Eco-friendly, eco-warrior coping with reality...

Earth Day derailed me from writing...then it was business travel & eco-kitchen design sucking up my time.  Then...we realized in order to function for four to six weeks without a kitchen we ALSO needed to replace our aging & barely functioning faucets in the downstairs bathroom in order to reduce our use of takeout and disposable plates & cups.  Another design project & little time to obsess about the green-ness of it all, but we were able to leverage our past choices to make it easier.  Actually, green renovation IS easier the second time around!

Fortunately, there are a bevy of corporations actually making a contribution to the green movement.  Cabinet makers in the US are providing FSC certified wood cabinets, hotels are "going green" as a positive corporate image maker while inspiring & attracting customers who may have forgotten the little things they can do to make a difference, and Salvation Army came to my rescue with a very sophisticated truck pickup system that can be set up online, so that I can help someone else get some use out of our castoffs.

So let me admit a revelation for me: There are actually American corporations making a difference!  Hard to believe I'm saying this after decades of disillusionment with big corporations & belief that change would not happen without government regulation.  Of course, that is also helping to motivate them, along with the need to attract new customers for whom it's an important criteria for using their service or product.

I had a business trip to Las Vegas to do a Green Health event, and stayed at a Hampton Inn (Hilton) and was delighted to find FSC certified paper cups wrapped in some sort of biodegradable plastic, and "paper" plates made out of potatoes...cool!  Then I made a reservation with Marriott for a medical conference in June.  Wow...they are even in the news with their efforts to be sustainable & responsible.

New green entrepreneurs are inspiring me as well, with their visions of LEEDS certified projects & repurposed, re-used materials to create aesthetically appealing & useful products.  Still...many of them struggle to get off the ground, while large corporations that take the green, energy saving values seriously actually have the capital to make it happen now and wait patiently for the financial return to flow in...whether it's energy & water savings, or clients appreciating their ethics.  So below is a video you might find interesting about Marriott's effort to participate if rain forest preservation, while greening their facilities to save energy, money & attract new clients.  I was surprised & impressed...must admit it, even though I know some cynics will not be.

More tomorrow as we near our start date of June 1, with before pix and recording of the demolition phase coming soon.

Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase on NBC4

For the Eco-Geeks

I came across this video at Ted Talk on YouTube.  It's both amusing & insightful, especially from the point of my continuing quest for sustainable sanity.  The more I research, the more questions there are!  As Catherine Mohr (301monroe.com) states..."sometimes it's the unexpected changes that can make the biggest difference".  

Catherine Mohr Builds Green  - check out this video (8 minutes) for an interesting perspective. (Link not working at the moment..stay tuned!)

Now, I've often thought about this myself, because I have been a Shaklee Distributor for over 35 years.  One of our product lines is our earth-friendly homecare line, Get Clean.  Our first bio-degradable cleaning product, Basic-H, is celebrating its 50th anniversary!  Can you believe we were so far ahead of current trends, we almost "created" a trend. 

Our Get Clean line is the 2nd generation & was introduced about 3 years ago.  In that time it was named an Oprah Favorite, recognized in many magazines & received multiple environmental product awards.  But, what makes it relevant to this video is the impact it has had on  waste & energy consumption that is probably far greater than choosing green design options.  Just one family who buys a Get Clean starter kit, saves:

•  108 pounds of packaging waste,
•  248 pounds of greenhouse gas &
•  creates the environmental equivalent of planting 10 trees. 
•  In addition, Shaklee recently announced that the purchases of Get Clean products over the last 3 years, has saved enough plastic bottles to wrap around the Earth 28 times!  Amazing!

Another BEST PART is the way it reduces toxins in your home.  Instead of spending a fortune remodeling your home, or building a new eco-friendly home as Caroline Mohr did, you can spend less than $200 and have green clean power that will help you create a healthier family AND a healthier planet.  Now, that's a WIN-WIN!  Check out my web site for more details:
EPIC Green Team - Shaklee

I don't make a habit of doing ads for Shaklee here, but Earth Day is coming, and this is a simple change that everyone can make, without breaking the bank! 

When you can make 16 oz. of safe, non-toxic window cleaner AND 16 oz. of save, non-toxic all-purpose cleaner for less than 10 cents, then that's a bargain that's important to share.  Have a great, healthy, eco-friendly day!

Earth Day, Earth Week...Earth Day Every Day!

Yesterday, I attended 2 earth-friendly events.  Both were very enjoyable and more focused on greening up the outdoors & our food supply than green design.   Although the process of making our kitchen as eco-friendly as possible was the inspiration for this blog, the real message that has emerged is that our journey, like all of you who are making efforts to live more consciously & sustainalby, is about making small changes that will result in a cleaner, less toxic & more sustainable world for future generations, as well as ourselves.  Earth Day every day, inside & out, makes more sense the more you learn!

I attended a workshop on "Incorporating Desert Plants in a Native Garden" at the Tree of Life Nursery.  They have a great series of free workshops, held under a giant California Sycamore tree on their grounds.  Sitting there, you feel like you are part of the original California landscape. 

 Wendy, from Mountain States Nursery gave a very helpful presentation with lots of ideas for combining the structural succulents I love, with California perennials, trees & shrubs.  These pictures give you some idea of the variety of California natives & desert plants that blend together so beautifully. Well...that inspired me to buy more native plants, so I came home with lots of work for my Sunday garden team (thanks Lee!)...yippee!  More holes to dig.

While at TOL, I met Gary from Killer Dana Surf. He has a large garden with mostly natives plus fruit trees & other edibles...pretty impressive pix. As a surfer, & owner of a surf shop, he is in a unique position to enlighten surfers about the need for environmental stewardship. It seems like a lot of young surfers don't get the relationship between Earth Day & surfing, but Gary seems to get it and is sharing his message with other surfers.  Clean water & sustainable design all fit together, especially in light of health issues related to spending a lot of time in polluted water here at O.C. beaches. Go Gary!Next, I went to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano for their Earth Day festivities.  The event featured music, food, a plant sale, as well as information about their mission & membership.  Since they are a community project in my area & focused on teaching adults & children about strategies for living, eating & gardening more earth-friendly, I became a member.  I'll be posting more on their efforts in future.

Since Earth Day/Week/Month is special to me (April 22 is also my birthday, so I guess I was born to be an Earth Mother!), I'm going to celebrate by sharing more posts about a variety of ways to live greener & healthier in the coming weeks.  We'll also be having a great Earth Day Celebration, 2-5 p.m. on April 22 at our Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo...more details on that this week. Share you thoughts & ideas on living greener, too.

More eco-friendly & green options

This week I've made more fascinating discoveries...really, I love this research!

First, I found an organization that's been around since 2007.  Climate Counts has recently chosen 6 Industry Innovators and my company, Shaklee Corporation, is one of them.  With our 54 year commitment to sustainable living, it is not surprising to ME, but I'm thinking lots of people will be asking, "What's a Shaklee?"  I'd say, "One of the best kept "secrets" in the world!"

Check out Climate Counts for the "scorecard" where you can learn how to vote with your dollars by finding your favorite companies to check their scores.  I was shocked at how few of the companies listed under "Toys & Children's Equipment" were even starting to use sustainable practices.  All companies that are striding toward sustianability, even those working at it for years, have great challenges, but to think that companies that create products for our youngest citizens are the lowest scoring as a group, is pretty disappointing!

Next, my daughter pointed me in the direction of EcoTimber.  Their products are LEEDS certified, sustainably forested & manufactured with the highest environmental & health standards.  Important...not just sustainable, but low in toxins for the protection of your family!  They're also quite beautiful as well.

Green Confessions

Sometimes I wish I could be part of that somewhat elite circle of interior designers  & green architects I've been meeting.  The combination of artistic sensibilities, real life applications & a green mission is quite appealing.

However, I am, afterall, just a novice trying to do something extraordinary in our home, while keeping an eye on my eco-friendly priorities.  It's a wonderful hobby & it complements my mission to create healthy homes & families.

Today, I must admit that sometimes it is a challenge making the choice between sustainable design & my own aesthetics.  I visited a chic new Leeds certified hotel in Laguna Beach last week.  While everyone oohed and aahed, I thought...if this is green design perhaps many will be turned off by the concept.  It reminded me of a prison, all grey & sterile.  Hhhmmm...I love color!  It inspires me & reminds me of Nature & why I want to protect it.  I love texture & hand crafted materials, even if they come from around the world & cost a bit in energy to transport them.

Then yesterday, I detoured my search for eco-friendly backsplash materials by falling in love!  Yes...I saw this glass & fell head over heals!  But...I find out...it's from China, has to come on a boat thousands of miles, manufactured under who-knows-what kind of conditions & at what environmental cost?

Still...I could rationalize because I was in love.  It's glass...not granite or marble or something causing horrific scars on the landscape.  It's non-toxic...a big plus for ME.  Someone in China is supporting a family making this stuff, so I think I'm contributing to world peace.  AND...it's just a few pounds of glass that will turn my kitchen into a "masterpiece".

I've always had a love for handcrafted, so I'm also enchanted with the idea of using hand woven Guatemalan fabric for my window seat cushion & pillows.  They may have to travel a few thousand miles, but they use "clean" German dyes, are cotton that's hand woven by women who need income for their families & don't have the synthetics & chemicals treatments so common in most fabrics.  Sustainable design means sustaining indigenous cultures & economies, as well as protecting the environment, so it all fits for me.

Just another quick note.  I found this great web site while browsing some design blogs.  This one makes me hungry to travel so I can collect all kinds of handcrafted treasures from around the world.  Novica is operated in association with National Geographic to support local craftspeople from around the world.  Awesome home decor options & more!

That's it for the week...enjoy & check out those wildflowers for more inspiration!

Greening your travels

Our getaway last week to Sedona reminded me how Nature inspires our home environment & helps us create a getaway feel each time we return home.  Another reason we love to support Bed & Breakfasts is that we've found it's more common for them to think about the simple pleasures of homey comforts, pleasant conversation and the desireability of a "green interior" retreat.  With so many visitors now suffering from allergies, asthma & environmental illnesses, it's becoming even more important to reduce our toxic exposure as we travel.  I find I sleep much better when I don't have those chlorine-soaked sheets in my face all night!

We stayed at a great little B&B on the West side of Sedona and chatted with Lori, the resident manager, about the kinds of cleaning products they used & their upcoming renovation plans for 2 of their rooms to make them "green rooms".  This is exciting to me because it is not driven by government regulations, but by the interests & requests of consumers.  Perhaps this will remind us travelers that resort services are listening...we just need to talk.  I look forward to visiting again to see their progress, & I hope more designers & innkeepers will contribute their ideas here in the future, so we can leverage our interest & knowledge to enhance this process.

We've stayed at 2 inns in Sedona.  Adobe Hacienda in Oak Creek Village & Alma de Sedona in West Sedona.  Both were wonderful, and working to create non-toxic, peaceful & friendly atmospheres.  Here's a little excerpt from the web site for Alma de Sedona:

"Enhance your visit to the spectacular Red Rock Country of Sedona by staying at this luxurious and romantic Inn. Alma de Sedona Bed and Breakfast offers a unique retreat combining modern comfort and warm hospitality in a casually elegant setting. The views from the hilltop setting are among the most spectacular Sedona has to offer."

Add to that their efforts to create a greener, non-toxic home away from home & you can see the future of travel on the green side.  All we have to do is keeping talking about the possibilities!

By the way...Shaklee Get Clean have been proven to be the most effective, economical & safe cleaning products on the market.  Shaklee has created green products for over 50 years, & that's why I am so proud to be part of this company..."In Harmony with Nature" is not just a fad for us.  I've done the calculations...using Get Clean Basic H2 is even cheaper than vinegar or baking soda, plus more versatile.  Works on every surface and in homes or inns or businesses.  Check it out if you're looking for effective PLUS green!

Sedona Inspiration

Since I've been focusing on my eco-design efforts again, I realize now that we are visiting Sedona again, that it has inspired me over the years with a similar color palette to our home.  Soft greens, terra cotta reds with splashes of blue & gold...looks a lot like a sunny day in Sedona!  That same sense of harmony with Nature that we crave in our own environment communicates itself through colors of the Earth, sky & vegetation.

The inspiration of these kinds of places also motivates us to reduce our negative environmental impact as much as possible.  With so many people in the world today, using natural materials can have a huge consequence, as you see vast mining pits in these mountains & the scars they leave on the land. Whether they are used to extract granite, landscaping rocks or metal ores needed to create every manufactured item we take for granted, they represent the challenge of reducing our impact & living sustainably.  Natural materials have one kind of environmental impact, while manufactured materials, even those we consider sustainable, must have some impact which needs to be evaluated as well.

A friend sent me an article I tweated about, & it made me glad we've decided to make the expensive commitment to install LED fixtures & lamps.  Cities are making this same kind of commitment, to the tune of millions of dollars, with the expectation that the environmental and financial savings will be realized long term.  There is, as always, an upfront cost in environmental terms, but the quality & longevity seem to outway it in many cases.  Check out my posts at http://www.twitter.com/epicgreenteam for the whole article for you science geeks.

If you have ideas about how to evaluate products in terms of long term environmental impact, please share them with us.

Green design on Hulu

Green Design e2 - The Green Apple


I've been meeting so many great people involved in greening up their lives, homes and businesses.  Since I am focusing on remodeling my kitchen this Spring, everyone (and the universe) seem to be sending me contacts involved in eco-friendly building & remodeling.

A good friend sent me info on Hulu's Design: e2 series.  Twelve videos in the episode, all about 25 minutes long, narrated by Brad Pitt...nice way to start the morning!  Might be worth some time to investigate.

Local green in O.C.

I went to a store called Laguna Green last weekend. Actually, it's more of a design studio situated on Pacific Coast Hwy in South Laguna Beach.  The owner, Pam Sterling, wasn't there, but I had a nice chat with Clarice, who was the substitute greeter that day. They also work with Laguna Bamboo, which is just down the street, for bamboo cabinets.  I keep loving how there are so many businesses sprouting up to provide us with these kinds of products & services!

Pam Sterling's Laguna Green has a system for rating eco-friendly design materials, which I really like.  Each product they carry has a LEAF® Rating from one to four. The more leaves, the greener the product.  Here are their criteria for getting a "leaf":



Locally Made – Is the product made within 500 miles of Laguna Beach?



Energy and Water Conservation – Does the product help to conserve energy or water? Is it Energy Star or WaterSense rated?


Air Quality – Is the product formaldehyde free and/or does it have low or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)?


Formulation – Does the product contain at least 50% recycled content or is it reclaimed or made from rapidly renewable or carefully managed resources?

Although my area of expertise in the past has been mainly focused on how eco-friendly products relate to health, it seems like this provides a simple framework for evaluating more than just our design materials.  Ultimately, sustainability impacts the health of all living things on the planet, so all these criteria are important as we move forward.

If a product is high in toxins & damages our home air quality, locally made, energy/water efficient or using recycled materials doesn't seem as important to ME.  However, this is a great way to evaluate and decide your own priorities for sustainable, green living and use this set of criteria for evaluating any products you find you like. 

Working with the Sustainable Business Leadership Council in O.C., I'm learning how so many young entrepreneurs are taking the lead in developing products & philosophies that will be the standards for the future.  New certification organizations are already making it easier to evaluate all kinds of products for environmental impact.

There are other criteria to consider as well.  I like things that are hand made, like rugs.  Even though they aren't local, I love the idea of supporting crafts peope from all over the world.  An added bonus, they usually use natural materials & dyes, less "high-tech" (toxic) adhesives and sealers, and often are built to last for many lifetimes, saving on replacement cost and landfills.  By supporting their financial independence, I'm hoping this is contributing to making a positive difference in other ways, too.

We received our couch from DirectBuy this week, and then bought a Persian style rug, hand knotted in India & made with pure wool and vegetable dyes, to go with it to create my "nook", where the dining room is now.  More on that soon.

The couch has natural fiber upholstery, and was made from a company that has an Eco-line (Rowe Furnishings).  A bit of a compromise...we couldnt' find a sofa bed that met ALL our criteria that was also affordable, but at least it is made in the USA and doesn't smell of chemicals.  Nonetheless, it's "living" in the garage until any residual VOC's can off gas a bit.

My organic, waterwise garden is loving the rainy weeks we've had.  So are the slugs & snails, so I am putting out some coffee grounds this week.  I know they are one of Nature's creatures & must have a purpose, but my Dudleya's need a chance to grow bigger before they provide snacks for those guys!

The wildflowers are sprouting, too.  I almost feel guilty, since most of the country is buried in snow, while Spring always starts the hills turnig vibrant green in California's February.  Next week...some pix of my garden!

Eco-Paints Hunt

Tonight I wandered by Home Depot to take a look at counter options & paints.  This started me down a whole new challenging path when the helpful guy in the paint department explained why the only real "green" paint they have is Freshaire paint.  The problem, it seems is that even quality brands with green paint lines, like Dunn Edwards or Behr, use standard colorants that increase the VOC levels.  So low VOC paint is suddenly toxic, like the regular stuff, but you pay way more for it.  Who knew & how long would it take a customer to discover this if not for this bit of insider information?  Good idea to ask questions & do your shopping when the store is mostly empty!

I found a couple of other options this evening online.  One I had found before but there is no dealer in our area.  Mythic Paint is the choice of HGTV design star David Bromstad, but I'd have to buy little paint samples to try or drive 40 miles to the closest dealer.  They also claim to have colorants with no VOC's though, so it might be worth it, with something like 1200 different colors.  Freshaire is more limited.

Another option is Real Milk Paint which is a really old concept, like 200 years, with updated technology. This stuff claims to actually ABSORB carbon dioxide, so that's kind of amazing.  One concern is that I noticed on a YouTube video about applying milk paint, that since it contains lime it's important to use gloves & protect your eyes & skin...hhmmm.  Unfortunately, it too is hard to find in the area.

The search goes on!  Share your ideas or resources if you know another good option.  It's just amazing to me that everyone is talking about the importance of low or no-VOC products, but in all of Orange County there are no dealers for these alternative products.  Humph!

Countertops...now that's another dilemna...more this weekend.

Enjoying the hunt...diana

Buried in green design research

Lightbulb moment:  Green design is a vaste & expanding arena of often contradictory concepts. It strikes me as very odd that I didn't think of this before, since I've been trying to live an urban version of eco-friendly & sustainable...I thought. Yikes...so many qualities to weigh,  & often the manufacturers aren't clear...but I have noticed how popular the COLOR green has become in marketing materials, so they KNOW we are beginning to equate that color, or a leaf in an ad as some form of safe, green alternative...ha!  Green washing seems to be almost as popular as true green & sustainable efforts, so doing your homework is imperative.

So, the idea of something being sustainable does not necessarily equate to be non-toxic or beneficial to your family health.  Nor does it also include energy efficient in it's use or production.  Some companies make a sustainable product (e.g. from renewable resources like bamboo), but may have very low scores in their eco-friendly production or packaging.  Most sources seem to agree that there is no perfectly green option in building...all materials have some impact on the environment by the simple act of being made or shipped to the customer.  That makes it also important to invest in quality products that will last and not have to be replaced every few years.

So I've decided to make a list of my criteria for my eco-friendly kitchen & future projects, then set my own priorities. Take a look at my list & you might find it helpful to establish your own priority list before beginning your next renovation project.

Here's the list:

• Non-Toxic - using toxin-free materials that don't contribute to indoor air pollution or allergies, environmental illness or increase cancer risks
• Energy-Saving - conserve power, use natural sources like sunlight, reduce waste, re-use non-sustainable materials
• Sustainable - use materials certified sustainably forested or harvested
• Durable - products that will last the lifetime of the house
• Easy on the planet - non-polluting or destructive in their manufacture, shipping, installation
• Aesthetically pleasing & optimally functional -

I may add to this list, but for now it is quite the challenge finding the best options in each category.  Did I mention economical?  That may be the biggest challenge.  Ahhh...but it IS fun...kind of like a treasure hunt!

More on my green quest for sustainable sanity soon...diana

Green plans, green decisions

Saturday, we had our 2nd appointment with the cabinet designer at DirectBuy.  I have to say, they are so supportive of our desire to choose low toxin, sustainable products.  We've decided on Pacific Crest cabinets. It's a company with a long standing green philosophy, as well as an overall positive approach to their employees and making a difference in their community.  They use sustainably forested woods, and low toxin adhesives. And, the cabinets are BEAUTIFUL!


I also checked out a great web site for green building and signed up for their blog.  You'll see the link on my blog list at right.  There is so much to know about LEEDS and green building technology, so I'm hoping to make some connections who can point me in the right direction, instead of re-inventing the "green wheel".  That is a big difference in the last few years...loads of resources and products out there.  I think it is important to choose green products for our own health, but also to support businesses with integrity and commitment to quality and eco-friendly options.


I'm finding there will always be some tradeoffs.  As my son says, with so many people in the world, it's impossible to have NO IMPACT, no matter what we do.  It is possible to find the least negative impact, but sometimes the criteria of cost & aesthetics lead us to some compromise.  Like granite...we love granite, and that may be our one big environmental compromise in this project.


Off to my Sustainable Business Leadership Council meeting.  Lots of young entrepreneurs and designers who might have some good ideas for us. 


Make it a great green day!
Diana

DAY ONE - 1/1/2010

Here we are at day one...or in some ways, day 10,001!  I started my journey to live green & healthier over 3 decades ago by changing to biodegradable laundry products & starting an organic garden.

Today is day one of my blog about our kitchen remodel!  I plan to record the trials and tribulations, along with the fun and excitement of remodeling with the goal of creating a non-toxic, sustainable, green home.  So, we start this year off with a bang!  A new dream kitchen that meets our aesthetic & functional needs, and also includes eco-friendly products from ethical companies.

The first steps have already begun.  We have piles of green decorating magazines and books.  I'll share some of those specifics as we go along.  Everything from avoiding waste during demolition, to choosing energy-wise lighting and low VOC paints.  The more I study, the more I find complex decisions with pros and cons are involved.  Yikes...no wonder the average consumer is overwhelmed!