You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October 2008.
By Karen Nation
“Think outside of the candy-box” says Corey Colwell-Lipson, parent and founder of Green Halloween, who asked herself after one candy-overdosed night “Wouldn’t it be great if there were a sign you could place on your home’s door or window that notified trick-or-treaters their upcoming treat would be healthy? Wouldn’t it be terrific if affordable, kid and earth-healthy treats and treasures were available everywhere?”
What began as a conversation with her local Whole Foods Market store (in Bellevue, Washington) quickly turned into a movement with other organizations and businesses wanting to take part in making Halloween healthier and safer for the children and for the environment. If you would like your home to be known as a Green Halloween Home, go to www.GreenHalloween.org for more info, and visit your local Whole Foods Market, or The Green Life store in Santa Monica.
My fave ideas are the organic agave nectar sticks, natural juice boxes (kids get thirsty on that spooky journey to the next door), and seashells. I love seashells! And kids love searching for them in the sand. How about dressing in Pirate theme, with a large treasure-box full of sand the kids can reach into and pull a freaky seashell out of? That is if they’re brave enough to endure “quick sand.” Ooo-wah-ha-hah!
Be well, be green! ~ Karen Nation
Interview with Shayna Prunier
Let’s start with what EcoConsulting is all about. What do you offer LA home-owners? Eco Consulting LA is a full-service environmental consulting firm, bringing together a qualified team to work closely with clients in achieving a variety of green goals. Our experience comes from real estate, construction, operations, urban planning, landscaping, and architectural and interior design. Our current projects include LEED consulting, corporate office and home remodeling, educational seminars, and material research and selections.
I see, so if a home-owner is looking for a designer and wants to remodel green… If a builder needs a LEED rater, or simply help selecting finishes, etc… The first step would be to call EcoConsulting LA. What is your personal design background? I have a B.A. in Art History and a Masters of Science in Interior Design. I also share my education and experience by teaching a green materials course at Woodbury University.
Being a green designer must be exciting with all the new materials and resources… I’m very passionate about green materials, how sustainable and rapidly renewable. Lately I’m really into Alchemy’s recycled metal countertops, as well as composite made from scrap wood.
Have you done any green projects to your own home? Ooooh yes! My husband is an architect and together we built a green addition with passive solar, a cool metal roof, radiant heat, and countertops of quartz with recycled glass and mirror… to name a few things. We also bought locally manufactured furniture. We really made every decision, every step of the way eco-minded.
What are some other exciting projects you’ve worked on lately? The Santa Monica Aquarium at the Pier. Creating a healthier, environmentally-friendly place for children to learn was really rewarding. We used recycled-content products from milk jugs, glass, and rubber tires. Check out http://ecoconsultingla.com/html/clients/SMaquarium.html
What else would you like to share about your services, your company? As Sustainable Living Consultants, we demonstrate to clients that they don’t have to sacrifice luxury or convenience to enjoy an earth-friendly lifestyle. Our mission is to educate clients while offering sustainable, gorgeous, and healthy options for building and renovating their homes, events and lives. We focus on the client’s comfort level and commitment, and then work around it. Our goal is to make the green movement relevant to real people dealing with real issues.
For someone considering your services, where are you most effective in the remodeling process? Connecting people, resources, materials… the right people for the right project. We first consult taking a holistic approach. We look at what’s still useable, what can be salvaged in unique ways, resurfaced, or do we need to start over completely. By finding the right solution we can save people money in the long run. We also source the materials and explain the various green options. Our services can be on an hourly rate or project based.
What is your biggest eco-weakness? Like mine is paper-towels. I need paper-towel rehab. Me too! I can’t get off them. I’m trying half sheets, but sometimes you just need one.
I’m trying recycled paper. We’ll work on that together… See you for Green Halloween at “The Green Life” Thanks Shayna!
Be well, be green! ~ Karen Nation
Interview with Scott O’Brien
Congratulations on the recent opening of your store! How did the idea for The Green Life come about?
The idea for The Green Life came from a thesis project that I worked on for graduate school. I developed a plan for an eco-friendly store because it was something that I was interested in and had not seen done at that time. It looked like it could work, so I decided to seek funding and make the project a reality. We opened the last week of July, so are still very new and people are still finding out about us.
I frequent the store myself and will gladly spread the word. You have diverse, high-quality products for the home, as well as unique gift items, all in one convenient location on Main St. It’s fantastic!
My goal is to show our customers that you don’t have to sacrifice quality to “go green.”
For the average person trying to “go green” and move towards a lifestyle with less impact on the environment, what do you think should be their first steps?
I think that going green should be a gradual process, as it can be overwhelming to try and green your lifestyle all at once. I suggest that you start off with trying to eliminate disposable shopping bags by buying reusable bags. We sell some great bags by Envirosax that roll up to a convenient size that could easily fit in your pocket or a woman’s purse. That way you always have one on you. The next easy change that you can make is to use a refillable water bottle instead of buying disposable single-serving plastic bottled water. Purchasing a stainless steel bottle like the Earthlust ones that we carry will save you money in the long run and save a lot of plastic and energy. Lastly, I recommend subscribing to email bulletins such as Ideal Bite which offer helpful tips and suggestions daily.
Other than the products you sell, how does The Green Life contribute to the green community or awareness of environmental causes?
Santa Monica is very progressive. Supporting the local community as well as the world community is important to The Green Life. For that reason we donate 1% of our total sales to charity and support local organizations such as Sustainable Works and Global Green. We also host green events, such as Green Drinks and Green Halloween, where eco-minded people can get together, network and share ideas. In addition, we will be soon offering in-store workshops aimed at helping our customers to green their lifestyle and become more informed about environmental topics.
I look forward to attending those. See you there… Thanks Scott!
Be well, be green! ~ Karen Nation
After seeing the show “Alter Eco” with Adrian Grenier, I can see why they call you the Eco-MacGyver. You are creative in your green wayz!… Tell us about some of your creations.
I could make people yawn with my stories of the little repairs around the house… on broken toys, shoes, furniture, bicycles. One of my most rewarding creations is a pond in a friend’s courtyard. The soothing and healing sound of water is present whenever I visit… and I know it’s working 24/7. For myself I built a tool storage unit out of galvanized steel… See I made you yawn.
That was a gasp of excitement… Your tools deserve a green-home too, they help build amazing things… What do you think of the house built on the “Alter Eco” show?
The Alter Eco House is beautiful, charming and doesn’t look “green.” It is eco-friendly in an old Spanish way (in addition to some modern features).
Sounds like a California dream… How about you, what would be your dream home?
My dream home is much smaller. I want room for expansion, but it’s a two-story built out of shipping containers, and has a fair amount of property surrounding (At least in the back….that’s where I would have my workshop, design studio, and a music room to practice playing drums). And of course all the best and fun eco-creations!
I’ve heard of these brilliant shipping-container, pre-fab homes. But I didn’t know you played drums! I think all men secretly want a room to play drums in. If builders catch on, I’ll sell a lot more houses. Along with a drum room, what else do you think is an important ‘ecovation’ people can make to their existing home?
Well, one of the most important things people can do to help their health, pocket book, the environment and their homes’ durability is: have an Energy Star home-performance test. What that involves is a 4 or more hour visit from a “tester” who will bring out a whole bunch of ghostbuster looking equipment. It gives us the ability to see into your walls while we move air between the inside and outside. The performance of the heating and air conditioning system is evaluated as well…we can tell how much the ducting is leaking which contributes to wasted energy and often times poor indoor air quality. We also check for gas leaks which is a big safety issue. And… After the tester gathers all this information, including copies of your utility bills, we use it all to make a report that tells you how we can improve your home. Look for an Energy Star HP Contractor on our website: www.ecovations.com
One of the simplest things to do is to purchase clean power from your utility company; it’s one way to make a big difference straight away… .
A little instant gratification is good… Tell us about green things Darren Moore does in his personal life.
Well, there are a few things… regardless of what sort of vehicle I’m driving, I try to find alternative ways to travel, for example: cycling, walking, mass transit, or car pooling.
When I do have to drive I make sure my tires are pumped up and the car is well maintained. Synthetic oil is a good choice because it’s not foreign oil and lasts longer between intervals. Overall, a well cared for car gets better fuel economy and puts out less emission.
When it comes to shopping I try to purchase as much second hand as possible, and shop at farmers markets for local produce that is grown without pesticides. I avoid plastic and paper in packaging as much as possible. That’s what’s great about eating fresh, it has no packaging. When I go for takeout I bring my own containers to take food away in.
Darren, does the Eco-MacGyver have any eco-challenges? Anything you struggle with?
I think driving less is difficult in LA, but I manage a good two or more days per week where I don’t utilize a car. My real challenges are the bigger, longer range solutions that I’m working on, for example…getting my neighbors to monitor the use of water in their landscape. I see so much water running into the gutter carrying goodness knows what down the storm drains. Alas, I am not one to beat people over the head with righteousness. I am much softer and work using encouragement… for that I’m hatching some plans!
The City of Santa Monica has ordinances and fines for wasting water that way. But I can’t wait to hear what plans you hatch, cuz I know they’ll be good! Thanks Darren…
Be well, be green! ~ Karen Nation
by Karen Nation
Okay, the White House is not green, it’s white. No it’s beige. No it’s white. Well, it’s not green. What I mean is… 
has the White House been energy rated? Has it been equipped with CFLs and LED lighting? How does the President conserve water with acres of grounds?
The history goes something like this… Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House roof, and Ronald Reagan took the solar panels down. The End.
Okay, not so fast. President Bush issued energy-savings orders for the White House staff, though in my house these same initiatives are common-sense habit, like: No accent lighting when regular overhead lighting is in use; Computers not being used for more than two days are to be turned off; And when any room is not in use, the lights get turned off. Hmmm…. Well we all have to start somewhere.
It’s rumored the White House is undergoing renovation to enhance energy efficiency. For starters, motion sensors are being installed in all conference rooms, which will automatically turn off the lights when everyone’s left the room. Eventually, up to 400 energy-wasting window-unit air conditioners will be eliminated. How much of the plan has been completed, or will be completed after the new President takes office?
Barack Obama intends that by the end of his term 10% of our electricity will come from renewable sources, and to weatherize one million homes annually. Perhaps he can kill two birds with one stone “greening” the White House alone? At 55,000 square feet, it takes a lot of energy to run!
John McCain, owning so many homes, perhaps won’t even live in the White House. Could he argue that ‘non-use’ of one of the largest estates in America is even “greener?”
Which presidential candidate do you think will do the most to “green” the White House this term? Mr. Future President, I graciously offer my green services…
Be well, be green! ~ Karen Nation
