I'm sexy because I try and live a green lifestyle. And also because I follow the example of this great website, Green Is Sexy run by three close friends on how to live a greener lifestyle. As a vegan, I'm trying to do my best to contribute as best as I can, which includes eating a plant-based diet and trying to reduce my carbon footprint. Here are some of their recommended reads that I'll definetely put on my book list in order to make a difference.
[First of all, how adorable does this cute living room look? Aaaah!]Not always. When we picked up Kelly LaPlante’s beautiful coffee table book, ecologique, we were inspired. LaPlante is a eco-designer who has spiffed, greened and brought sustainable design to the well-known and not-so-well-known folks for over nine years now, and it shows. The beautiful photographs of take you on a journey through fifteen stunning spaces, each meticulously and aesthetically designed with the environment in mind.
Some of our favorite ideas?
- Use a piece of eucalyptus (bamboo or driftwood could work too) as a decorative mantle space above the fireplace.
- Place an old adorned frame around a cardboard cutout, old poster or photo.
- Recycled furniture made, recovered with vegetable-dyed fabrics.
- Use fabric as wallpaper.
- Pick a style (mid century? 50’s diner? Soft country?) and then go antiquing or to the flea market.
The spaces range from bedrooms to loft spaces, decks to foyers, each packed with an eco-punch. Pouring through the glossy pages, you’ll find yourself saying “hey, i’ve got one of those frames” or “I never thought about using fabric like that before.” An organized “design details” list at the end of ecologique thoughtfully lines out exactly what was used in each room, as well as which designers can become your new favorites. There’s also a list of addresses and websites so you can begin your hunt for the perfect eco-accessories right away.
By the end of ecologique, you’ll be equipped with enough ideas to – at least! – reorganize a room in your house without having to buy a thing. However, if you do find yourself at a flea market, you’ll know what you are doing.
[To buy Kelly's book 'Ecologique' go here]
With Spring Break behind us, say goodbye to Girls Gone Wild and hello to Girls Gone Green! This new book is an inspirational collection of stories about real girls using their lives, time and talents to make a difference in the environment (and the world!) every day. Whether they’re organizing beach cleanups, creating non-tox cosmetics or encouraging their community to switch to wind power, these green gals walk with tiny footprints and will inspire you to do the same. The book’s author, Lynn Hirshfield, has worked on some of our favorite Green Screen picks, like Food, Inc. and An Inconvenient Truth, which inspired her to write the book. Girls Gone Green is page after page of bright colors, fun stories and lots of great tips and ideas on how to become greener girls and guys ourselves. Whether you’re a tween, a teen or somewhere beyond, we think you’ll find this book to be as sassy and cool as we did.
A couple years ago, we became acquainted with Toronto-based journalist Vanessa Farquharson. A fellow eco-blogger, Vanessa shared with us and her readers on greenasathistle.com her mission to make one lifestyle change every day on her way toward living as greenly as possible. Vanessa’s story was recently published as a book, Sleeping Naked is Green – How an Eco-cynic unplugged her fridge, sold her car, and found love in 365 days, which we think you’ll really enjoy. Vanessa starts out small (switching to un-bleached paper towels) and builds up to the big stuff, like selling her car, while keeping us entertained with her irreverent, yet cheery, outlook on the whole process. Vanessa discontinued writing her blog at the end of last year, so be sure to pick up a copy of her book to read all about her 365-day journey toward the greenest, sexiest life possible.
[This book provides Simplicity at its best - a fine line between eloquence and plainness!!]
We’ve all said it before. When life gets hectic and we are consumed with thinking that the little things are the big things, we find ourselves wishing for the basics. “I’d give it all up to live simply! Cars, machines, electricity, the grind…all of it!” we hear ourselves saying. But there has to be a reason that we all haven’t done this.
Is it really that easy?
In Better Off, author Eric Brende takes us on this journey. An almost impossible opportunity is presented to him to live in a community where “a baseline of minimal machinery” is standard, and Brende and his new wife Mary leave it all behind for a chance to live off the grid. For 18 months, they rent a farm and in a small town outside a Midwestern city.
Their little adventures become great tails. He describes the tasks that fill the daylight hours romantically and you find yourself wondering if you, too, would get up early to milk the cow with the same zest. The homegrown vegetables they grow, prepare, and consume sound mouth watering, and the story of their acquisition of a horse and buggy is topped by the fact that Mary is allergic to the horse. Also well-explained is their inclusion into the community, who Brende does not reveal to protect their prviacy, but describes as a “Mennonite-type” that, in some ways, makes the Amish seem high-tech. The community is very close knit and, while extremely helpful to the couple, keep a mind state that these temporary visitors might actually be intruders.
The book is thorough in explaining exactly what challenging work is needed to keep comfortable, fed and living. It takes tolls on both their bodies (they are constantly hitching up their loose waist bands) and their marriage, but Brende approaches each leg of their adventure with thought provoking logic and simplicity, allowing the reader to grasp what it must be to truly give it all up.
In the bestselling book, Omnivore’s Dilemma, author Michael Pollan takes the reader on an epic, surprisingly gripping journey through the American food chain of yesterday, today and tomorrow. With the industrial age came the beginning of industrial agriculture and a completely altered food economy. Pollan digs deep into this immense shift asking the tough questions and visiting even tougher places in order to shed some light on the ways in which we grow, purchase and consume our food today.
His journey begins in conversation on the cornfields of Iowa and ends foraging in the backwoods of northern California. Along the way
he digs deep to the bottom of the food chain to answer the questions and missing links that have completely disconnected us from the food that becomes us. For instance, when and how did America become so addicted to corn? How does the life of a feedlot cow compare to a grass fed, pastured cow? Why is fast food so darn tasty even though it’s killing some of us? And if you wanted to truly “make” your own meal – what would that entail? This book is for anyone who is interested in the philosophy and history of food or who simply wants to know – what the heck is really on my plate?
Michael Pollan has recently put out a film on his findings called Food Inc. Check movie listings to see if it is playing near you or read the review.
The Ethical Gourmet: How to Enjoy Great Food That Is Humanely Raised, Sustainable, Nonendangered, and That Replenishes the Earth by Jay Weinstein is a great hybrid of a cookbook and a guide to eating sustainably, offering an incredibly comprehensive primer on the politics and environmental issues behind our food.
Weinstein begins with an introduction to the organic, sustainable, and local kitchen, and eases into the politics of our food production and the ecological concerns of our current model. Making great use of statistics, Weinstein points out that to make one kilo of potatoes takes 500 litres of water, where wheat requires 900 litres, corn 1,400 litres, rice 1,910 litres, and producing one kilo of feedlot beef requires a whop
ping 100,000 litres!
Weinstein begins each of his recipe chapters (Grains, Beans, and Legumes; Vegetables; Meat, Game and Poultry; Fish and Seafood) with a primer on the environmental issues to be wary of, foods to support and avoid, and also explains relevant certifications and standards to look for.
With an education from the Culinary Institute of America, Weinstein’s recipes all sound mouth watering, and their eco-sensitivity is certainly good cause to add them to your cooking routine!
Some great recipes from the book to try out:
-Sesame Rice
-Mexican Pinto Bean Tortas with Pickled Jalapeños
-Mushroom Barley “Risotto”
-Southeast Asian Slaw
-Caramelized Apples and Yams
-Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Fresh Fava Beans
-Cardamom-scented Grass-fed Rib Steak with Herb Vinaigrette
Weinstein concludes with a useful list of sources to find the ingredients you’re looking for, as well as a list of “Places That Serve a Moral Menu” across the US.
A must for any ethical foodie!
[Other Sexy Green things to try...]
It is always preferable to consume as little as possible, but sometimes we just want or need something new….well, new to us! At Etsy.com (think ebay for crafters), type ‘upcycled’ into the search box at the top of the page. ‘Upcycled’ is the new ‘reused.’ Basically, what you will find are over 65,000 items (at last count) that are made by giving new life to old things. Men’s shirts become little girl dresses, sweaters become scarfs and billboards become birdhouses. As an added bonus, when you buy from Etsy, you buy from individuals who do handmade goods. You know where it is coming from and who you are supporting. To reduce your footprint even further, you can search for a seller in your neck of the woods using the local feature. Before you buy, think of what you are buying and where it comes from. You will not lose out on anything, but you can make a world of difference.
FEED Projects goal is to reach hungry children through the sales of our FEED bags.
FEED bags raise much-needed funds for WFP school-feeding operations and awareness of the problem of child hunger.
All FEED products are made as eco-friendly and fairly as possible. Our bags are produced with high-quality, 100% organic cotton and natural burlap. We work with only audited and certified fair labor facilities. It's important to us to visit the places our products are made AND the places our donations are going.
The goal of FEED Projects is to market and sell as many FEED bags as possible and to FEED and educate the world's 400 million hungry children.
So, the next time you're out shopping, pick up a FEED bag instead of your normal plastic bag and make a difference!!
For more information, you can visit www.feedprojects.com - all UK Residents should be able to find out more information and pick up a bag from Harrods.
Moving house can be stressful, not to mention tiresome, packing up cardboard boxes and stopping in every other newsagent and off licence for spare boxes. There is a solution! You can head to Eco Boxes [UK] or Rent A Green Box [US] to solve all your moving dilemma needs and still be green friendly! Productive or what??All Images courtesy of: Rachel, Bethany & Emily
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