that plastics should be put in a recycling bin, not the ocean. But even then there are misconceptions about where the plastic goes. In an article from Ecology Center.org, seven of the biggest misconceptions about plastics and recycling, and our true options for change, are explained. 

According to them, plastic container producers do not use any recycled plastic in their packaging. Instead, recycled plastic goes into making items such as textiles, parking lot bumpers, or plastic lumber that cannot be recycled again. The chasing arrows symbol is also confusing, making people think anything with that symbol can be recycled, which isn’t the case. That, along with the availability of recycling collection, gives the public the false impression that they are not creating additional waste. 

“Most packaging plastics are made from the same natural gas used in homes to heat water and cook. While offering advantages such as flexibility and light weight, it creates problems including: consumption of fossil resources; pollution; high energy use in manufacturing; accumulation of wasted plastic in the environment; and migration of polymers and additives into foods.” And when it gets into foods, it gets into our bodies.

This is also a problem for animal life in the sea. The entire food chain is being affected, and it’s only a matter of time until it begins to have serious repercussions on our human bodies as well. Unfortunately there is no easy fix.

Joel Paschal, another Algalita scientist explains, “people really crave this technological fix, but really it’s a behavioral fix, a policy or legislative fix. We just have to stop using plastic the way we do right now. It takes, we think, about five years for plastic trash that’s floating in this harbor here to work its way out to the middle of the Pacific Gyre. So there’s still a large amount of momentum in the system. If we stopped right now it’s gonna increase over the next 5 years.”

An amazing interactive online article called “Plastic Soup” explains it this way. “Essentially, all the plastic that has ever been created is still somewhere on our planet.” 

One article describes a piece of plastic found in a dead bird’s body that was traced back to World War II. That same article offers some hope.

“One step in the right direction is the creation of biodegradable packaging. EarthShell, may finally be making some headway in that direction. Government agencies like the National Park Service are already using EarthShell’s biodegradable plates and packaging, and hundreds of McDonald’s restaurants have experimented with its clamshell boxes.

“In the meantime we can each make an effort to reduce the amount of plastics we use by reusing our own food-grade plastic bottles that won’t pollute our bodies or our ecosystem. We can also dispose of our own trash responsibly, and assist in clean up efforts with local organizations that can recycle plastics. The Ocean Conservancy can help you find one in your area. By doing all we can as individuals, we make our own sizable contribution to being part of the solution.”

For more information, go to JUNK’s blog at http://junkraft.blogspot.com/. 

Jul 17

Guilt-Free Free Time

Addressing Environmental Issues, Green Labeling, Guilt-Free No Comments »


First, the perennial favorite adult beverage: beer!

One way to be keep yourself free from guilt as you relax and unwind is to be sure to choose beverages that have low environmental impact-or at least ones that tell you how much to offset.

Sapporo Beer can help in that regard. Their ad in the video above may be depicting how small your carbon footprint will feel when you buy Sapporo.

Now, you can see exactly what the individual carbon footprint of each can is-all the way from the cultivation of the barley to delivery-including the production of the aluminum cans.

Sapporo hopes that they are leading a trend that will help customers to choose the best product and therefore encourage other firms to work harder to reduce CO2 emissions.

Similar ideas have been announced by supermarkets in the UK and Sweden.


And then, the year-round entertainment device: television!
But the way to be guilt-free here is to stick with the TV you already have. There are two reasons for this:

  1. Because then you won’t buy a new LCD TV. It seems a chemical used in making flat-screen televisions has been found to be a potent greenhouse gas, 17,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide.

    In a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, atmospheric chemist Michael Prather called nitrogen trifluoride, or NF3, "the missing greenhouse gas," and warned that the climate could suffer as the chemical is produced in ever greater amounts to meet soaring demand for LCD displays.

    If all of the NF3 produced in 2008 were released into the atmosphere, it would have as much warming effect as 67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the study found — about the same as the annual CO2 emissions of Austria.

    NF3 isn't covered by the Kyoto Protocol because it was only being produced in tiny amounts in 1997 when the treaty was negotiated. Ironically, NF3 was developed as an alternative to perfluorocarbons, greenhouse gases that are governed by Kyoto.

  2. According to Do the Green Thing.com “Buying too much stuff puts an insane strain on the environment. It’s a waste of raw materials tused to make them as well as the fossil fuels used to transport them. And with peer pressure and ad pressure telling us we’re inadequate until we get the latest thing, it puts a strain on our happiness too.”

So sit back, relax and enjoy some guilt-free free time!

Jul 11

Cartoons, Comedy and Serious Issues—Should They Mix?

Addressing Environmental Issues No Comments »

From Treehugger.com

Here’s the winner of Earthworks 2008, a global cartoon competition, with 600 entrants from 50 countries. Earthworks organisers ” hoped that the competition would stimulate cartoonists to use their pens and wit to help combat environmental devastation and give new impetus to our desperate fight to stop global warming.”

The winning cartoon, “Coat Star”, is by Mikhail Zlatkovsky from Russia. Judges felt that this cartoon of a man indecently exposing himself to a pure and pristine universe says ” ‘This is the disdain we’ve shown our world’…we felt the sleaziness was appropriate to the topic.”

Often cartoonists are putting themselves on the line by depicting issues that go against the government’s official policy. Despite the climatic disaster in Burma, two were sent from there, and China also sent some, despite its poor official reputation for cutting emissions.The works reflect the country of origin and its climatic issues, with some tragic and not so funny results. Shortages of food and clean water were depicted by cartoonists from Yemen and Syria, whilst water scarcity and desertification were common themes in cartoons from hot spots such as Africa, Australia and South America. Brazilian cartoonists depicted the loss of the Amazonian forest.

As the organisers said ” humour is often a valuable key in the struggle to win hearts and minds.”

Did it work on you?

Jul 08

Truly Alternative Em-powerment: The Power Bra?

Eco-Ethical Clothing, Ethical Business Practices No Comments »

We’re pretty proud of our Ethical Bra, made using ethical business practices in an environmentally friendly factory that reduces their carbon footprint. But it seems nowadays women want more from their undergarments. While the video from Gracie’s Gear above offers women ways to carry their ipods while exercising, we’ve found out about a bra that could actually generate its own electricity-enough to recharge an ipod or other small electronic device while on the move.

Slate Magazine’s Adrienne So shared some very funny and insightful commentary as she conducted her research into this new support garment. Her article, “Victoria’s Circuit: Harnessing the Untapped Power of Breast Motion” sites Triumph International Japan and their solar powered bra (which won’t work while hidden beneath clothes), as well as human-powered gyms in Hong Kong for her inspiration. Then she began her quest. First to a consultant who helps companies like Nike to build better sports bras, then to an expert in fabric made from nanowires that harness the energy from friction and convert it into electricity. Finally she visited the creator of a backpack that generates kinetic energy from the pack’s vertical motion.

As Adrienne So says, “Maybe it's not very sexy to see breasts as a pair of batteries, but oil prices are so high, people are jogging to work. It may be time for breasts to start pulling their own weight.”

For those women that aren’t quite so active, it turns out that TreeHugger and Instructables teamed up to make a working chest charger which relies only on the rise and fall of the chest during breathing. According to Instructables, you can “make a device that will charge your USB-capable devices while you do what you do best. Breathe. Using some parts scavenged from an old CD-ROM drive, a simple electronic circuit, and a few rubber bands you will soon be huffing and puffing your way to fully-charged pseudo-useful electronic gadget nirvana.”

So whether merely breathing or running to work to save on fuel, it seems that we can generate our own electricity with a little help from scientists and the garment industry.

Jul 03

Eco-Ethical Clothing Priced on a Sliding Scale!

Eco-Ethical Clothing, Ethical Business Practices, Guilt-Free No Comments »

This is how it works in the blogging world: a weekly news round-up on environmental and ethical website Care2.com pointed us to White Apricot.com (already a GWG fave) who pointed us to an exciting new clothing company called CROW.

They are a wonderfully environmentally conscious and ethical company that has added a new twist to the way they do business. 

From their website:

Economy of Community
Our sliding-scale pricing means that a wide variety of people can afford to wear . We may be the first retail clothing company to attempt this fresh approach to sales.

We donate 1% of all sales to Now Art Grants, a program started by [Crow Clothing founder and designer] Damali Ayo that funds artists creating work that engages social change.
Our nest-egg program strives to re-grow industry in the USA by training people in need of skills and work to sew parts of our garments

The people at White Apricot.com had this to say about CROW:

“From what we can tell, there is a lot more to this company than very cool clothing with an innovative pricing structure. The CROW website is full of resources, including articles, videos and links, and has its own social network. Whew! It’s a lot to crow about!”

Another quote on their press page is from FeelGoodStyle.com :


“I see commitment to environmental consciousness on the fabric page…and movement toward social responsibility on the learning pages.”

We at GWG are excited about find like-minded organizations creating more guilt-free clothing that has the power to change the world, but we have one question.

Given a sliding scale, would you really pay more than the lowest price? Would you feel guilty if you didn’t? Be honest. We want to know how guilt-free a sliding scale can be!

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