Beverage Container Laws Expanding in Several States

When bottled water first appeared on product shelves, I initially thought it was a waste of money. I held off for a long time. Eventually, like many of you, I saw the relatively small investment as a fair exchange for the convenience of portability. It was an attractive lure. I bit. And I bought. And bought. And bought.

Now that I’m deeply steeped in environmental issues, I have come to understand the disaster of bottled water. Aside from questions about the quality of the water and the safety of the plastic bottles themselves — significant issues, for sure — there’s the problem of waste. Millions of plastic water bottles get tossed in our waterways, lie smashed on our roads, litter our green spaces, or end up in our landfills. In the best-case scenario, they get recycled into other products.

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Nell Newman: “Late Bloomer” to Organic Ecopreneur

By anyone’s reckoning, Nell Newman is a successful ecopreneur. She heads Newman’s Own Organics: The Second Generation, her original spinoff from her father’s Newman’s Own brand. In Part 1 of our interview, Newman told about the life experiences that fostered her dedication to environmentalism and sustainability. In Part 2, she speaks about her nontraditional educational path, her work on environmental projects, and the business of organic food production. We invite you to get to know more about this remarkable human ecologist and wonderfully human being.

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Winter Wineland at Truett Hurst Winery

Truett Hurst Winery will host a Winter Wineland event January 17 and 18, 2009. Guests will have an opportunity to sample wines and see the progress of this young, biodynamic winery. Blue Planet Green Living featured Truett Hurst Winery in a recent article, Birth of a Biodynamic Winery.

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My 5: Karen Ande, AndePhotos

Blue Planet Green Living asked photographer Karen Ande, owner of AndePhotos in San Francisco, “What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?”

KAREN ANDE:

* Educating your mind and heart are musts. That’s the first thing to do. A lot comes back to heart issues. People have to realize they are part of the planet. I think of hands reaching out across continents. We’re part of the same ecosphere.

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My 5: Belinda Geiger, Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living asked contributing writer Belinda Geiger, of California, “What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?”

BELINDA GEIGER:

* I’m taking recycling seriously, trying not to muck up the landfill with recyclable things.

* I only buy Kindle books, to save trees and energy. If I see a book I want that isn’t on Kindle, I click the Amazon link that says, “Tell the publisher you’d like this book on Kindle.” Then I wait for it.

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My 5: Chris Donatiello, C. Donatiello Winery

Blue Planet Green Living asked Chris Donatiello, CEO of C. Donatiello Winery in Healdsburg, California, “What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?”
DONATIELLO: There are a few things I really think need to happen, in this country especially, but also throughout the world.

* Reduce dependency on fossil fuels. We’re harming the environment. We’re taking something out of the earth — not putting it back in, then burning it and hurting the atmosphere. It’s a one-two punch.

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My 5: Harry Johansing, Costa Rica Natural and EcoPaper

Blue Planet Green Living (BPGL) asked Harry Johansing, CEO of Costa Rica Natural and EcoPaper, “What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?”
HARRY JOHANSING:

1. Love.

2. Be honest.

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Solution to Conference Waste Is in the Bag

If you’ve been a registered participant at a conference or trade show, chances are you’ve walked away with a conference bag. Have you ever wondered what happens to the extra bags that no one picks up? Tens of thousands of conference bags are dumped in landfills every year, and most of us never give it a thought.

Not so for Jeff Johnson. In an email, Jeff shared with us a bit about his personal crusade to put conference bags to good use. We were so intrigued, we wanted to share his letter with our readers.

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Birth of a Biodynamic Winery

At Truett Hurst Winery, a new addition to the fine wineries of Sonoma County, we not only have decided to forgo pesticides and herbicides, we also have begun to farm biodynamically. Simply put, biodynamics is a form of farming that strives to be self-sustained, self-contained, and harmonious with nature.

We have embarked on a three-year program to adhere to the rigid standards set by Demeter, an international certifying body, whose standards are said to exceed those of the National Organic Program. We are confident that the winery we are creating will be sustainable both in farming practices and economically, and will produce world-class wines.

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Organic Farming Yields the Finest Wines

Walk through the garden gate at C. Donatiello Winery, and aromas of raspberries, peaches, and fragrant flowers waft to your nose. Take your time. Stroll along, sipping from a glass of Maddie’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, made with organic grapes grown nearby. Savor the experience. You’ll soon understand why owner Chris Donatiello treats the land and the grapes in his vineyards with the care of a loving parent.

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Ecopreneur Makes Paper in Paradise

“Waste is a resource. But when people think of waste, they usually think of it as trash, rather asking, What can we do with it?

“Everything we use at Costa Rica Natural paper products is totally disregarded material,” says Harry Johansing, the company’s founder. “There’s no other use for it. When I approach a new fiber, I look at it as, Is this completely trash? and then I ask, How can I use it?

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Brooklyn, California, Age 4

Brooklyn, California, age 4: “Please don’t cut down trees because we need oxygen to breathe.”

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Salvage Goes Glam in Vintage Stores

Walking into Atomic Garage is like traveling back in time. You won’t find any CDs here, just shelf after shelf of LP records. Want an authentic Motley Crue tour shirt? Or is KISS more your style? The friendly sales staff will be happy to dress you up in a glamorous ’70s pantsuit, if you like, or make you sweat in some double knit polyester. Complete your outfit with over-the-top costume jewelry that will get you attention in any crowd. Step out of your comfort zone and into a time machine of treasures.

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Belinda Geiger, Contributing Writer

I am an artist, not a journalist. I am a reader, not a writer. I am also a lover of clouds, trees, wind, stars, all the the colors of sunrise and sunset, surf pounding on rocks, soaring birds, the intricate details in a single flower, and the amazing fact that even the tiniest of spiders have individual faces.

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Californians Protect Farm Animals with Prop 2

Californians recently passed a historic proposition that provides a higher quality-of-life standard for farm animals. Proposition 2 (“Prop 2”), also referred to as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, prohibits the containment of farm animals in a way that does not allow them to turn around, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.

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Green Wine Summit

No matter what your role in the wine industry, if you’re going green, you’ll want to attend the Green Wine Summit in Santa Rosa, California, December 1-2, 2008.

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Solar Living Institute Sustainable Living Workshops

Want to get off the grid? Build an electric car? Sell solar systems for fun and profit? Find your own place in the green collar market? Then sign up for one or more sustainable living workshops sponsored by the Solar Living Institute. Courses still available at the time of this post include the following offerings.

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