Guest Blogger - Sarah Kensell - Get Dressed Sustainably

This week's Guest Blog Post comes from Sarah Kensell

Sarah Kensell is a wardrobe stylist and producer of photoshoots and fashion shows.  Clients have included: prAna, Fashion Week San Diego, Riviera Magazine, Fashionably Late at the Ivy, The A List at the Anthem, and many more.  Her fashion blog, Modern Boheme, is where she showcases her coastal bohemian style and shares creative musings. 

Organic cotton, hemp, fair trade, vintage, recycled:  there are a lot of buzzwords in the world of sustainable fashion.  These days, it's not hard to find sustainable clothing (new companies are popping up all over the place); the hard part is finding styles that fit into your wardrobe.  I've done a bit of the legwork for you... you'll feel a little less guilty about this shopping spree!

While your selection of sustainable products is definitely smaller, it doesn't have to be boring.  Bright colors will get you feeling as good as the choice you made to buy with a conscience.

Get this look - click here

Organic cotton doesn't mean stiff cotton.  Things have changed quite a bit since we first saw the rise of organic cotton in the market.  Manufacturers have found ways to make it some of the most comfortable stuff out there. 

Get this look - Click Here

Whether you are traveling the world or your backyard, you can find your own adventure anywhere.  A wardrobe full of products that do good for people and the environment will make you feel like you are making a positive contribution to the lives and natural wonders around you.

Get this look - Click Here

Guest Blog - Guide to Government Incentives for Green Commercial Trucks

This blog post comes to you from Brittany Richards, editorial coordinator for Software Advice.

Have you noticed 18-wheelers on the road and wondered how much gas it takes to fuel them? Since I was young, I’ve always noticed big trucks and asked myself that question. Well, in my time as the editorial coordinator for Software Advice, a company that helps buyers review transportation management system technology, I’ve learned that it takes tons of gas (literally) to fuel commercial fleets.

For large companies that own or manage large fleets of commercial trucks, reducing fuel consumption is one of the most tangible ways an organization can positively impact both the planet and its profits. We frequently hear from buyers that are interested in technology to measure, analyze and (in-time) reduce fuel consumption across its fleets to bring down costs and help reduce overall consumption.

One way to greatly reduce consumption and costs is to combine this technology with the purchase of new, energy-efficient trucks. And thankfully, there are a number of government incentives to reimburse and reward companies for the purchase of green(er) vehicles.

However, it’s important to consider who qualifies for these programs. Many incentive programs commonly stipulate vehicle type, fuel type, state/region of operation, vehicle weight limit, fleet size and overall company revenue. In addition, the application for each type of incentive is nuanced, and each program has its own requirements.

To help buyers better understand the government incentive process, Software Advice contributor Janna Finch has put together a comprehensive guide that breaks down the federal, regional and state incentive programs and provides contact information for each program. In addition, the guide provides a quick, four-step process to help guide your application process. For more detailed information on these programs, check out the guide here.

My sustainable home - kinda

It has been a dream of mine to have a home that was completely self sufficient. In that what we needed to run the house would come from the land itself.
Oh I was going to buy 10 acres of land - build a beyond eco house and become an advocate in my self affirming little home.
BUT - well lots of things happened. From not being able to get a building loan, to needing a home to live in, to a realistic evaluation of my time to "build" such home. SO... I know own a traditional home in the middle of town.

But the dream is not dead - there is so much opportunity in anyone's home to reduce your environmental impact - so the dream has been adjusted.
It has been a interesting journey to understand our impact as a family, what we have been able to change, what remains to be a challenge and what is in the pipeline.

WATER

Fortunately we live in a state that not only rains a lot, but one can capture your own water from your roof for use. The first thing we did was turn off the sprinklers.  They aren't needed 9 months out of the year. This alone along with our practices of full dishwasher, laundry, short showers and letting it mellow. means out water use is very low. In fact we don't come close to the minimum water charge on our bill thus paying only fees each month.

The next great project was putting in 3 - 50 gallon rain barrels off the south east side of the house. We were shocked to learn how fast they fill up - one rain storm and they were full. We use this water for watering trees and plants around the house.

ENERGY
This topic is in the pipeline list. Future projects include adding solar tubes to the bathrooms which have no windows and solar hot water... But that will be another year or so.

WASTE
This has been the most interesting topic for me. We have a great practice of reusing and recycling as much waste a possible. Such that we throwout maybe a 1/2 a garbage bag a week. And you know what is in it? Soft plastics... What I need to do is set up another bin for these and take them into Portland next time I go to recycle them since they can't be recycled here.

And we compost - we bought 2 composters so that one could be doing its composting thing while we use the other. Well with the yard work, the chicken shavings, grass and our kitchen compost - we have filled them both up.
We are lucky because Andy's parents live on a farm about 14 miles away and we end up taking all of our yard waste up there. But if we didn't we wouldn't have space for it.

FUN
We also got chickens for eggs and their manure for our garden.  We ripped up the front
lawn and put in raised beds and plants a fig and a plum tree.

All of these project have an impact for sure and we will keep going on other projects, but it is surprising, even to me, how reliant I am on the city for water, energy and hauling away my waste. It makes me think about how far away we are as a society from sustainability. BUT I like how it makes me think - what do I use, how can I use less, and how can my behaviors change to reduce my impact.
A work in progress and a journey worth taking. 

Guest Blog - Approaching parenting in a sustainable way

This blog post comes from my sister - Samara Bassett. Samara is a high school teacher and wonderful mother to my adorable little niece.  This is a great post on values and creativity.

There are many challenges you face as a first time parent. Amongst the sleepless nights and endless questions I felt an overwhelming pressure to make the “right decisions” for my daughter. Thankfully time and experience have taught me to trust my instincts and no decisions are forever. As long as my husband and I keep our values and goals in our hearts and make decisions with love; hopefully our daughter will learn and grow into a happy productive woman. It was a priority for us to approach parenting in a sustainable way. I anticipated this would be a challenge amazingly sustainable parenting has not only been simple but also economical.

• Our cloth diapers have saved us hundreds of dollars and kept hundreds of diapers out of the landfills. 
• Making my daughter’s baby food gives us piece of mind that we are giving her pure nutritious food that costs us a fraction of the jars and processed foods in the stores. 
• I can also make wise choices in terms of her toys and clothes. 
• Thankfully we live in a family filled area so there are of of opportunities to buy used which saves us money and saves a lot of plastic from ending up in the landfill. 

I have even gotten creative with some of her toys. The following was inspired by a play kitchen I saw on pinterest as you can see from the very close resemblance. I half assed looked on craigslist for a TV stand but couldn’t find that special item. Then driving to meet a friend I saw a TV stand out on the side of the road. I forced my husband to pull a u-turn so we could grab it. It always amazes me what I have found on the side of the road.

I brought my treasure into the high school where I teach and begged the wood shop teacher Tim to help me transform it. I left it with him and 2 hours later he had built shelves, built the microwave door and stove doors and cut out the sink hole. I was blown away with what he did in such a short time; I guess that’s why he’s the pro. At this point I decided to try to complete this project using recycled or used items. Amazingly I was almost able to completely do it. The stove knobs came from an appliance repair shop. The kitchen sink (bowl) and curtain (dress) came from the local thrift store. The white and blue paint came from our stash in the garage. I did have to buy a tiny pot of black paint, the number stickers and shellac new. Overall I love how it turned out. My little girl plays with it all the time and her friends are drawn to it every time we have play dates. I did notice I forgot to put a zero on the microwave console when we were trying to microwave my girls “apple soup” for 60 seconds, adds to the charm.

 The best part it the whole project cost considerably less than buying a new play kitchen. I think the total was around $60, not counting the case of beer I bought Tim.

If you are interested in making your own - Here is the link for directions

Nice

When you are your own boss, you have to be your own marketing and PR person too.

So I wanted to share an article about an award I co-won with a colleague of mine Greg Scott from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

A huge honor from an amazing group of people I am humbled daily to work with, from the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group.

Read the press release: Outstanding Contribution to the OIA SWG 

Enjoy!