Ten Simple Steps to Living Green!

It seems to me that "living green" is a product and lifestyle marketed to the bobos of the world. Being organic and living sustainably has become a class and/or education marker of sorts. Step into your local Trader Joseph or Whole Foods and see for yourself. There's a lot of tweed, Buddy Holly glasses, les artsies de la fartsies, and the sufficient amount of calculated grunge that says, "I dress like I don't have money because I really and actually do." I'm not complaining. It makes for great people watching, but it also tells the rest of us--who perhaps can't afford a $12 can of shade grown, organic Ethiopian coffee--that living sustainably isn't within our power or financial means. Wrong, Sir, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Here are ten easy step that will make you the greenest kid on the block, sort of:

1) Close your blinds, doors and windows during hot days, like the ones we've been experiencing lately. This keeps cool air in so you don't have to turn on that darn air conditioner. When it's night and cool outside, open all windows and doors to cool your apartment naturally. So simple.

2) Stop buying bottled water. Instead, invest $20 in a SIGG water bottle. I've had my 20 oz for over a year and a half. It rolls with the punches and keeps me hydrated. But if you insist on buying bottle water, expect to spend at least $121.00 a month, while suffocating our planet with more plastic.

3) When you shop, take old plastic and paper bags with you to carry the goods in. Sure, you might get a dirty look from the bag boy who doesn't understand why you feel the need to complicate his life anymore than need be. But you can always give him a self-righteous look and explain, "I'm savin' the environment, motha licka." He will give you mad props.

4) If you're going somewhere less than two miles away, bike or walk. I'm sure you could do with the exercise. Carpooling and public transportation is another option.

5) Use only what you need. Is it necessary to have the lights on in the dinning room when you're cooking in the kitchen? Or to have the water running the entire time you shave or brush your teeth? Nope and nope. Moderation.

6) Shop at resale and thrift joints. No need to create demand for new products when we can use existing ones over and over and over and over again.

7) Recycle, recycle, recycle! It's only hard if you're not in the habit of doing it. Don't know how? This link may help.

8) Read Ishmael and Wendell Berry. Reading is a step. Yes.

9) Use your electronics as much as possible. If you must get a new iPad or cellphone, make sure you recycle your old devices appropriately. Electronics that aren't disposed of correctly pollute our environment with mercury and other toxic stuff.

10) Make your own cleaning products (or buy biodegradable, friendly ones). Cleaning your bathroom shouldn't be akin to chemical warfare. You shouldn't have to step out for 20 minutes to escape deadly fumes. Baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap kill just as well without the poisoning effect.


There you go. Ten simple steps I came up with at the drop of a hat. Have your own tips? Leave a comment and share them!

Can Your T-Shirt Plant A Tree? Too Bad, Mine Can!

If someone told me their T-shirt could plant a tree, I would tell them, "You're a filthy, disgusting liar. Get out of my face. I don't appreciate being made a fool of, Son. Yo' momma tell you's ugly? 'Cuz you is." Why the overreaction? Because I'm super gullible and fall for 95% of everything I'm told. So when I catch on to your dirty little untruths, I freak out.

Luckily, said scenario didn't happen. But if it did, I would have googled "shirt plant tree hoax" for the sake of sending that liar a follow up "I told you so" email. Then I'd feel like a guilty idiot because, as it turns out, SOME T-SHIRTS DO PLANT TREES. And when I say some, I technically know of one clothing line that does this, Tees for Change.

Tees for Change offers inexpensive

tees with inspirational and positive graphics and/or text.

Personally, the text tees are lame bananas. They're so darn positive, I want to punch them. I'm sticking to the simple graphic designs. Not only because they are cool(er) beans, but also:

1) The materials used at Tees for Change are all fair trade, organic and sweat-shop free.

2) Though I'm not a big fan of the rounded neckline and shorter, capped sleeves, their tees are good looking enough... I guess. Okay, okay. I'm not that excited about their designs.

3) Most significantly, if you purchase one of their tees, Tees for Change will team up with Trees for the Future to plant a tree.

Thanks to your $32 shirt, environmentally degraded areas in Asia, Latin American and Africa get a tree to help re-enrich their ecosystems. What does that mean? Better soil, cleaner air, sustained agriculture, protection of indigenous/agricultural cultures and peoples, preservation of diversity for local flora and fauna; and, of course, reduction of global warming. HUGE THINGS.

Sustainable Fashion Makes A Difference!

When I'm not taking clothing donations from awesome and generous friends, I prefer to get my clothes from thrift and resale shops.

Two reasons: 1) My income is well below the poverty line 2) Reuse, Reduce and Recycle.

Buying second-hand apparel is not only economically feasible, but environmentally friendly. Plus, you learn to develop your own unique fashion sense since there is no "look of the season" at a resale shop.

But thrifting (yeah, it's a verb now) requires time and energy. So every once and a while, buying new is a necessity. But that doesn't always mean you have to spend beyond your means or compromise them idealistic-liberal-college-left-wing-spewing principles of yours: go online! Find eco-friendly, sustainable fashion lines.

My favorite is Alternative Earth. It's basic, comfortable, fashionable, sustainable* and--boom--affordable! Look at this beauty below for only $12.99 ... look at it, I said!

You'll notice that all the clothes seem ridiculously comfortable. They come in classy earth tones with clean-cut lines you can dress up or down, depending on your accessories.

Finally, the apparel isn't only cute and fashion-forward, but it's good quality. Stores like Forever 21 and H&M might fool you into thinking your saving big dollas' (and looking tight while doing it!), but put this in the ol' washer a couple of times and you start looking more frump, less style. I know this from experience.

Website like Greenloop are amazing resources. They can help you, me and everyone we know make responsible, sustainable and eco-friendly choices when it comes to fashion. Awesomeness!

*materials: "organic cotton, recycled polyester and man-made materials derived from sustainable raw materials such as rayon, as well as non-toxic dyes, biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes for finishing."

Fugly Shoes Make A Difference!

I'm pretty sure that TOMS were inspired by Oliver Twist's humble footwear.

They have that rough look about them. It says, "Ma sewed these for me last night with love and a crude pattern!" But environmentally and socially conscientious hipsters

have united. They're ditching the better looking, higher quality Vans for a greater cause: Buy a pair of potato sack shoes and a kid in Africa (let's say) gets a pair. Not only will this little kid's footsies be protected from cuts, infections and general savagery (just kidding about the last part, chill), but his pair of TOMS could translate into an education. My Vans can't do that. And if you're wearing Converse still--abort the bandwagon already! Converse (and probably Vans) make cute children sweat in shops.

Yeah, it's ridiculous to pay $44 dollars for a pair of awkward looking kicks. But when you know there's an amazing and tangible mission behind your purchase, $44 seems like nothing* and those TOMS start lookin' pretty damn sexy.

*unless this economy is violently loving your finances as well... then, yes, $44 still hurts, but it's a good hurt. Like, "Ouch, it hurts to be so proactive and responsible with my consumerism!"