April 22, 2008

Growing up Green

 

I feel as if I have grown up with Global Warming like it was a sibling of mine. It was always an issue in my household. My mother used to write for an environmental newsletter and my dad is a scientist with an expertise in the issue, so climate change was perpetually discussed. In fact, they talked about it so much that when I was young I thought it was something good. I did not really understand its detrimental consequences until later in life. Because it was always coming up, the term lost its meaning. I did not care about the issue and when people asked me if I would become an environmentalist like my father I would look at them like they were crazy, “Me, an environmentalist?!”

The summer after 10th grade I went on a trip to the Galapagos with a teen program. We were involved in community service on the islands, by cleaning up beaches and weeding out invasive plants. During the trip, I could tell that many people who live in the Galapagos appreciated our efforts. They needed help in preserving a place that is extremely precious and vital to them, and unique. This is when a yearning to conserve became ingrained in me. The next school year, I became active in my school’s Environment Committee. I no longer felt as though the environment was some distant concept that I was obligated to be concerned about, but instead a cause that actually was important to me. The next summer, I went on an Arctic exploration, cruising past islands with polar bears and other Arctic wildlife. The experience was literally otherworldly. I found myself wishing that I could bring everyone I had come across who shrugged at the effects of global warming to the Arctic and prove to them that this is a cause worth fighting for. The spectacular ice and exotic animals are not going to survive much longer if we do not take a more aggressive role in curbing climate change.

This year, I am co-head of my school’s Environment Committee. I organize many initiatives like the school-wide compact fluorescent light bulb sale. We are in the process of publishing an environmental newsletter. Now when people ask me if I want to be an environmentalist like my father I no longer scoff at the idea. I know that no matter what I do, I will always have a concern for the environment and a desire to preserve it. It took nearly 17 years to wake up and realize the importance of what Rachel Carson once said: “One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, ‘What if I have never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’” Because unless we take action we may not.


Posted on 04/22/2008 1:34 PM Comments (0)

April 21, 2008

Save the Green Owls!

Earth Day is tomorrow April 22nd, and though the holiday doesn't grant a day off of work, school or the closing of government offices, it is a day to spend at least a little time thinking about the environment.

For those looking for an easy way to give back to the environment..and get a little something in return, you should check out a new CD just released by our friends at Green Owl Records.  You'll get unreleased tracks from such artists as Feist, Deerhoof, Muse, and Bloc Party and the Energy Action Coalition will get 100% of the profits.  Find the Green Owl Comp at your local Whole Foods, or check your local record store, itunes, amazon...or the buy button below.

To calculate your own carbon footprint check out Green Owl's Carbon Calculator then check out ItsYourNature.org for ways you can reduce your daily impact.


Posted on 04/21/2008 2:29 PM Comments (0)

April 14, 2008

MTA Tries to go Green

Earth Day is fast approaching this year on April 22nd. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City's transit system, has announced that in honor of the day green MetroCards with environmental tips on the back will be distributed. The MTA has said that they are gradually starting intiatives in a more environmentally conscience direction. They soon will be using six megawatts of solar power in their transit system. Some of the power that the Roosevelt Island subway station uses will soon come from tidal energy in the East River. In Grand Central Station, more than half of the light bulbs are energy efficient. By 2015, they hope to get 7% of their total energy use from renewable sources. This seems like a good start but the MTA should start taking action now. 
Posted on 04/14/2008 9:59 AM Comments (1)

April 11, 2008

Clean Coal Claims Lives

Here at ItsYourNature we're no strangers to blogging about coal and growing up in West Virginia, it was impossible for me to ignore the impact that coal mining had on the state. This past week citizens of Appalachia as well as from the rest of the country got the chance to let Congress know how they felt about a relatively new but destructive form of coal mining known as Mountaintop Removal.

While much of the media's attention was focused on the War in Iraq, over a hundred volunteers were in Washington to raise attention about another war being waged just a short distance from the nation's capitol. In Southwestern Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, mountaintop removal is having a devastating effect on the local environment and economy. By leveling mountains to quickly and cheaply access coal, companies using mountaintop removal are leaving a crushing legacy for a once pristine area and setting a precedent that cheap electricity is more important than human life and livelihood.

The lack of attention to this unbelievable injustice that has been taking place for the past thirty years is enough to incite anger in most people, but rather than waste time on frustration it is more important to take action. Help support those lobbying Congress by signing our petition to support the Clean Water Protection. This is the first legislation that takes any steps towards reigning in mountaintop removal and it already has 132 Co-Sponsors. So sign our petition, or call your representative to ask them to be a co-sponsor. I did, and it wasn't even remotely scary. It was almost like I was participating in a real democracy where politicians really do have to listen to their constituents.

Need more reasons to support this legislation? Check out ilovemountains.org or try Googling Kayford Mountain, Buffalo Creek, Marsh Fork Elementary, Massey Energy, or Don Blankenship and see what common themes keep cropping up. The consistent and inhumane destruction of Appalachian communities.


Posted on 04/11/2008 11:00 AM Comments (0)

April 4, 2008

Barneys Wants Your Clothes!

 Submitted by ktfinklea on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.

Or they want your t-shirts at least. Starting April 13th, you can take your old T-shirts to any Barneys nationwide and you'll have a chance to participate in the first ever t-shirt recycling drive and help benefit 1% for the Planet.

Read more details below and get your eco-chic on...

Tune in. Turn on. Drop off.

BARNEYS NEW YORK CO-OP, LOOMSTATE, AND SUNDANCE CHANNEL ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF NATIONAL T-SHIRT RECYCLING PROGRAM
Donated T’s to be “Re-Fashioned” into Loomstate for Barneys Green Holiday 2008 Collection

New York, NY – As part of the Season 2 kick-off of “The Green” on Sundance Channel, the network has partnered with Barneys New York and the eco-chic fashion brand Loomstate to launch a first of its kind, national T-shirt recycling program. Beginning April 13th, consumers will be encouraged to drop off old t-shirts at all Barneys’ locations nationwide. Loomstate will “re-fashion” the T-shirts (re-style, re-dye, re-print, etc.) to create a new, limited edition T-shirt collection to be sold exclusively at Barneys for Holiday 2008. Participating consumers will receive a 20% discount on women’s Loomstate for Barneys Green and men’s Loomstate merchandise from April 13-27. Proceeds from the program will benefit 1% for the Planet.

“With THE GREEN, Sundance Channel hopes to inspire viewers to make changes in their lives and let them know that they don’t have to sacrifice style, quality or design to make a positive impact on the planet,” says Larry Aidem, President and CEO of Sundance Channel. “Our alliance with Barneys and Loomstate creates another opportunity for Sundance Channel viewers to participate in a creative and unique program that benefits them and the planet. As the first network to dedicate a primetime TV destination to environmental programming, we are committed to seeking out ways to illustrate that ‘going green’ is both a movement and priority for all of us.”

Designed by Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn, Loomstate uses 100 percent certified organic materials to make eco-luxe clothing. According to Rogan Gregory,” Recycling t-shirts to create something new and beautiful personifies the evolution and metamorphosis of the Earth. We are taking eco fashion to the next level.”

“There is a fast growing environmentally based fashion movement that we feel is the New Cool. It is redefining what luxury is all about. We must work together, educate ourselves and inform people of how to participate. Everything we do now must have a conscious thought to it. Thinking, walking and talking and with the flag of intention to create beauty through fashion in a more organic, restorative way is the future.” says Julie Gilhart, Senior Vice-President, Fashion Director of Barneys New York.

The recycling program will kick off with two exclusive VIP events at Barneys New York flagship locations: Los Angeles on April 15th with a special performance by She & Him, featuring Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward and New York City on Earth Day, April 22nd with an exclusive performance by British singing sensation & Geffen recording artist Kate Nash. DJ Paul Sevigny to provide music at both events.

THE GREEN is presented by Lexus Hybrid Living and Citi Smith Barney.

About Sundance Channel
Under creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of firms, documentaries, shorts and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance
Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, CBS and Robert Redford. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel’s website address is www.sundancechannel.com

About Barneys New York
Barneys New York (“Barneys”), www.barneys.com, is a New York-based luxury retailer founded in 1923, with flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Barneys New York also operates two smaller regional stores, and fifteen Barneys CO-OP stores with three more to open in 2008. The quintessential New York store is easily recognized by its bright red awnings, iconic black shopping bag, and innovative window displays engineered by its Creative Director, Simon Doonan.

About Loomstate for Barneys Green
Loomstate for Barneys Green is a partnership and commitment between Barneys New York and Loomstate to create sexy, stylish and eco-friendly collections. Loomstate is a fashion brand with sustainable development goals, focused on the cultivation and use of environmentally sensitive materials, primarily 100% organic cotton. Barneys New York is the leader in premium taste and luxury fashion retail.

1% For the Planet
Loomstate and Barneys New York will donate a percentage of their Loomstate for Barneys Green business to One Percent for the Planet. One Percent for the Planet is an alliance of companies that recognize the true cost of doing business and donates 1% of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide. The beneficiary of the Loomstate for Barneys Green label is the Organic Exchange, a unique resource for companies interested in the cultivation and sourcing of certified organic cotton.


Posted on 04/04/2008 11:22 AM Comments (1)
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