So I have had the privilege to review a necklace from Bottled Up Designs.

I would actually claim that the necklace already won my heart over by the packaging it came in, please see the enclosed picture.

You can see a larger picture here of the packaging

I have been wearing it for a couple of days and people thought it was really cool, especially when I told them the story of the glass and the idea behind the jewellery.

Bottled Up Designs is an idea of an avid bottle and glass collector called Laura Bergman from Pennsylvania, bothered by the fact that glass collectors take the “valuable” whole bottles of glass, but leave the broken glass on the ground. You can read more about her story on Bottled Up Designs.

I really encourage people to support stores that are making a difference by recycling stuff and actually make it into something MORE valuable than it were. It’s a turn-around of the whole concept of value - which is great.

We need to make value out of something that could be trash - I mean my great grandmother used to wash her plastic bags because she had lived through a couple of depressions and knew that you shouldn’t waste your money either! So this is a truly great initiative - putting value back into broken glass.

So go check their store out, they have a lot of great stories - and jewellery.

www.bottledupdesigns.com

See Laura Bergman from Bottled Up Designs Guest Editor article.

WARNING: This photo of regenerated cellulose can alter your mind.

A funny thing happened on my way to make the “greenest” tee on the planet. It is said that artists are like scientists, and in my case, it is fairly true. I am a process artist and love to learn how things are made, I like to start a project without a plan, study along the way and allow it to unfold “naturally.” I have an interest in methods and materials. I don’t ever claim to be an expert, as I run through the assorted worlds of chemistry, agriculture, and manufacturing.

When studying bamboo, and simultaneously worshipping it, finding facts was arduous. I desperately wanted to understand this “new” clothing fiber. Perhaps I put too much expectation on bamboo. I wanted bamboo to solve the world’s environmental problems. I wanted it to be the new genius invention that shows how smart we humans can be. And, because it a legal “cousin” to hemp, and grows in many regions, I viewed it as a new solution (for the USA at least.) I was committed to helping usher in bamboo fabric.

One day, I received a microscopic photo of bamboo fabric from a lab test that I initiated. Bamboo fabric is a regenerated cellulose, from the same process used to create rayon or viscose. The plant is broken down into a paste in order to push it through a spinneret to make thread. What I learned that day is that once a natural cellulose fiber is put through the regeneration process the very origin of the cellulose source is lost. To the chemist’s eye it is cellulose, which is abundant on the earth and found in trees, plants like hemp, cotton, jute and some grasses like bamboo. Where the regenerated cellulose came from cannot be known. Under the microscope, all regenerated cellulose has the same chemical and physical characteristics. At this point, it would only be logical to determine that any natural characteristics associated with a particular cellulose resource would also be lost. What I learned that day is that regenerated cellulose fabric can easily be made from bamboo, birch, beech, oak or pine! What?!

I ran into my husband’s wood shop and waved to him to stop cutting wood. I pointed to the bags of sawdust that tend to stack up at the door. “Honey, cellulose is cellulose! My tees could easily be made from your waste!” The thread in my tees could have easily been made from his sawdust. (What a great green idea for our future!)

Suddenly, in my eyes, my beloved bamboo fabric went from extraordinary to ordinary. Too sad for words. I had some personal decisions to make concerning my tee shirt company and my aim to be as green as possible. Yes, bamboo remains a great renewable cellulose resource and I still support it for some uses. The green question for me is, if I am to use regenerated cellulose, why use cellulose grown on the other side of the planet? I have cellulose sources all around me. Could I manage to take my decision to switch fabric publicly without confusion? I knew in my heart that with this new information the answer was not only apparent, but my integrity was tied to it. Needless to say, I immediately looked back into a local cellulose source, USA organic cotton (a soft fiber that doesn’t need to be regenerated.) I am happy to report that there is progress being made in styles, colors and the whole production from field to tee. I am now settling into a new place with my pursuit of a green tee.

This experience really gave me a jolt. I had been trying to get my art, my thoughts, on my tees and finally I was so moved that the “artist block” disappeared and words poured out. I have much to say and now can see my USA organic cotton tee as a blank canvas in need of some expression. I am just starting to make some strong points!

How many material possessions do we need to be happy?   How much space do we need to live comfortably?   As a society can we escape from the western vision of what the perfect life should be, thus improving the environment? These are some of the questions I have been thinking about lately whilst I have had to downsize my life.

In general over the years I have been going through a slow and steady downsize, from getting rid of unnecessary clothes to getting rid of my TV (as I wanted to stop wasting my life watching other people’s lives).

Now I have had to downsize from a spacious three bed roomed house (which I was living in my own in the end – not good for the environment) to a cosy, compact one bedroom flat which I am sharing with my fiancé.

The downsizing process 

During the downsizing process I had to review all my personal belongings, as they would not be able to fit into my new place. Whilst over the last couple of years I have not exactly been a shopaholic, especially as I pledged at the start of 2008 to not buy any new clothes, somehow I had accumulated many items. Many of which had been kindly given to me as gifts from family and friends (honestly – when I say please don’t buy me anything for birthday / Christmas etc – I really mean it).

How many books?

My large collection of books was the first thing that I reviewed and whilst I sold some at a car boot sale, many of my fiction books went to charity shops to raise money for good causes. Now I only have specific reference books that I refer to on a regular basis, otherwise I am only going to use the library – thus saving space, money and in theory reducing the amount of books that need printing.

Overall I reviewed everything that I owned and I took into consideration of what items I could not live without, such as the essential; clothes, cooking equipment, useful furniture etc. All unnecessary items were either sold via Ebay, car boot sales (my mum’s car as I don’t own one), Realcycle and charity shops. 

So how many material possessions do we need to be happy?

The downsizing process was very cleansing and I felt that my life was less cluttered. Overall I felt  happier getting rid of materialistic items that clever marketing and western values had convinced me (or convinced others to purchase for me) that I should own.

Now don’t get me wrong, my fiancé and I are not living pre-historic style! However we have cut down on electrical items. We no longer have a microwave or freezer. Still no TV and we only have one CD player as we do not need music in every room (in fact the walls are very thin in the flat so you can hear the music quite easily in the next room).

We have basic cooking items, as who actually uses a million cooking gadgets? (ok I admit many years ago I went through a phase of having cooking gadgets such as a breadmaker, steamer etc but sold them awhile ago as they were only collecting dust)

So overall we are currently living fairly clutter free and happy. Note to my family out there “Please, please its very kind of you to buy me presents but don’t or else there will be so space for me to sleep!” 

Big house, little house………….

I have never done compact living before especially in a flat. Now I am not saying I lived in mansions, but living in the East Midlands where property prices were never that ridiculous I managed to grow up in a good sized family home.

When I left the family home I moved about quite a bit and rented a variety of reasonably priced and decent sized houses in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. So recently when the time came to move down south, I was initially shocked at the rental fees and the only realistic option was a small flat.

My fiancé found a flat for us to rent and I am ashamed to admit that I was very pessimistic when I saw photos’. As whilst being a ‘Green Girl’ and aware of the environmental benefits of not taking too much space – I am also a country girl at heart and always wanted a farmhouse with lots of land. So when I saw photos of the compact flat, I was initially thinking “How can I live there comfortably?

However now that I have been in the flat a few weeks I have grown use to it and also very fond of it. In fact I don’t think I want to live in a house again, as I never have the problem of walking upstairs and thinking “What did I come up here for”. Also the flat, is quicker to clean

How much space do we need to live comfortably?

If everyone in the world lived the typical western lifestyle and for example opted for a three bed roomed semi detached house etc we would require 3 planets to support us. 

In fact I think if everyone in the world lived in properties, which are too big for their actual realistic needs, there would be no natural spaces left. Just house, after house, after house. We would have to extract a lot of the Earths resources to build those houses and the planet would be in a worse state than it already is.

Recently in the UK there was a huge sudden increase in building houses (though the current economic climate in the UK has caused many new developments to not be completed). 

From my understanding the government advised that there was a shortage of housing in the UK, thus encouraged building companies to develop new housing estates including creating eco-towns (which I will talk about in a future post). Whilst some people say immigration created the housing need, I believe that a change in modern lifestyle and the western vision created the need.

As a society can we escape from the western vision of what the perfect life should be, thus improving the environment?

Society has tried to dictate that in order to be happy and to fit into society, you need a posh house (keep up with the Jones), a car, a great big television (ok so I won’t go into the list like they did in the film Trainspotting)

Also the structure of families has changed, so the housing need has increased. Once upon a time you would live with your parents until you were married. Whilst you lived with your parents the average child would have to share a room or even a bed with a sibling (my mum had to share with her sister). When you got married, most likely you would stay with your parents or in-laws until you saved up money to get a deposit to rent a house (like my grandma did). Or as a married couple you took lodgings and rented just a room from someone.

However now many people leave home young (I did), may rent with friends (I did), get fed up of living with friends (I did) and get their own place, which is probably too big and is really meant for a family (ok embarrassed to admit I did).

Also, families split up and one parent might live with the children, another might live on their own.

Children leave the nest and parents for nostalgic reasons keep the family house, which is big and empty without the children.

Grandparents too for nostalgic reasons keep large houses, their partner may die and then they are living alone in a large house with spare bedrooms, which could be used to house other people.

You get my drift. For many reasons we are all taking up too much space and thus new houses need to be built to accommodate our modern ways.

Changing bad habits

I think that as a society it is time we changed our bad habits, before we completely destroy the planet. Up and coming nations want to live the western lifestyle – which after years of living in poverty who blames them. However the whole world cannot live like we do, so we must now downsize to offset the up and coming lifestyle of other nations.

Believe me downsizing your life will not make you unhappy, so please consider it – and don’t worry about what the Jones think, they will be bankrupt soon as they wont be able to sustain their competitive lifestyle!

Hi Everyone-

I’m back after a very long break. I wasn’t on vacation or anything; just trying to finish up school and get through this wretched exam. I’ve been working on my certification in sustainable building, and can now officially say I am a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor (CSBA). This distinction was hard earned - the test was the equivalent to passing the bar exam and you only had three hours!

In addition to finishing school I had begun teaching as well at the local city college. This summer I taught a hands-on construction course to adults looking for a career change and to young students hoping to get into the trades. I’ve also been approached to pen a green building textbook!

I am happy to be back to normal (somewhat) and look forward to resuming posts on what’s going on here in the US of A as well as any and all things related to sustainable design and building as I am up to my eyebrows in it.

Ciao for now,

Arcadia Maximo, CSBA!

PS: If you have any questions or comments regarding green building please feel free to drop me a line.

besides me being an editor at GGG, a freelancer expertising  community and presence marketing, I also have the privilege of running the most USEFUL podcast in the world called “Geek Army Knife”. Last interview was with Sanjay Khanna of Khanna research where we talked about calm technologies and the things that Orwell didn’t predict… it resulted in a very good episode where we talk about Green and how you are supposed to act on it in the future - enjoy it here

Also according to treehugger.com - Denmark is going to have the world largest fleet of electric hydrogen fuelcell cars..

I will keep you posted when the hydrogen station infrastructure gets going here

Maybe I’m nuts, but the boys (3 and 1!) and I have decided it’s time to get some chickens. As long as the landlord agrees!

We’ve got plenty of space in the garden for them to cluck around and a stable that would keep them safe at night.

We’ve even got friends who have offered to look after them, if ever we get around to going on holiday. So all is looking rosy.

I’ve been thinking about having chickens for a good few years now. It’s the eggs we’re after - and the entertainment. It would mean we would know exactly what had gone into the food we are eating.

We always buy organic, free range eggs. But I recently discovered that not all organic birds have the idyllic life we would expect. Apparently many of them are raised in flocks of many thousands of birds, with the restrictions that would obviously create. So we’re ready to take responsibilty for raising our own chickens and keeping them as happy as can be.

For me, it’s also about the boys starting to learn about where food comes from and taking responsibility for the welfare of another creature, from an early age.

So it got me wondering: do any of you have your own chickens? What exactly am I letting myself in for and are there any top tips you could share on keeping our chickens “green”?

I’ve already read so much about “vaccinated birds” and “vitamin enhanced GM feeds” that I’m keen to make sure I’m keeping my chickens (and eggs) as natural as possible.

I’ve already worked out that it’s going to cost us more to produce our own eggs than to buy them, but for me it’s also about getting as close to nature as possible. And I know it’s not all about the romantic visions we might have of cute, clucky, feathered friends eating corn out of our hands - there’s a real-world practicality involved.

So I’d love to hear your stories about the highs and lows of raising your own chickens. Which breed(s) should we go for if we want eggs? What are the idiot mistakes that beginners make? Have you got eco-chickens at home?

I’ll keep you all updated about which breed(s) we choose and how it goes and I look forward to introducing you to our micro-flock some time soon!

Here’s to the freshest eggs in town,
Clare x

Don’t worry, it’s not an environmental disaster! No, a new green festival ‘Green Wave’ - billed as ‘The Eco Family Fun Weekend’ - is headed for Brighton on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July.

You’ll be able to experience all the fun of the green fair in the beautiful setting of Preston Park with eight different interactive Zones, from the Earth Zone - where you might find wormeries, composting ideas and a mini eco farm - to the Energy Zone, for products harnessing sustainable energy, ranging from mobile phones to solar powered cars, and an Energy Play Area or eco circus for children. (click on the image to the right to see the flyer full size)

The emphasis is very much on our favourite watchwords: biodiversity, eco-friendly, Fairtrade, homemade, locally produced, low carbon footprint, recycled and sustainable!

Take a stand!

If you are a Sussex-based ethical business, charity or NGO there is still time for you to take a stand at the fair. Charities and NGOs are eligible for free stands, and there may even be a few free stands available for small ethical businesses that add value or pure fun to the event!

If you are interested in this opportunity, do get in touch with the organisers:

Frank Jay on 01273 323 200 or 07721 633 233 or at frank@neweraassociates.co.uk

Or Jacqui on 01273 323 200 or 07740 201194 or at jac.cuff@talktalk.net

Or simply download the Green Wave booking form and return it to them.

It should be a fantastic event!

Take care,

Katie
Ethical Weddings

When I think of summer, I have this picture of long lazy days by the water,  listening for the distant voices of my children while I wander off into a great book,  quietly stepping into some new ways of thinking or sharing in the stories of life that change us just by hearing them.   Ana Freud said  “Sex is something we do, sexuality is who we are.”  What better time than the brief interludes of warm sunny days to ponder the mystery of intimacy,  with fresh insights and revelations to bring increased clarity to how we live our sexuality as well as fun and passion to what we do with the people we love most.

Understanding ourselves as sexual beings and building a language to explore who we are in these mysterious places is a large task.  For some people, the taboo of adding language to sexual acts keeps them silent and unfulfilled.   Even for me,  the loveologist that sells love products and can say the words “oral sex” to perfect strangers,  I can often find myself silent with my husband,  lacking the know how and the courage to describe my fantasies or describe the kind of touch that most moves me.

When I received my copy of “Getting the Sex You Want” by my friend Tammy Nelson, the director of the Center for Healing and Recovery and Passionate Partnerships  I was both  curious and a little skeptical.     Based on the couples therapy work she has been doing at her office in Connecticut, Tammy offers up some well known techniques and strategies for building the communication skills to connect with your partner.   The communications method, which is based on the work of Harville Hendrix’s work “Getting the Love You Want” felt a bit contrived at first, but she quickly demonstrates how basic communication skills applied to our intimate lives has the power to revolutionize what you are doing in the bedroom and quickly spills over into the rest of your relationship.

One example she shared of a husband who had so much shame about masturbation (and don’t we all share a bit of that…) experienced such a huge relief when he was finally able to talk about his needs of sharing the experience in their sex life together   The book was full of examples  and exercises to try by yourself or with your partner that demonstrated how a shared and agreed upon method of communicating about sex could easily turn into inspiring new found abilities to express sexual needs and desires.  I was so impressed with the book that I tried the technique myself later that week.   Things that I had never thought of saying to my husband suddenly seemed possible.

The first question that anyone going to a sex therapist asks is “Am I normal?”  This question and the fear of what it might mean if we deviate from normal in our sexuality can control our lives and our relationships.  Another book that has recently come across my desk ,  Tantra for Erotic Empowerment (by Michaels and Johnson) is an active workbook of sexual self discovery.  The books premise that giving and extending permission to experience ourselves as sexual beings without fear of shame or rejection is truly the ground work for profound change and acceptance in the entire relationship.

While I don’t have that much personal experience with Tantra practices,  I would say that anyone who is learning to love their partner in a long term relationship is bound  to encounter where the physical and spiritual worlds meet in lovemaking.   Understanding  our sexuality in the context of our human nature normalizes as well as sanctify this most mysterious form of human communication.  Unlike many books written about tantric practices, which can get really esoteric,  this one provides a clear map for the beginner as well as deeper insights for the tantric practioner.   Even if all the content is not for you, there are enough thought provoking exercises to keep the book interesting long after the sun sets.

If you haven’t already read a review about Bonk by Mary Roach, let me say that there is nothing quite like actual sex history to wake you up to the wide and and amazing world of human sexuality.   She is a meticulous researcher and has a genuine sense of humor that alleviates any embarrassment you might be feeling about reading about the extremely checkered history that our discomfort with our sexuality has created through the centuries.  It will probably help you feel better about the places you are still stuck, and if you ever wondered where some of the far out porn fantasies came from- read sex history.   Even if you don’t want to own this book, reserve it at your local library.  Some fun fact from the book will spur some exciting discussion at your next barbeque.

Here’s to a summer memorable for how we all learn to love more and show it in ways that will keep you connected long into winter.

On April 20, 2008 I went into my closet and cut all the content and care labels out of my clothes. My idea was to use these in an artwork about global warming. We can lessen the impact that our clothing has on the environment by examining clothing content labels closely. After examining my own clothes I thought, “what have I done all my life?” I have been oblivious to the fundamentals of clothing and had not been as aware as I had hoped.

My vintage clothes didn’t have any content labels so I gathered that we have made big improvements with clothing regulations. One vintage label said, “This jacket can only be washed by specialized cleaners.” I guess that was the early stages of dry cleaning.

My outdoor clothing didn’t come close to being earthy at all. My “sin-chilla” did me wrong. All my waterproof gear put a drain on my sense of green. Hey, when did canvas become nylon and how much polypropylene can girl own? Breathable, but perhaps not environmentally bearable.

The brand names that made me feel good – names geared to ignite emotions of pure love, goodness, hope and peace – made me cringe when I read some of the materials used and the distance they travelled to get to me.

I have some long underwear made of Cap-eye-lene. And, sorry to say that most of my wool sweaters have acrylic in them. My little black dress is rayon, like bamboo, regenerated natural cellulose turned into a man-made “fiber.”

I have a few items with 10% steel in them, how bold is that? There is a pair of yoga pants made of hemp that made perfect sense. I am now very proud of my USA made organic fleece hoodie.

It took some work, unfolding, finding the tag, cutting gently so as not to cut a hole, refolding again and again. I thought about how we are beginning to work on making our clothing, from field to final wear, green. We are discovering what questions to ask:

- Where are our clothes made (domestic or overseas?)
- What are our clothes made of (man-made or natural content?)
- How are our clothes made (processing and production methods?)
- How do our clothes get to us (how far has it traveled?)
- How long will our clothing last (materials and trends?)
- How is our clothing cared for (care instructions and durability?)
- What type of businesses are we supporting? (transparency?)

By knowing more about materials and methods we can contribute to a healthier environment by making our choices heard. As I learn to read clothing labels I imagine “my look” will be changing. I imagine clothing producers will have to follow suit.

I was in our local hospital emergency room the other night.  I was comforting my 10 year old daughter awaiting a surgical repair to her broken and dislocated arm.   All the rooms were full with some degree of trauma and pain.   This is not exceptional, emergency room visits occur over 114 million times a year in the United States alone.  We live in a world with gravity, as my ten year old experienced with her recent bad landing on an unfortunate trampoline bounce.  At some time or another we all miss and fall,  and the force of gravity bears on us all equally,  where we hit the ground-  but we’re not running.

The other gravity of life takes hold at these moments that often usher in serious injury and grave tragedy.  We are never prepared for the end of anything, even if we are fully aware of the statistics and uncertainty that qualify life.   How could we go about the fullness of life’s activities and challenges expecting tragedy to fall with the even handedness that the universal law of gravity metes out?    In order to keep it all going, we  move forward with the naïve expectation that the difficult and challenging experiences in life only happen to other people, not to us.   Sooner or later, even the luckiest among us joins the ranks of surviving.

I had just started reading I Will Not Be Broken by Jerry White, the day before I spent the night in the emergency room.   I have suffered illnesses and diseases with my children before, some that seemed like they would define life forever.   I remembered his words about how when people suffer a major loss of any kind, they all carry  a date.  This is the moment when tragedy, loss and surviving transformed their lives.   As I sat in the  ICU waiting room, hearing hushed conversations around me,  I knew that some of that date setting was going on right there.  I felt so grateful that all I had in front of me in the middle of the night is getting a girl through summer without the pool.

That is another phenomenon of tragedy that happens for most of us.  We often end up comparing our loss to those of others we know or have heard of.   Even in the most dire of circumstances,   survivors find gratitude,  their problem is manageable compared to people they know.   Jerry White, himself was the victim of life changing loss when early in his twenties, he lost his lower leg in a minefield outside of Jerusalem.  His book is an account of the years he has spent founding the Survivors Corp and he shares the gravity and grief of daily life on planet earth along with  remarkable stories of resiliency.

Tragedy and loss is not limited to bodily events,  the emotional wreckage that can result from dysfunctional relationships is no less an issue of survivorship than losing a limb as I was recently reminded from one of my readers.   She asked me to write of the loss and trauma of reinventing a life after being left and abandoned in her long term relationship. I hear these kinds of stories everyday,  where the heart can become so bruised that we become unable to feel, unable to risk expressing love,  isolated with our fears and loneliness.   Finding the courage and the heart to rebuild a life that has meaning and brings joy requires the same skills of survivorship which begin by giving up being a victim and choosing life.

The universal law of gravity is based on the fundamental force of attraction between bodies (objects of mass) which is what gravity in life should teach us.   We are all in this together and reacting to the losses that we sustain with the ability to reach out and give back is the basis on which we not only survive, but thrive.   Often it is not until the world seems to be coming apart that we begin to feel both compassion and connectedness to people, both that we know and that are strangers who have experienced a loss like ours.

Early stages of recovery from tragedy happen as we lose our sense of being a victim and realize that we belong.  Joining groups of people who share similar experiences is a profoundly healthy response to finding meaning in your own experience.   Settling into a new and different life experience is heightened and more rewarding when we risk offering our help to others just beginning their journey.

Experiencing our brokenness is where we get a heart that is cracked wide open.   A heart that has the both the strength to grieve,  the courage to forgive,  the tenacity to live in gravity.