Preventing Pollution

The Blue Economy, 10 years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs is a phenomenal book I have been reading lately by Gunter Pauli, founder of Ecover, and The Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives organization. The philosophy behind the book is the recognition and emulation of the interconnectedness of the five kingdoms of nature. Pauli presents an alternative economic system where human processes are modeled after natural systems, and work with nature, rather than against her. ... read more

Last summer, I wrote a blog post about how bad cigarettes are for the environment.   Today, I want to follow-up with the problems associated with cigarette litter.

Seeing people toss their cigarette butts outside makes my blood boil.  I don't know why some smokers think that somehow cigarette butts don't "count" as litter.  Throwing cigarette butts on the ground is disgusting, careless, and ugly.  And it needs to stop.  

SmokeFree.Gov has resources for those who want to quit smoking.  But for those who haven't been able to successfully quit, please do not litter your butts.  Even SmokingSection.com, a PRO smokers group, says:  "Considerate smokers don't litter. Those who do deserve criticism as much as any other litterer."

Billions of cigarettes are littered every day.  They are not biodegradable, and even if they were, I find this to be an invalid excuse.  My used tissue is biodegradable, but I'm not going to toss it out from my car window, like one would a cigarette.  And while one may think that it is just "one little cigarette," one cigarette from each smoker who litters their butts adds up to a lot.  

Cigarette litter can cause fires.  They also end up in waterways and sometimes marine life will ingest them.  There was a study done last year stating that they kill fish.  Read here.  ... read more

I have had the wonderful opportunity to connect with Assemblywoman Julia Brownley regarding the pending legislation bill that if passed, would BAN THE BAG!! This issue hits very close to home for me because UCSB friends and I have spent a lot of time and effort raising awareness of the detrimental effects single-use bags have on our local environment while also promoting reusable bags. Assemblywoman Brownley is taking initiative in addressing this issue through AB 1998. If passed, the bill will be a milestone California can be proud of in terms of environmental protection in the form of prevention instead of mitigation... This interview is a great follow-up to a recent post I made about AB 1998. (Keep your eyes open for an upcoming Company profile with ChicoBag!)... read more

Feeling a little helpless about the BP oil spill?   Me too...but there are many ways to help!

• The Audubon Society is providing wildlife rescue and cleanup.  You can donate money or volunteer in person.
• Dawn is donating $1 for each bottle of dish soap purchased.  
• The National Wildlife Federation is accepting donations to protect wildlife.
• Oil Spill Volunteers is where to register if you'd like to volunteer.  
• DONATE YOUR HAIR! Hair, fur, wool, and fleece in nylon pantyhose are being used to soak up the oil.  What a great option for people who don't have the funds to donate or the time to venture down to the Gulf. 

There's a lot of information, misinformation, and unanswered questions about the horrifying BP oil spill.  I've compiled a list of resources blow to follow what's been going on.   ... read more

How would your home or building perform on a Green test?

Buildings and homes rarely operate at peak performance. The sector of building and home efficiency audits,  a growing vocation in the San Francisco Bay Area and California, focuses on optimizing the comfort of buildings and houses occupants, money saving, along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving utilization of resources. Image by Avi Decorative Painting, Inc.... read more