Green Living
300 Green Living Posts!
We are celebrating Earth Day weekend with our 300th Post!
Here are some of our most popular and favorite posts over the last few years since The Chic Ecologist began, everything from green fashion, green services to green perspectives. Enjoy!
Container Gardening
Cut down on Global Warming and eat fresh. No matter your space, containers make it possible to grow a garden just about anywhere, and you will be amazed at how it can impact the environment and your health.
How Long to Biodegrade?
Common trash items and how long they stick around. From composting to landfills, you may be surprised at how long trash sticks around before turning into dirt.
Green Burials and Funeral Services
Staring to gain a foothold, green burials and funerals are increasingly becoming more popular leaving the chemicals out and impacts low. Leave a legacy on the earth with your death, not an impact.
Green Attitude
Re-thinking green ideals. What kind of ideals do we want to instill in our children and how do we (the green community) want to be perceived?
Green Feminine Products
Tampons plot to destroy the world! What kind of impact does feminine hygiene have on the environment? Hint: A lot!
Wood Rings
Jewelry that is naturally beautiful and eco-friendly. Transforming existing wooden treasures into beautiful sentimental jewelry pieces.
Recycled Glass Countertops
Beautiful and better than glass recycling. Exceptional performing and beautiful counters which incorporate an energy efficient re-use of glasswares.
› Continue reading
Seattle Green Festival 2011
We are all in luck to hear that the Green Festival will be returning to Seattle this May! After just wrapping up in San Francisco, the festival will be in Chicago on May 14th and 15th and then come to Seattle on May 21st and 22nd. I attended green weekend last year and was blown away by the amount of exhibitors, knowledge of the speakers, and the interactive booths that were there. If you are looking for something to do in Seattle for a weekend, don’t miss this opportunity.
7 Most Popular Eco Friendly Articles for 2010
With another year behind us, I like to look back and see what people are reading, and in particular, the most popular articles on this site. Here they are as voted by your traffic, the Top 7 Chic Ecologist articles for the year 2010:
- #1 – Pacific Plastic Island
A plastic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean more than 30 feet deep and twice the size of Texas, this is definitely a troubling story. It seems that there are more of these plastic islands in just about every major ocean driven by wind and current gyres. - #2 – Eco Friendly Driveways
Green driveways are becoming increasingly popular to reduce storm runoff, water pollution and recharge underground water sources. They are easy to build, add a softer more charming feel to any parking spot and are much more visually pleasing. A great way for anyone to reduce their footprint. - #3 – Eco Friendly Diamonds
Is there such a thing as a Green Diamond? What is the difference between a mined diamond and a synthetic diamond? How about social implications, like blood diamonds? This article explains your green options when it comes to selecting a jewel for your gem. - #4 – Platinum for Fuel Cells
Platinum plays a big role in fuel cell vehicles, and a new process found by Researchers with the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of Houston may make it more efficient and cheaper. This is a big step in the development of fuel cell technology, one that may affect our future transportation costs.
Top 5 Must Have Android Eco Friendly Apps
With all the new eco-friendly phone applications out there today, it’s like having a green guide in your pocket. Both the iphone and android phones are capable of keeping you updated with eco events, tips and green living ideas in practical ways. If you have an iphone, visit our Top 5 Must Have iphone Eco Apps. The android app selection is still behind iphone selections, but it is catching up with many vendors now duplicating their eco iphone apps for the android enabled phones.
- Seasonal Harvest from Discoversites
$0.99 or free ad supported ‘lite’ version
Keeps you up to date with the growing seasons in your area so you can select the locally grown produce grown in your area. Select your state or use the GPS to view local produce in season for your state. Also locates nearby farmers markets and can even search recipes. For those transitioning from the iPhone, it is very similar to the Locavore app. - Greenpeace Tissue Guide from Greenpeace
Free
Allows you to look up eco-friendly home paper products in 4 categories: paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins, and facial tissues. Shows you recycled content (both pre and post consumer content and bleach processing) and gives you recommendations on your most eco-friendly choices. Both a scrollable category list by manufacturer or search by brand.I find it very useful in quick decision situations, its just another way to stay informed and not get fooled by marketing greenwashing. Just do an android market search for Greenpeace.
- Visibility from the Robotics Lab at USC
Free
This handy little app is being used to accumulate data about visibility and air quality for research. Hopefully this will help researchers track air quality and better asses pollution levels for different areas at different times, all concurrently through a base of mobile users.
It’s pretty simple, you just take a picture of the sky, select pixels from the sky and submit it to the USC lab.
Top 5 Must Have iPhone Eco Friendly Apps
Smart phones today have enabled you to have a green resource right in your pocket. Several non-profits and green companies have taken advantage of this by creating apps for the iphone to keep you informed, eco minded and living green. If you have an Android enabled phone, check out our Top 5 Must Have Android Eco Friendly Apps.
Seafood Watch App from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Free
A staple for me since I enjoy fish and sushi, I have been printing out the card for years. Now you can have up to date information about your best health and eco-friendly fish options right on your phone. Great for restaurants or for picking up some fish at the market, get detailed information about the fish, fishery status and great alternatives.
New feature allows you to pinpoint sustainable seafood restaurants and markets and share them with others.
Find Green App from 3rdWhale
Free
An awesome multi-purpose app providing you information on green businesses near you. From organic restaurants, farmers markets, yoga studios and bicycle shops, this app will tell you how far they are and how to get there. Included are eco friendly green living tips, reviews and more. Not a stranger to this app, I reviewed it earlier last year when it was called the Green Business Finder app.
3rdWhale is worth a visit as they have developed great mobile apps for Greenpeace and 350.org and other non-profits.
The Good Guide
Free
An awesome app for shopping giving you an instant rating based on Health, Environment and Social Responsibility. Just scan the items barcode using your iphones camera. Currently covering information on over 65,000 personal care and household chemical products, and soon expanding to include food, toys, electronics, and more.
Good Guide was founded by Dara O’Rourke, a professor of environmental and labor policy at the University of California at Berkeley. Ratings are based on research of the world’s leading academic experts on global supply chains – tracking product life cycles from resource extraction into manufacturing, through consumer use to disposal.
GreenNote
Thinking of something to do for the weekend? How about spending your Saturday in the sun or in the shade of the Space Needle while listening to green music. Of course, the music itself cannot be green but the people, supplies, and purpose can be. At the Seattle Center this Saturday July 24th comes GreenNote, a celebration of sustainable music and culture.
GreenNote is an awareness festival consisting of of environmentally friendly products, sound, food, and people who are all there to spread the word of green while listening to the beautiful music that comes along with it. The festival features artists who are environmentally conscious and passionate about their music as well. › Continue reading
A Great Green Festival Weekend
Last weekend I had the pleasure to attend the Green Festival Seattle 2010. Upon first walking into the event, I was overwhelmed with over 300 exhibits, excited to see all of the friendly faces, and ready to learn a lot about everything green. The Green Festival took place June 5th and 6th in the Washington State Convention Center. I attended the festival on Saturday, June 5th, and volunteered there on Sunday which was a fantastic experience. The staff of the event were knowledgeable, friendly, organized, and most of all excited to be a part of, and provide, a wonderful weekend for many individuals and families. One thing I noticed while I was volunteering: a large percentage of the people coming to attend the event had free passes which had been given out at Verizon stores and other places. The Green Festival is completely focused on trying to provide as many people as possible the opportunity to spend the weekend learning about living green and green products, and that is a great thing.
Here are a few products and companies I learned about while I was there:
Marcal Small Steps – Marcal is a company with a ‘green culture.’ Being the oldest environmentally friendly paper product distributor in the US since 1950, their mission is to provide affordable and recycled paper products to families. Their Small Steps line was created in 2009 and consists of recycled bath tissue, napkins, towels, and facial tissue. Because their products are 100% recycled, no trees are used in their manufacturing and they have already saved 23,720,740 trees and counting. › Continue reading
Green Twitter Movers and Shakers
Twitter is a great place to learn, interact and stay up to the minute on local, regional and national news, events or just connect to the people and issues you care about. Here is a list of some of the biggest and best tweeters sorted by categories. Scroll down and find your interests and connect, or share your own favorites in the comment section below!
Green Living
- @inhabitat – Green design in your habitat
- @the_daily_green – Great daily green tips
- @dwell – Modern & green home design
- @renest – Home style and design features
- @jetsongreen – Green Building News and Features
- @OrganicLife – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
- @dannyjseo – Great DIY home decorating ideas
- @AltCon – Green living for the Alternative Consumer
Green News
- @grist – Independent Environmental Journalism
- @triplepundit – People, Planet and Profit, green business news
- @guardianeco – The Environment section of UKs The Guardian paper
- @HuffPostGreen – Green section of the Huffington Post
- @Greenopolis – Recycling news, features and more
- @current_green – Environmental news in video format
Eco Opinions
- @drgrist – David Roberts, Energy Politics blogger for Grist
- @derekmarkham – Derek Markham, aka Natural Papa
- @thegoodhuman – David, author and social media activist
- @AlexSteffen – Alex Steffen of worldchanging.com
- @KGeee – Katherine Goldstein, the Green Editor for the Huffington Post
- @FakePlasticFish – Beth Terry, living without plastic
- @TwilightEarth – Adam Shake, environmental discussion, advocacy and activism
Green Products
- @Urthbags – Beautifully recycled bags & totes
- @simplywoodrings – Rings made from re-purposed & sustainable wood
- @amenityhome – Modern home eco accessories & linens
- @tierraideas – Imaginative upcycled products
- @greenasweegrow – Organic baby clothing & bedding
- @CarlaRose – Eco + Chic bath and body
- @PeopleTowels – Your own personal traveling towel
Eco Fashion
- @FashionEthic – Eco fashion from Seattle
- @Ecouterre – Future of sustainable fashion
- @Ecosalon – Eco trends in fashion and life
- @ecofashionista – Eco fashion activism
- @ecofabulous – Sexy sustainable style
