Green Events » Going Green

Green Saturday

Eleonore — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:51:36 +0000

Come check out Green Saturdays @ OC Green Market every 2nd Saturday from 9-2 at Irvine Valley College!
OC Green Market is Orange County’s only eco-friendly open air market & holistic fair.
Festivities will include:

Food trucks!
Kids’ activities!
Green products & services!
Holistic/alternative therapies!
Non-profit organizations!

Get your green ON!

Eleonore — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:10:17 +0000

The event that allows like-minded, green-focused, local businesses to share their products and services.
The event will include an eco-friendly fashion show, live entertainment, sustainable food and drink, as well as access to the latest trends and movements in the green world.

Green Christmas Decor

Karen — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:42:34 +0000

:: Probably won't go this far: A tree made of Mountain Dew cans::

By Karen Chi, Intern

Tinsel, Lights, and Bauble look great on your tree but not your landfill or your electricity bills. Christmas is historically the one holiday that produces the most waste and incurs the most spending. What can we do this year to make our Christmas Wonderland more green?

1. The Tree: The centerpiece of most homes around the holiday season but the answer for “real vs. fake” has yet to be answered. Fake trees are in a majority of American homes but are often made with PVC or other harmful plastics and they generally aren’t recyclable. Despite the fact that these trees can be reused year after year, the production of fake trees is extremely harmful to the environment. According to the NY Times, a fake tree “would have to be reused for more than 20 years to be greener than buying a fresh-cut tree annually.” The best option is to buy a real tree with its roots intact so that you can plant it later! Otherwise, look for natural and locally-grown trees and dispose of them responsibly!

Think of renting a living tree from The Living Christmas Co as an alternative to a cut tree.

2. The Decor: Try using LED lights instead of standard lighting. While more expensive, these lights last the lifetime of the product so replacements are almost never required. Likewise, there is no heat transfer so it is generally safe to use on real or faux trees with little worry that it will spark a fire.

3. The Wrap: Instead of shiny, plastic-y wrapping paper, have you thought of using recyclable paper or butcher paper? These are simple, cozy wrapping ideas that are easily spruced up. Last year, I wrapped everything in butcher paper, white twine, and individualized each box with a pine sprig and winter red berries I found in my backyard. Other decoration ideas could be miniature pine cones you can find on a hike, bay laurel, or a wonderfully fragrant cinnamon stick.

Happy Holidays! Wishing you a wonderfully GRN Christmas!

Turkey Day: Take that Butterball and STUFF it

Karen — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:20:45 +0000

By Karen Chi, Intern

the fantasy

the reality

We all know that the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving dinners is a beautifully roasted, succulent turkey. We see turkeys nowadays going for less than a dollar a pound as a Holiday “deal.” As a conscious buyer, I’m awed at the impossibly low prices and wonder just how many cutbacks it took to make this turkey so cheap… not only a cost of a life but it’s probable lowly existence in a factory farm. I won’t go into details as I’m sure many of you already know the horrible conditions of a factory farm like the photo above illustrates.

I know it’s difficult for many of us to ask our families to completely drop the turkey traditional, so how about taking a more sustainable approach? Try local markets, such as Mother’s or Jimbo’s, for locally raised turkeys, and if you can splurge a little, go as far as an organic bird. Last year for Christmas I bought a vegetarian-fed, locally-raised, and cage-free bird that was a hit at the dinner table. Simply put – do what you can to be green and give thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s National Food Day!

Chrissy G. — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:52:05 +0000

By Chrissy Gray, Event Planner

If you ask me, every day should be food day! But I guess one day is better than none, right? So today celebrate all things healthy, organic, and sustainable when it comes to food during National Food Day! Here in OC there are tons of events to check out. Several of our favorites include:

The Sustainable Plate at Chapman University

Avanti Cafe’s Food Day Special Meal

Native Foods Celebrates Food Day

If eating organic, sustainably produced food is important to you, consider becoming active in your community with the Label GMO’s campaign. Proponents of GMO’s say that without them, world hunger is inevitable. The reality is, that the problem is not food shortages, it’s food distribution. GMO’s will not help this. In fact, it’s been shown that they often deliver yields that are no better, and often worse, than conventional crops. Moreover, there were no human trials conducted before genetically modified crops were even introduced into the U.S. food supply! That means that the health effects of most GM food products have never been fully tested. Scary stuff indeed! Voice your concerns about GMO’s and help to make labeling mandatory!