world of good...

ok... i've been eye-ing world of good's fair-trade products at my local natural food store for months... and, on an impulse, bought a set of organic cotton socks... and i DIG 'em... so i poked around and found out these folks have all sorts of great items... from great handbags (yes, they carry the same style of monk bag that oodles of you asked "where did you get that?" a few years ago) to *gorgeous* handmade jewelry to really cool and unique housewares and gifts.

yeah, while there are all sorts of companies that make cool stuff, world of good is offering the creative work of international artisans with an emphasis on fair trade and economic viability by putting 10% of its proceeds directly back into the artisans' communities.

according to its website...

"In our first full year of business last year, World of Good sold over 100,000 handmade items crafted by 133 artisan groups in 31 countries - all of which helped make actual, concrete improvements in the lives of over 2,500 artisans and their families.

"We created employment for the disabled in Cambodia, and for HIV positive women in Swaziland. We promoted anti-child-labor activism in India, provided Tsunami relief in Sri Lanka and supported educational programs in Guatemala and Nepal."

pretty cool, eh? check em out!

a beautiful smile... naturally

while we all want a pretty smile when we face the world each day, many of our choices for toothpaste are chock full of chemicals like parabens, titanium dioxide for whitening, and high levels of fluoride.

"but isn't flouride good?" you ask? well, in proper amounts, sure... but, considering the fact that our drinking water contains more than enough flouride already (and the debate over the risks vs. benefits of flouridated water rages on), adding even more can be poisonous... ick!

for many years, choices for natural toothpaste was seemingly limited... but that is no longer the case... peruse the aisles at your local natural market and you're faced with almost too many choices... anyhoo, i've been trying out a few alternatives and here's what i've found so far...

tom's of maine... tom's is a long-standing brand with a wide variety of flavors and such (they also have a good paste for kids!). i like it, but some feel the baking soda flavor/feel is a bit too much.




kiss my face... this organic aloe vera-based paste is pretty good, with lots of options. the flavor is fine but i've never been one to ponder the taste of aloe vera and, despite the company's attempts to mask the aloe-ness, it's still there.

my latest attempt is desert essence, and - so far - i'm diggin it! the wintergreen flavor of the tea tree oil and need paste is great, and i've read nothing but good things about the effects of neem oil.

i'll update as i try more... in the meantime, try one of these brands or some other kind yourself and let me know what you think!

make a diff with a click

ooooh... i'm diggin' this...

care about the environment? endangered species? human rights? tired of junk mail and credit card rip-offs? venture over to theactionblog , and i bet even the most skeptical can find *something* they care about...

this kick-butt blog connects you with NPOs and progressive organizations that are rallying support for a broad spectrum of issues... let those "in power" know how you feel... and with a slew of elections less than two years away, who knows? someone might actually listen!

nice day for a... green wedding...

prompted by an article in yesterday's new york times, both lime and treehugger
addressed/updated their thoughts on the topic of green weddings. it's too late for me (but does the fact that we made most of the food and/or used a local caterer, like "chicken in a box," count? you think i'm kidding?)... but, darn, i wish i'd been better educated about this stuff!)... but there's hope for you... my matrimony-minded friends (you know who you are!).

while some couples go all green, even one or two of these ideas can help offset your wedding footprint... perhaps a free-trade, organic, cruelty-free dress is for you... or, maybe, tree-free invites tickle the climate-lover in you?

do a little research... it won't hurt... i promise. :)

rock the climate

UK's financial times reports today that a major concert event, aimed at bringing even more attention to the issue of climate change, is in the works. The FT reports that al gore, the (other) love of my life, will announce the event tomorrow in london.

“The event, scheduled for July 7, will feature co-ordinated film, music and television events in seven cities including London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Kyoto, with major broadcasters and media owners aiming to extend the reach of public awareness of global warming."

event reps are promising that the line-up of artists will "dwarf" that of the live aid concerts. we'll see..

btw... rumors are flying that gore supporters are really rallying to try and get him to reconsider his decision not to run in 2008. i'm not holding my breath... just hoping...

quote of the day

from salon.com's War Room by Tim Grieve

"New York Democratic Rep. Gary Ackerman, arguing that if Condoleezza Rice wants to complain about the lack of foreign-language speakers available for Iraq, perhaps the administration ought to do something about the dozens of linguists who have been fired under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are [of] terrorists, but they're very brave with the terrorists ... If the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they'd get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad."

anyone else cracking up over the visual?

shower your valentine with... pesticides?

so... you plan to shower your valentine with roses this year? if so, you may have to give her a hazmat suit, as well.

according to consumer report's greenerchoices.org, "In an effort to grow aesthetically perfect flowers, growers depend on the intensive use of pesticides. In fact, more pesticides are used on a per-acre basis to grow flowers than any other agricultural product. There is also an incentive for growers in international countries—where the majority of imported roses originate—to increase pesticide use as shipments into the U.S. can be rejected due to infestations. Since non-edible products imported into the U.S. are not regulated for pesticide residues, any type or amount can be present on flowers sold here. Hazardous pesticides used on roses include possible carcinogens, such as paraquat, and neurotoxins, such as chlorpyrifos."

eww.

thankfully, there is a growing number of companies/farmers providing safe, beauitful options, "green roses," if you will. You can find a them, as well as what labels to look for at your local florist, here.

love in the air is a good thing... pesticides... not so much.

i just...

love him... since the 1988 primaries, i have adored al gore... and, now, it appears many throughout the world do, too...

even though it seems he will never again take a shot at being called "mr. president" (damn!)... being called a nobel-prize winner wouldn't suck... let's just hope the committee has a more concise electoral system than we do...

oh, and to all of you who like to make fun of my unwavering love for this man.... "PPHHHHBBBTTTT!!!!"

try ruling the world sometime

our friends across the pond at the bbc have created a nifty flash piece that puts the reins of europe in your hands. your task, should you choose to accept it, is to control the economy, slow global warming, AND keep your constiuents happy. "easy, cheesy," you say? go for it!

climate challenge