Being an optimist myself, I appreciate it when an environmentalist has hope for the future of our planet. Fred Krupp’s new book ‘Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming,’ is here to give some relief. In his book, he tells about tons of new innovations being made, such as with solar cells, geothermal energy, flying windmills and tidal wave power. All ways that would transform our $6 trillion energy sector as we know it. “I’m really rooting for all the entrepreneurs to make a fortune and save the planet while doing it, and if government creates the right rules that will be possible,” says Krupp. As president of the Environmental Defense Fund, Krupp which is actively working to get our government to implement a cap n’ trade system which would limit greenhouse gas emissions companies put into the atmosphere. I asked him which innovation he thought is doing the best so far, but he didn’t fess up and says he supports all of them. Plus, all profits of the sale of the book will go to EDF. ~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
What a great success to have the 2008 Ecocity World Summit right here in San Francisco! A gathering of the brightest minds who are working to build greener cities and towns around the world. I had the privilege of being a moderator there and hearing some wonderful presenters from India, China and the U.S. showing off their greening efforts. The conference was held by the nonprofit Ecocity Builders and it hoped to shed some light on what our future cities will look like in order to become energy efficient, less polluting and sustainable for the next generations. In fact, it’s interesting because China already has 5 text Ecocities in the works, so yes, it can be done. Of course, my twin sister came to town, she’s a toxic epidemiologist helping to green up Los Angeles. There is also a little friendly competition going on between the two of us because both San Francisco and LA are vying to be the greenest cities in America! Naturally, I’m rooting for good ol’ SF. ~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
A decade ago, a young woman climbed up 200 feet into an ancient redwood tree that was going to be cut down. Highlighted in the media, Julia Butterfly Hill held firm in her mission to save a grove of redwoods in Northern California. She stayed up in that tree for 738 days, saving it from being bulldozed. At the time, I was in college and was very inspired by Hill’s passion. Now she’s getting back into the spotlight for another good cause – What’s Your Tree. I caught up with the environmentalist to talk about her new campaign which is asking people everywhere to find their very own sense of inner purpose and share their story with the world, just as Hill did. “I would like everyone to walk away knowing there is something they can do every day that can change the world,” says Hill. Good news too, a major movie studio is finally telling Hill’s story. The film is called “Luna,” named after the redwood tree she sat in, and is set to start shooting this Fall. ~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
Organic cotton bibs, paperless records, digital x-rays – just a few ways a dentist can practice a little greener. I caught up with Dr. Namrata Patel, a dentist who is setting the standards in Green Dentistry®. After visiting her new office, I was blown away at the extra efforts she was making to be not only environmentally-conscious but also very accommodating and fun. Her office is applying for a LEED rating with its formaldehyde-free floors, low VOC paint, recycled wood cabinets, and use of daylighting. The mission of Green Dentistry is to try to reduce waste with a minimalist approach. “We’re not a drill and fill office. We do it once, do it right and educate our clients so that way we’re complete, that’s where we conserve most of our resources,” says Dr. Patel. The best part is that she got rid of the paper waste – she uses real glass cups, organic cotton towels and metal instruments wrapped in cloth and sterilized right in her office. Not to mention she uses a natural toothpaste and recycled-plastic toothbrushes. Patel also collects old mercury fillings for hazardous waste pick up and insists on using biocompatible fillings, crowns and restorations, of which she can make right in her own office. Being among only 1% of dentists in the U.S. trained to do this is pretty impressive. As a patient, I was treated to a warm neck wrap for my exam and a bamboo bib, I’d call this luxury dentistry, not just green dentistry! ~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
A group of high schoolers are raising the bar on taking action. Their goal: to plant a million trees by 2011. Seems like a big feat, but I caught up with the group of young 4H Pacifica Club members who were just planting their first 15 trees at Elkus Ranch in Half Moon Bay. It all began after 13-year-old Laura Webber saw ‘An Inconvenient Truth.’ At the end of the movie, it says to go plant a tree and she took that literally. She and her father, Tom Webber, began a website for the 4H Million Trees project http://www.4hmilliontrees.org/. They have a long way to go, 999,985 more trees, so they’re asking for help from all the 4H clubs across the nation to join their project. They have even partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to supply trees. If every 4H club participates, each group would only have to plant 12 trees in their community. The Webbers have come up with a great idea to get kids out there planting trees and taking action! Good job. ~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
Transforming old clothes into the newest fashions! Why didn’t I think of this? The new label William Good re-makes Goodwill clothes into a hip, stylish line of fashion for men and women. Appliques are added, buttons are replaced, stains are covered up or cut off, and many times two different garments wind up making a whole new one. The best part is that no two items will ever be the same. The label is the brain child of Nick Graham, famous for starting Joe Boxer, who says, “I was driving by a Goodwill one day and I thought, you know what they have a lot of clothes in there that are like great, so what if I call them and say lets create this brand together.” The rest is history. Goodwill gives Graham items that haven’t sold in the stores so his team can make them into clothes that will sell. William Good is sold online at shopwilliamgood.com or inside of the Goodwill store in San Francisco. Goodwill’s spokesperson says they are already planning to expand it to other cities across America. The logo on the label is a frog which Graham picked because it’s the first species to feel the effects of climate change.
~Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
San Francisco is aiming to become the greenest city in America, and by banning Styrofoam and plastic bags, it’s definitely ahead of the curve so far. Which is why I was very flattered to be asked by the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle newspaper to pick my ten favorite eco-friendly places in the city. There are so many great places for tourists and residents alike who want to see how environmentally advanced we are here that I could’ve listed way more than I was allowed. The article was published in their weekly ‘On The Town’ section; they snapped my picture at Lettus Café holding some hot chai. To read the article, go to On The Town, with Lesley Nagy. From great organic eateries, to bikram yoga, to recycled art shows and eco-focused shops, I tried to offer a little bit of everything this city has to offer, of course, there's really so much more!
~ Eco-host Lesley Nagy
Who doesn't hate junk mail? Americans receive nearly 4 million tons of it every year. Such a waste and it's a big paper waste. Each year, 100 million trees are cut down just to make junk mail. Direct mail companies get your address from credit card companies, banks, magazine subscriptions, cable service, grocery stores, frequent flyer programs and more. Anyone who sends you a bill may sell your name. So, isn’t it time to stop the paper trail! A new non-profit, Catalog Choice, offers to take you off catalog spam lists. You have register online with them and create a profile which is free, and then they request to get you removed. The site is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Fact: 19 billion catalogs were sent out in the last year alone. Another option to get off mail lists? Do it yourself. You'll have to write a letter to several direct mail companies and ask that they remove your name from their lists. A free, easy, step-by-step guideline on how to do this is offered on the website of the Mail Reduction Campaign, which also supplies free sample letter templates, along with the addresses of the direct mail companies. Or if that's too much work, you can pay Green Dimes $15 and they'll take you off the lists for you, plus plant 10 trees on your behalf to boot. ~ Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
The "Weekly Phil" is a free website and newsletter that focuses on all things green, good and giving. I'm happy to say that yours truly has made their profile page. I was interviewed about, what else, living green of course! The article is under the People section, entitled "Green Goddess" which, hey, what can I say, I'm either compared to a deity or else a salad dressing, right? Besides green, they give a lot of attention to giving back to the community. Their questions sent me down memory lane, when, as a teenager, I volunteered for meals on wheels, ringing Salvation Army bells and helping as a candy striper. Nowadays, I find myself giving most of my free time to green events and festivals, but it made me realize that I'd like to do more good in addition to my green. To read the article Click here. As for the website, the founder Phil, is himself a long time philanthropist and volunteer. Currently, the San Francisco site has launched, but it looks like there will be future Phil's for Los Angeles, Chicago and New York too. ~ Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
Sampling organic wine, basking in endless sunshine and retiring to an eco-friendly hotel -- there couldn't be a better way to see Napa Valley, California. I just returned feeling completely rejuvenated after a stay at the first green hotel and spa in the region, called "Gaia," which means mother earth in Greek. "Our mission is to change the world one traveler at a time," says the owner Wen Chang, who swears by 2-minute showers himself. This LEED Gold certified hotel went beyond my expectations from the minute I entered its lobby which is lit up by solar tubular skylights. Multiple plasma screens display the hotel's latest CO2 emissions, electricity use, and water consumption. I observed other hotel guests taking notice and discussing how this hotel is unique. The hotel/spa opened its doors March 2007 determined to start off on a green foot. They incorporated recycled carpeting and bricks, no-VOC paint, FSC wood, and low flow toilets and showerheads into the hotel design. Other green features include sheets and towels changed via a request card, individual recycle bins in each room, and complimentary fair-trade coffee. I was probably a little too excited about the dispensers for soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and bodywash -- how convenient and so much less waste than those little individual plastic bottles that are so hard to get the shampoo out of anyway. There's no amenity lacking from this hotel resort -- Gaia has set the standard for eco-luxury. With a pool, hot tub, and full-service spa on site, let the pampering begin. I recommend the hot stone massage, one of their specialties. Overall, Gaia is a wonderful way to trek through the vineyards and still tread lightly when you're not at home. ~ Eco-Host Lesley Nagy
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