The woman who wants to take a stand, get noticed, and align her career endeavors with her personal beliefs, to be an advocate for the environment, animal welfare, fair trade, and human rights. She’s a model, spokesperson, host, brand ambassador and all around green model citizen, for progressive, sustainable, ethical companies, from fashion & beauty to cars & computers.

Voting on contestants started today, and the winner is going to get…

• A contract with a top tier modeling & talent agency to provide representation for work in print, runway, film/video and television.
• A professional photography session with fashion photographer Courtney Dailey, complete with organic make-up and sustainable designer clothing.
• A 20 piece Eco-Fashion wardrobe.
• A natural and organic beauty shopping spree at Future Natural.
• A Josie Maran Cosmetics gift basket.
• Features, articles and covers in publications including Coco Eco Magazine, Organic Spa Magazine, Peppermint Magazine, E The Environmental Magazine, A Distinctive Style Magazine, Chiffon Magazine, Electrifying Times, Route 66 Pulse, and more tear sheets to build a portfolio.
• Guidance and introductions by LOHAS to sustainable beauty, fashion and other companies.
• A one year stint as the face of Project Green Search.

Holy. In any case, I’m not sure I’m totally on board with contests like this (all those “best looking green people” articles make me a little gagish) because um looks don’t affect actions. BUT that said, the point of this contest is also to find someone walking the green talk. Someone who will advocate for green because they mean it, not because they want to be a modeling star. Which is why I voted for Corey Colwell-Lipson.

Of course you can vote for whoever you like, but I think after you peek at a few of the other entries you’ll vote for Corey anyhow. Many of the girls entered are writing a lot about modeling and using “green terms” in their entry essay, but Corey is actually green, and better yet one of the coolest green mamas out there – that’s right a mama (we all want a mama to win right?) Corey wrote Celebrate Green with her mom and is the founder of Green Halloween – all things we like here at THF.

You can vote for Corey by clicking here, scrolling down to her full name, Corey Colwell-Lipson and giving her some star love. Browse the other contestants too if you like, then come back and let me know who you voted for and why.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Tomorrow we’ll look at what everyone else had to say (I got some excellent answers) but first we’re going to take a look back at what I’ve thought in the past. This is not in any way a new question of mine. I’ve been frustrated for years over people not going green and many of the excuse I hear.

In case you’re a newer Tree Hugging Family reader, or missed these the first go-round, following are the six excuses I hear the most from non-green folk when I say, “Why not live green?” and my reasons why their excuses are mostly bunk…

1. I don’t matter
2. Global warming is a crock
3. Going green is too expensive
4. I’m not a damn hippie
5. I don’t have time
6. I have no idea where to start

Tomorrow we’ll see what other people had to say and later on I’ll tell you my new number one theory about why people aren’t going green.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Obviously this conversation spun out of control with me on the side of green is compelling and my boyfriend saying um, no, not for most people. THEN he said, if you want to make green compelling to the general public, there should be a reality TV show where anti-green people have to live green to win a million bucks or something. Sigh.

The sad part is I’m not sure he’s wrong. I bet millions of people would tune in to a lame reality TV show where the reward for going green is cold hard cash. Does that defeat the purpose of living green? In my opinion yeah. To me there are compelling reasons to go green without someone waving cash in front of my face. Plus, not everyone would get that opportunity. Rewards for going green can’t always be about money, or something you can touch; it’s just not realistic.

BUT does everyone agree with me? Nope. Obviously not. Look at the eco-statistics – people are doing a horrible job when it comes to green living. Very few people recycle. Few people will give up their toxic cleaners for green and safe cleaners and I highly doubt that folks will cancel cable to save energy and get outside instead.

What is it about green that’s so hard for the majority of people to swallow?

I’ve been thinking about this and I think I’ve got some reasons rounded up, but before I post them, why not tell me what you think. Why don’t more people go green? How come living green doesn’t factor in for the majority of Americans?

What do you think?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

You can try:

Making less trash to start with. This is not an easy task, but any family, with a little work can do it. Take a green home trash audit then make some decisions to grind up or compost old food, and recycle all the trash you can.

If you get paper bags with your groceries (although you should be using a reusable bag) you can use them to hold trash, although they fail when it comes to wet trash. However, they will biodegrade where as plastic bags of trash will not.

Recycled plastic bags are not great but they are a much better choice than conventional bags. Many recycled plastic bags contain a large amount of recycled plastic. They still create pollution during the manufacturing process, but not as much as new plastic bags, and use less petroleum as well.

Where to find recycled plastic trash bags:

• Seventh Generation
• Best Earth-Friendly Trash Bags
• BioBag Biodegradable & Compostable Bags

Talking about trash bags may not be fun but by greening your trash bags you can help protect the earth.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

1. Always close the damper on your fireplace or woodstove (when not in use) or that air will rush right in.
2. Take your shoes off before hanging in the living room. Really you should take your shoes off in all rooms. Various studies have shown that shoes drag in tons o’ pesticides – especially during the summer when lawn care runs rampant.
3. Choose furniture made with sustainable wood, organic textiles, recycled materials, or buy used.
4. Bring in some plants. Plants produce more fresh air than you might think and will go a long way towards improving your air quality.
5. Don’t own a massive plasma television.
6. Unplug your stereo, TV, and lamps when not in use.
7. LED lighting is more efficient but not always the best choice for large areas. That said, you should use LED to light small reading spaces you may have in your living room.
8. If you like candles, use organic soy candles instead of more toxic wax candles.
9. Clean and dust your living room with natural, non-toxic cleaners.
10. Open the windows to improve air flow and air quality.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

It’s a tough call because the things that make you a green parent are debatable. For instance are you greener if you use cloth diapers but fail to recycle, or are you greener if you recycle, grow and hand make your own organic baby food, plus buy only natural toys BUT you use disposable diapers? Which parent is greener?

What do I think defines green parenting?:

I think there are some key elements to green parenting such as…

1. Being hands on and encouraging your littles to love nature. If you’re not getting your kids outside and teaching them about the planet you’d like them to conserve, the lesson is screwy, don’t you think?
2. Making choices by weighing the risks of your actions – i.e. is it better to buy a set of plastic Legos (affordable) and be able to afford organic milk or is it more important to buy an all natural, toxic-free toy (not always affordable) and skip the organic milk? I side with the organic milk on this one. I can’t always control what my son plays with, but he’s past the age of putting Legos into his mouth while milk does go into his mouth daily and non-organic could affect his health.
3. Doing the basics – I do think that green parenting at the very least means encouraging recycling, making green cleaning choices, and doing away with disposables when possible. For example, we’ve never had paper napkins in our house, and I’m hoping my son will grow up and continue to use cloth napkins – small choices add up. The above (green cleaning, recycling, and knocking disposables) are easy things that any parent can try.
4. Talking about why we make the choices we do. My son, at age eight years, can tell you all about pollution, recycling, organic foods, tree planting and more. Yeah, he tells it in his own words but he gets it to a level that an eight year old can get it. Talking about green living is maybe one of the most important parts of being a green parent in my opinion.

I can think of other things, but the above make the most sense to me. Green choices are tough. Parenting is tougher. Add them together and it’s a lot to deal with which is why I advocate small steps here at THF. Of course I also encourage large steps, but I think if you do what you can it’s an awesome start. Maybe later I’ll gather up a list of green parenting steps – from small to large.

What do you think? What defines green parenting in your opinion?

[image via me - my son Cedar on a hike]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

1. Switch to a reusable water bottle. right now Gaiam is offering FREE standard shipping on new and pretty water bottles. COST: $10.38 (plus all that money you’ll save on bottled water).
2. Compost on the cheap: if you snag some free reclaimed wood and wire (or even buy the wire) a homemade compost bin can come in at well under $15. COST: Varies, but with smart planning, under $15.
3. Clean your refrigerator coils: the coils on your fridge can easily get covered with dust and grime which means they have to work harder to cool. Clean them with a long brush. You can find them under or behind your fridge (check your fridge manual). COST: $ Negative – If you already have the cleaning brush, this will actually save you money on your electric bill.
4. Hang a clothesline: this is a super cheap and earth-friendly way to hang clothing. COST: about $10 – A decent clothesline and about 50 clothespins will cost you under $15 in almost all cases (in most cases under $5). Note that you’ll also save money on electricity.
5. Build a rain barrel: a rain barrel will save you cash on your water bills and help you conserve an important resource. COST: about $15 if you’ve got the right plans.
6. Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators: these babies can reduce both your water use and water costs by 50% and anyone can install one on their own. COST: You can get fancy shower heads, but there are some for $15 or under. Faucet aerators can always be had for under $5.
7. Clean green: for about $15 you can gather up reusable spray bottles, lemons, baking soda, and some other gear needed to make your own homemade green cleaners. COST: Depends, but if you go bare basics under $15. Learn to make your own homemade green cleaners.
8. Get a PVC-free shower curtain: this is an easy way to avoid dangers of PVC and of course takes almost no effort on your part. COST: about $12.
9. Grow some plants: growing plants indoors can cut your indoor air pollution considerably and it’s way cheaper than a air purifier. COST: Depends on the plant, but if you look for nursery sales or try mail order, you should be able to find air cleaning plants for under $15.
10. Quit buying new planters: especially quit buying plastic planters, but overall you can make all your own planters out of found objects. My favorite EASY homemade recycled planter idea is shown below – a beautiful painted planters. COST: nothing for found planters; about $15 if you need to buy some pretty zero VOC paint. If you’ve got old paint around this project is free.

[image via Sprig]

Share your ideas for inexpensive green changes you can make in the comments…

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Being that it’s the first day of spring, I’ve gathered up some eco-friendly ideas and links for you to help you celebrate in style.

First a few Tree Hugging Family classics…

• Spring Nature Photos
• 60 Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Spring
• Candied Flowers

And some news from other fine places…

• Green your spring cleaning from Co-op America.
• Pop-up flower card – use recycled materials.
• Eggshell plant pots.
• Organic spring gardening.

Other ideas…

• Get outside with a camera – have the kiddos explore and take spring pictures.
• Plan a camping trip – it’s still a little chilly, but if you go in the spring you’ll see different things then when you head out in the summer.
• Head out at night, have a green barbecue, and watch the stars.
• Start planning your eco-friendly Easter early this year.
• Of course anytime of year is a good time to plant a tree.

What green activities do you have planned for the spring?

Don’t forget to enter to win FREE tickets to the Seattle Green Festival!

[image via free pixels]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

There are plenty of reasons. First of all a walkable town or community means that most likely the area is greener than others. This is a major perk for the planet and your family’s health. Recent news about this includes…

• Green Spaces Beneficial for Kids Health
• Less asthma among kids – just one more reason to hug trees
• One small step: spend one mile on nature today – yup green spaces help you stay fit.
• Of course the more green there is, the more likely you are to ditch that car and walk or bike, which in turn aids in the fight against global warming.

BUT the question is, how can you actually find a walk-friendly place to live? Luckily it’s as easy as green pie with the following sites:

Walk Score -gives you a walking-friendly (or not) score for various areas. You enter your address and Walk Score spits out how your neighborhood stacks up. My own neighborhood is not so cool. It earned a 34 out of 100 (100 is best). While I actually do live in a green space complex, the reason my area is not considered walking-friendly is based on limited nearby resources like grocery stores and libraries.

Other sites to try:

• 10 least polluted areas in the U.S.
• Top 25 Towns for Clean Air, Dirty Air
• The 25 Most Polluted Regions in the United States
• 15 Green Cities – not pollution specifically but a green overview. Same for America’s Greenest States.
• What makes a city walkable.
  

If your area scores low for walk-ready areas it may not be time to pack up the U-Haul though. You might be able to green your community with a little help from your neighbors. Read How to Protect Your Neighborhood Land, Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community, or Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities for ideas.

Is your area green enough? OR is a lack of walk-friendly areas keeping your family inside way too often?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

First – a round-up for the kiddos…

This first video is hands down my most favorite recycling video for kids, by kids (ok older teens) of all time. These kids are so flipping funny and so on target with the music and how the video was cut. I laugh every single time I watch it.

What tofu does when you walk away… I love this video – it’s pretty silly. My son liked it, but then he’s a strange kiddo. If you’ve got a wacky kid they might like this too. Or you can simply read more about kids and tofu.

Last up, a video for little ones that explains recycling in terms they can totally understand.

Grab your kids and enjoy – later I’ll post a round up of some of the more adult-minded green videos from THF’s past.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family