Hey Readers! Hope everyone is doing well as we make our way into the holiday season. Like many of you, I am having a bit of a difficult time finding the perfect holiday gifts for many of my loved ones. I am a huge reader and a proud advocate for a green economy, and love to share my passion with others. This year I decided it would be fantastic if I could share my passion with friends and family in the form of gifts.

Many of you may remember one of my favorite green companies, Eco-Libris. Eco-Libris makes it easy for gift-givers to find affordable green-themed books by visiting their website and reading The Green Collar Holiday Gift Guide for Book Lovers .This gift guide is a five part holiday series where readers are introduced to 50 different book titles that feature green-themes.

Not only does Eco-Libris give an awesome introduction on each book, but they share with readers why people who are involved in a green economy recommend these books to others. I found an awesome vegetarian cook book (I want! Friends, this is your hint) that would be an awesome addition to anyone’s library who doesn’t eat meat.

Want to hear another plus? These books are all affordable and won’t break your budget. Don’t forget, once you’ve purchased your books you are invited to visit Eco-Libris and balance your books by planting some trees. So what are you waiting for? Eco-Libris has 50 gift ideas for you to sift through.

I am so excited for the New Year, and all the possibilities 2009 will bring. Happy holidays everyone!

TAGS: Green, Holidays, Loved Ones, Eco-Libris, Gifts, Passion

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Is it really possible to be uber-stylish and green at the same time? It used to be that when you'd think "green" and "eco-friendly", the smell of patchouli, long hemp-woven dreadlocks and Birkenstocks would come to mind (not that there is anything wrong with Birkenstocks, they are crazy comfortable!). These days however, "green" is everywhere. What company doesn't want to be green? It's the hottest buzz word in marketing right now; probably like "Atkins approved" was a few years ago. So much so that I can now continue to fuel my designer premium denim addiction and actually feel good about spending $200 on jeans.

Enter Loomstate!
I am wearing a pair right now and not only are they one of my favorite pair of jeans, I am happy to know that everything put into producing these bad boys was done with lots of thought and care and not solely to produce something as fast and as cheaply as possible. Their goal? They are focused on making beautiful clothes and supporting organic farming and a more sustainable fashion industry.
The best part? Their jeans actually come in a bit less than the big guys!!

Be sure to visit Greenloop to find Loomstate and to feed your fashion addiction, all while keeping a nice green peace of mind.

Do something and do it now!
JD

TAGS: jeans, denim, fashion, clothes, clothing, style, green, organic

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Are you one of the many People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but love a big juicy steak? Well you may be in luck due to recent technology. Readers, have you heard about In Vitro Meat? In Vitro is real edible meat that does not include butchering an innocent animal. In Vitro Meat may offer a solution for carnivores to have their meat and eat it too.

Though the process is still being developed, In Vitro Meat is a hot topic right now. In Vitro is causing a stir of ambivalence among both meat eaters and vegetarians. PETA is offering $1 million to the scientists who are able to develop edible chicken flesh using test tubes and animal cells. The New York Times has even published some articles on this issue.

Sure, In Vitro alleviates many of the implications of meat production (environmental, health, animal rights, etc.), but will it better America’s meat addiction? I really want to hear what people have to say about this issue. Would you be happy eating synthetically grown meat? Do you think this is an unethical approach to solving an ethical problem?

TAGS: Animal Rights, In Vitro Meat, Peta, New York Times, Ethics, Green, Test Tubes

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Fedora-wearing Jason Mraz has had us smiling all summer since the release of his newest album ”We Sing. We Dance. We steal Things,” but he’s given us an even better reason to start singing his tune.

Jason’s “Music, Magic, Make Peace” tour that hit U.S. cities in April partnered with Reverb, a non-profit organization that helps you and your favorite musicians rock out at a completely “green” venue.

Avril Lvigne, Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson and Panic at the Disco have also hopped on the bandwagon when it comes to eco-chic. Even John Mayer’s summer tour is on board with biodiesel-fueled tour buses and eco-friendly merchandise. Reverb also rounds up recycling from fans and helps to reduce the amount of trash that always seems to hang around - long after the groupies go home! They’ve already reached 4.6 million fans!

Go to Reverb’s Web site to watch a clip of their efforts on tour! Want to volunteer? You could help the environment while being serenaded by your favorite artists and go home with a t-shirt and goodie bag! Click here to find out how!

Check out seventeen.com to see how other celebs are going green! So who is your favorite eco-friendly artist? What do you think about volunteering with Reverb? Tell us below!

TAGS: green, eco-friendly, reverb, john mayer, jason mraz, avril lavigne, fall out boy, kelly clarkson, panic at the disco, recycle, biodiesel fuel, summer tour

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I've read that not having kids is probably one of the best things you can do for the environment. Not bringing into this world another little human who
creates mass amounts of new waste which in turn creates even more CO2, is something people should consider even more so these days, especially with so many orphans out there that need parents and loving homes.

My wife and I got greedy and decided to have one anyway……

As I mentioned in a previous post, my wife is pregnant and I am about to be a first time dad. I am going to do my best to make sure that having this baby does not also have a huge impact on the environment and that she grows up with values which make her a good, aware, eco-friendly little person. There is so much to consider before she even arrives however.

Here is brief list of what we have been stressing over as of late:
• Buying baby furniture made from sustainable materials
• Buying diapers that don’t sit in a landfill for 50 some-odd years
• Making sure that as we remodel and decorate her nursery we buy eco-friendly paint and building materials.
• Buying baby products from companies which have the Earth in mind and make it part of their mission.
• Her dating jerks when she gets older…..oh wait, that’s not something I need to stress about yet, but I sure as hell am.

Like I said, I’ll be keeping you up to date on this interesting journey I am embarking on and hopefully you can help keep me on the straight and narrow towards my goal of a green baby. I am sure those days will come when I think to myself….”this is too hard, I’m taking the easy route”.

Do something and do it now!
JD

TAGS: baby, pregnancy, green, eco-friendly, children, green products, diapers, strollers, nursery

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July celebrates Eco-Libris’s first birthday! I am happy to write this blog to attest the many accomplishments this amazing company has achieved in just one short year! Eco-Libris has had measurable success in its first year, success that pacifies both the environmentalists and book enthusiasts in each of us.

As many of you know, Eco-Libris strives to lessen the environmental impact of book production, allowing readers the chance to plant a tree for every book they read. Eco-Libris also works with many book publishers, as well as authors, who seek to become more green. One goal of Eco-Libris is to work with readers to balance out half a million trees by the end of 2008, a goal that is challenging but attainable through the efforts of readers like you and me.

The success of their first year in business has been quite monumental! Already 50,005 books have been balanced, consequently planting 65,586 new trees in developing countries with help from their planting partners. Eco-Libris has also formed alliances with publishers and bookstores to help make balancing books even easier for readers.

Eco-Libris seeks to be an agent of change for the book industry, urging book publishers to make reading more environmentally sustainable by using recycled and eco-friendly material in book production. Please read my previous blog about his extraordinary company or visit theEco-Libris website if you’d like more information.

(above photo courtesy of AIR)

TAGS: Eco-Libris, Birthday, Green, Trees, Books, Balancing

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What’s the best beauty weapon? Water, au-natural! It’s no secret that H2O keeps your skin healthy and glowing and can even help maintain a healthy weight! So why waste it? Here are some tips on conserving the fountain of youth:

1. We know you need clean skinny jeans, but hold off running the washing machine ‘til you have a full load!
2. It’s good to eat your veggies, but scrub them with a vegetable brush in a bowl of water; don’t let the faucet run while you rinse.
3. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. Faucets can leak two to three gallons per minute!
4. Everybody loves a loofah-licious, relaxing shower, but cut it short to relieve stress on the environment! You could conserve five to seven gallons per minute!
5. Don’t wait for a cold tap. Chill your drinking water in the fridge and even filter it with a Brita or Pur pitcher!

Check out Seventeen Green for more fun ways to save the environment!

TAGS: water, seventeen, conserve, green, environment, teen

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This blogger is about to be a dad!!
My wife is due with our first child at the end of August and (I know you are wondering) it's a girl!!! Of course we are going to raise her to be as green as possible, but our big concern right now is....how to be green while raising a baby. We not only want to make sure she has an Earth to inherit, but that the process of raising her is as green as we can make it. Luckily, there are blogs and books galore dedicated solely to being green parents and raising green children (not literally, that'd be a bit scary).

Let me just say, the thought of bringing a baby into this world is not only extremely exciting but also extremely scary!! I've watched way too many episodes of Intervention and I am scared as hell because now I "know" that all it takes is one screw-up and your kids could be on a path to a life of addiction. Way too much pressure I tell you.....way too much.

Although the last thing on many of your minds at this point is having kids (as it probably should be), it is about to completely consume my life so I have decided to start writing a weekly "green parent/baby" post. It'll be all about eco-friendly diapers, buying green clothing, BCP free bottles and every other sort of uber interesting baby/parenting stuff I know you can't wait to learn.

This may alienate many of you so I promise to still write about my disdain with the current state of popular music and the un-green practices it encourages, post gruesomely cute cartoons with strong messages and write posts which tend to not really seem to go anywhere at times. If you're lucky I might even share a baby picture with you this Fall; but I promise to wait until my little lady no longer looks like a weird lizard child.

Do something and do it now!
JD

TAGS: Green, Babies, Dad, Parents, mom

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