Good Things Come In Trees

And others are paying no mind to it, because—why, would you just look at the time!—you’re moving forward, fleet-footed, with your sights set squarely on the holiday next upon us.

You’re actually the folks I’m speaking to today.

I’m asking for you to stop, even if briefly, and think of the trees before you get too far along into it all.

I’ll own up to my bias: I was born and raised in the most forest-covered state in the union, and I have a French surname that translates into both “wood” and “woods.” I recall having even made mention of my fondness for trees left in place in my introductory offering to Tonic News. So I’m feeling compelled to let my inner Lorax off the leash for an impertinent trip to the top of the soapbox and speak for the trees, particularly as they relate to the remainder of the holiday season.

My first suggestion may horrify some of you, while others may already be totally on board here, but an artificial tree can be a terrific and essentially permanent option for festive household holiday decoration. Personally, I’ve been astonished at what they’ve been able to do in the arena of fake tree technology lately—some of the available products are truly convincing.

For those of you aghast and ready to chew nails at the very thought, relax, I hear you. At a minimum, there’s no replacing the smell of a real tree. I get it. You’d sooner slather yourself with honey then go sit on an anthill than go with a fake tree. Consider purchasing a potted live tree that you could later replant. Or if you can’t keep from going with a cut tree, perhaps then you’ll see to it that it will stay out of the landfill. Many communities have implemented recycling and mulching programs—have a look to see if yours is among them.

And in alignment with the Tonic mission and spirit, I’ll offer a thought on the stuff that trees get made into: paper.

If you don’t already keep and reuse gift-wrapping, you might find it to be a great way to cut down on your household holiday paper demand. Another alternative to purchasing new wrapping paper is to re-purpose yesterday’s newspaper. Of course the color comics are the most visually appealing, but with a little creative spirit and some markers or paint, you can prepare a wrapped gift that has your irrepressible individuality on full display.

So as Thanksgiving becomes a smaller dot in the rear-view mirror and we move on to plans for the remainder of the holiday season, perhaps you can help make me a wiser man: leave a comment with your tips and thoughts on greening up the holidays.

David Bois is our featured Saturday columnist (humorist) with the Tonic News team and can be found emerging here every other week.  He also pops up here time to time on “special assignment.”  In the meantime, you can read him almost daily at idecosupereco.

Colleen Lindesay: Sustainable Leftovers?

By Colleen Lindesay - November 28, 2008

So the feast is complete, and you probably have your body weight in turkey meat, stuffing and pie left to sustain you for the next couple of days. Most families have set game plans for how to use up the meal scraps–turkey pot-pie anyone?

Leftovers–and wasted food in general–is a serious problem, though. Researchers in England studied the question and determined that UK consumers toss about 20% of usable food each year, and families with children throw away a staggering 27% of food they buy. Here in the US, you’ve got to imagine that our stats are similarly bleak.

So what’s a well-meaning person to do? First up: use meal-planning, like our own CityMama, to determine exactly what you need to buy at the market. My friend Cicely plans her meals each week using Google’s handy calendar function, which you can link to from Gmail and access on the road from your PDA.

To pack your leftovers, choose handy stackable glass containers that you can use for years to come. I’d also recommend rooting through your local used bookstore for old cookbooks. Many vintage cookbooks have a “waste not, want not” attitude I admire.

The next step in sustainable leftovers? Check out this advice column and response thread on chow.com about bringing your own containers to restaurants. It’s food for thought.

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

Colleen Lindesay lives, works, writes, drinks wine and eats in San Francisco. She keeps a blog about jam-making at Delights and Prejudices.  She writes her weekly column here every Friday.  It’s no wonder all of us at the Tonic office is always hungry after reading her posts.

From the UK: Luella Bartley - Designer of the Year!

By Sebastian Clayton - November 27, 2008

Last night in London, Luella Bartley won the British Fashion Awards ‘Designer of the Year’ for 2008. All of us here at Tonic want to congratulate Luella on this stunning achievement. I thought it would be great to profile her as she has come from nowhere to everywhere over the past few years and looks like she will continue to design hip and cutting edge clothes with a musical and British twist.

Bartley is 34 years old and rose through the fashion ranks quickly after leaving her job as a fashion journalist with Vogue and Dazed & Confused. It was her time spent as a journalist that gave her the idea of becoming a designer herself.

Her first ‘Luella‘ collection debuted at London Fashion Week in 199, with a show titled ‘Daddy, Who were the Clash?’

Her visionary career began during a late night driving session with her friends while she was still a fashion journalist. Being disillusioned with the fashion scene, her friends that night convinced her to establish her own fashion label and the rest is history.

Her first show at London Fashion Week was that year’s biggest event and celebs including Kate Moss and The Clash sat in front row seats. The mix of music, pop and style was fresh and exciting, and soon Bartley was on her way to becoming a household name not only here in the U.K. but also in New York. For five years, Luella has shown her collection in New York during Fashion Week with Gisele Bundchen opening her debut show there carrying a handbag aptly called the ‘Gisele.’ That year, the ‘Gisele’ became the most-sought-after handbag.

Whilst growing her brand in New York, she also designed a line of ‘Luella’ bags for Mulberry which became one of Mulberry’s biggest sellers in years. With the success of the bag, Luella’s brand was sold to Club 21, owners of Mulberry and many other labels, and her business has grown to a £9 million.

Last year, she returned to London to show, both in celebration of her flag ship store opening just off Bond Street and to take advantage of the growth of U.K. fashion. Bartley is a member of the new younger set of English designers that include Alice Temperley, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney, and Julien Macdonald - all individuals who have made British Fashion hip again around the world.

Bartley describes her clothes as “mashed-up Sunday best,” and both her ready-to-wear clothing and accessories are in high demand both in the U.K. and the U.S. Her quirky English style and love for music have shaped her collections over the past few years - giving them an edge, but also taking into consideration the need for simple cuts and non-fuss which allow her, as a mother, and much of the public to wear her stylish clothes by “just throwing them on.”

This year, Luella designed our second collection of Tonic T-shirts with four unique prints (that are now available as bags as well), as she was intrigued by the idea of how Tonic does good and gives back.

“I was so pleased to be part of this collaboration with Tonic. I love how the proceeds from the t-shirts goes to all sorts of different causes from helping kids in Columbia with dental care to protecting coral reef in the Pacific. It’s a cool and original way to give back and I think the design reflects that.” Luella Bartley said upon the launch of her Tonic t-shirts last year.

Bartley now lives in Cornwall with her three children and long-term partner, and we at Tonic applaud and celebrate her win yesterday as British Designer of the Year.

Sebastian Clayton is Tonic News’ International Correspondent and his weekly column, “From the UK,” appears here every Thursday. Feel free to connect with Sebastian at Sebastian[at]tonic.com. As us Americans celebrate Thanksgiving today, Sebastian is still busy writing articles and news to keep us informed.  And with said, Happy Thanksgiving to all our Tonic readers!

Hero of the Week: Annie Leonard & Stuff

By Annie Scott - November 27, 2008

Annie Leonard is our hero this week. Why? She’s been traveling the globe for ten years to find out where all our stuff, our consumer goods, our bling comes from, and where it goes when we get rid of it. Why did she do that? Because she’s a hero. Like Captain Planet.

What did she find out? Watch her video, sponsored by Tides Foundation and Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption: The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard.

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard is a twenty minute video about our “materials economy;” our system of extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and lastly, disposal. According to Leonard, the system is linear and the planet is finite, and you can’t run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely.

Ow, my math skills.

Okay, think of the linear “materials economy” system like an endless length of yarn. If you wrapped that yarn around and around the Earth, you would eventually cover the whole thing. Our planet can regenerate (like, absorb string), but not fast enough to prevent the yarn from covering it completely.

So, stop using so much stuff or we’ll become a galactic ball of yarn.

The video definitely attempts to inspire us by deterrence; telling us how badly we’re doing and how it’s getting worse. As I have explained, I don’t think trying to depress someone into action is very effective, but the information she has collected is impressive. She relays it engagingly and succinctly.

Extraction is the harvesting of raw materials from the Earth. We do it too much, and we do it at the expense of human lives.

Production is where we take those materials and make them into “stuff.” Leonard notes that if we put toxic materials into our stuff, our stuff is toxic. Did you know that there might be neurotoxic flame retardants in your bedroom pillows? Yikes. Yikes, and perhaps that explains a lot.

Distribution is the part where we sell the stuff at Wal-Mart. Leonard explains, admirably, how on Earth can a radio cost only five bucks. A whole radio. That’s a complicated little device. She delves into a concept called “externalized costs,” and proceeds to show us how that radio was paid for by someone’s future.

I told you it was depressing.

Consumption. We use up the stuff. This is where Leonard and I disagree a bit, when she talks about fashion being some big conspiracy to make us buy more stuff. I see what she’s saying, but she seems to have forgotten that fashion is an art, and an arts community. Fashion is a natural development in human progress, from the days they were picking out which leaves to wear in Eden and how to tie them on. Could we do fashion better, greener, and more sustainably? Sure.

What couldn’t we do better, greener, and more sustainably? Leave fashion alone!

Ahem.

Disposal. Lastly, Leonard explains why recycling isn’t enough and why incinerators are bad. Our system totally blows. It blows dioxin.

Leonard encourages us to take a look at our system, which has been festering this unhealthy way since the 1950’s (longer by my count, but she’s the expert). She reminds us that we, the human race, made this system. It didn’t just happen, it’s not like gravity. We made it this way and we can change it.

I say let’s start with education. Send the video to everyone you know, especially teachers and kids.

And then? Use less stuff. Fear the galactic cat.

!!!(Oh man, wouldn’t it be cool if someone drew me a cat swatting a yarn-covered Earth in outer space?)!!!

Congratulations, Annie Leonard!

Annie Scott is a playwright and actress in New York City, as well as a regular contributor to StyleList.com, Luxist.com, and Holidash.com. She serves as our bi-weekly contributor on Saturdays as well as turning in occasional special assignments, including occasional Hero of the Week columns.

From the UK: Climate ahead of economy

By Sebastian Clayton - November 27, 2008

12,000 people from twelve countries around the world were all asked in a survey which issue they thought most important for our attention: dealing with climate change or improving the economy. The results?  Most respondents desired their governments to stop haggling and start acting on climate change. Worldwide, 77% of the people surveyed wanted their governments to cut carbon emissions.

The countries in the survey were a good mix of all economically-affected regions including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, UK and the U.S.

The survey was carried out for the HSBC Climate Partnership, a collaboration between the international bank and climate NGOs including WWF, the Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Read the report here.

Sebastian Clayton is Tonic News’ International Correspondent and his weekly column, “From the UK,” appears here every Thursday. Feel free to connect with Sebastian at Sebastian[at]tonic.com.

Step Up: This Thanksgiving, Please Don’t Volunteer

By Catherine Lincoln - November 26, 2008

That’s right, I said don’t volunteer. Are you wondering if I’ve lost my mind, or if this is Bizzaro World, where everything is opposite?

Relax, everything is fine. In fact, it’s great: I just took a big task off your plate for this holiday weekend! Crack open a cold one, lean back and enjoy the game. You don’t have to do anything today but eat-nap-watch tv-repeat.

But there’s a catch.

Hunger is a problem every day of the year, not just the last Thursday of November.  Yet, for the majority of the year, soup kitchens and other services that provide meals to people in need are desperately underfunded and understaffed.

On Thanksgiving (and Christmas, too) volunteers come out of the woodwork. Most places have to turn away well-intentioned folks who are grateful for what they have, and want to give something back to their communities.

So here’s the plan: enjoy a leisurely Thanksgiving dinner and take the family down to a food bank on one of the other 300+ days of the year!

There are many organizations that would be happy to see you on any day in February, May or September, and will gladly put you to work preparing, serving and even delivering meals.

Some of the people who benefit could be other families who hit hard times, elderly people who are stuck in the house because of inclement weather, or patients who are recovering from medical procedures, but still have limited mobility.

Here are some organizations that will welcome you any (other) day of the year:

Meals on Wheels - The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need. Most cities and metropolitan areas also have a local chapter you can find by googling “Meals on Wheels” and your location.

Feeding America - The largest domestic hunger-relief charity in the USA. The Feeding America network of banks serve all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. On the site you can enter your zip code to find the food bank closest to you, and what kind of volunteers they need.

Volunteer Match — Want to help the Salvation Army? How about handing out food at the Pet Food Bank? Maybe you prefer working with kids at an after school craft programs? You can find worthy causes like these, and more, just by entering your zip code into the Volunteer Match search engine.

Your Local Church - regardless of your denomination, most religious organizations offer assistance to people in need. Your volunteering efforts can make a difference close to home, where charity is purported to start.

On Thanksgiving, enjoy spending time with your family, give thanks for what you have, and make a plan for another day you can all get together — the more the merrier! — to volunteer as a team.

What better way to give thanks for what you have than by planning your new tradition of helping others! Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Source: CarbonNYC on flickr.

Cat Lincoln’s “Step Up” column appears in this space every Wednesday.  You can also find Cat blogging at Green Daily, Stylelist, and wishboneclover.

Eating, drinking and shopping - what we are doing over Thanksgiving

Americans spend about 1.3 hours per day (on average) eating and drinking over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Other popular activities: traveling, watching TV and purchasing goods and services - which may not be a big surprise with the Friday after Thanksgiving always to biggest shopping day of the year.  With the economy in its current downward spiral, this statistic may change during Thanksgiving 2008.

How are you planning to spend your holiday?

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Tech Meets Good: Out Of Thin Air

By Sebastian Clayton - November 25, 2008

Element Four is a Canadian company that has come up with a great solution to help with declining fresh water supplies. It’s called the Watermill and basically it manufactures water from thin air.

The machine was featured over the weekend in New York at the Wired Magazine annual showcase of gadgets, and Wired claims this invention will make a difference - the watermill could help change the world!

Using the same mechanical system as dehumidifiers, the mill can create up to 12 litres of clean water per day using only air as it’s source. It runs using no more electricity than three light bulbs, condenses moisture from the air and purifies it into clean drinking water. For many people around the world who suffer from a lack of water, this breakthrough could be an enormous development in producing safe water.

As more and more of our planet’s fresh water is depleted from growing demand, the watermill could help solve many problems for countries like Spain who have experienced severe water shortages this year.

The only downside is the cost with a price tag of a hefty $1,200 for the device. However, the machine’s inventor and Element Four’s founder, Jonathan Ritchey, says this cost works out to about 3 cent a litre and is much cheaper than bottled water in the long run.

The creators have already devised an agricultural version to assist farmers with their crops in areas of low rainfall.

Check it out here.

“Technology Meets Good” is a regular feature at Tonic News.  If you have cool examples of technology doing good in our world, please email dan[at]tonic.com.

Sebastian Clayton is Tonic News’ International Correspondent and his weekly column, “From the UK,” appears here every Thursday. Feel free to connect with Sebastian at Sebastian[at]tonic.com.

Paws to be Greener: A pet-safe Thanksgiving

By Yuki Seymour - November 25, 2008

Yuki is Kristen Seymour’s oldest dog and will be writing a few posts for us on how to be a greener pet owner. She and her little sister, Rudi, are both black lab mix rescues and are big fans of the outdoors. While Rudi is mostly interested in chasing lizards and examining poop, Yuki is a little more refined, enjoying the feel of the breeze through her fur, the sun on her face, and — wait! Did someone say squirrel? SQUIRREL!

I’m not going to lie — I don’t like Thanksgiving. There are all of these wonderful smells, and tons of delicious looking food, and … I don’t get any of it. Of course, I always try to pick out the softies (or the messy eaters) and sit below them at the table, but I don’t get a plate of my own. What’s up with that?

Apparently, my mom is more worried about my health than my happiness. As it turns out, a lot of the Thanksgiving goodies that people love are actually really dangerous for pets! And so, because I care (and, if I have to be miserable and without yummy Thanksgiving treats, I want every other pooch to be miserable, too), I’ve got some tips for keeping all your four-legged pals safe and healthy.

For one, keep your pet’s diet the same as always. You might plan to overindulge, but letting your dog do the same can create a very upset tummy, and you know who has to clean up after that mess. And remember, people food is, sadly, for people. As delicious as that turkey would be going down, it could cause vomiting and diarrhea. Yuck.

These rules aren’t just for you — make sure your guests understand the seriousness of feeding Fido fatty scraps. We’re not just talking about puke and poo, either — high sodium foods, like peanuts and chips, or really fatty foods (think of turkey skin), can cause pancreatitis, or an inflammation of the pancreas. This can kill your pet. So, seriously, no matter how cute we are when we beg, don’t give in.

Food isn’t the only danger. Think about things the food has touched — paper plates, tinfoil, the string that tied the turkey … we don’t care that it’s not the actual food. We still want to lick and eat it. And, not surprisingly, eating these things is really, really dangerous, potentially causing intestinal blockages. Make sure your garbage is out of our reach, too. You have no idea what I would do to get into the Thanksgiving trash. No idea.

While bones are a classic treat for pooches, turkey bones aren’t a good option. They’re spiky and brittle, and can break and damage our insides, causing all kinds of painful problems. Other dangerous (but probably super yummy) items include raisins and grapes, chocolate, alcohol, and onions. Keep them away, no matter how sad we look.

If you’re frying anything, remember that the oil can stay hot for hours, so keep pets away from it. And, it smells delicious — if any spills, get it cleaned up or buried or something, or else we’re going to lick it all up and be sicker than, well, a dog.

Finally, consider our mental health. I’m lucky — everyone coming to our house loves dogs and I’m really comfortable around them. But, if you’re having a ton of people over, it’s a good idea to make sure your pet has a quiet place to hide and get away from the noise. Especially if there are children with whom your pet isn’t familiar — that can get scary, fast.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving for you and your furriest friend!

Other posts in this series:

Eco-friendly Pets

Food for Thought

A Happy Howl-o-ween

Play Until You Crash

Tips for Pet Travel

Keep Warm, Look Cool

Kristen Seymour keeps us up on the green dish every other Tuesday.  Her oldest child, Yuki, joins us for some guest blog posts this fall.  Kristen always provides the lowdown on green celebrities and other eco-friendly types right here at Tonic News.

Kristen Seymour: Kirk Douglas and Friends Feed the Homeless

By Kristen Seymour - November 25, 2008

It’s great to see celebrities get their hands dirty, especially during this time of year. And while many of them get involved in various charity events, it’s hard for them to top Kirk Douglas.

The 91-year-old Spartacus actor, along with his wife, will once again spend Thanksgiving feeding the homeless at the Los Angeles Mission on the corner of Wall Street, starting at 11 a.m. And they won’t be alone — a number of other stars will join the couple to help prepare, serve, and clear plates, but the names won’t be released until just before the event begins. In the past, however, Minnie Driver, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kevin Nealon, and many more have helped out. Last year, they helped the Los Angeles Mission feed over 3000 hungry people.

David Arquette is also getting in on the do-gooding this year. He and Food Network star Ted Allen have joined the Woodbridge by Robert Monavi Give Hope Campaign, which raises funds for and awareness of hunger partially through an online charity auction. David will auction off a day of having coffee and helping the less fortunate with a lucky fan, while Ted will auction off a fabulous foodie day of feeding the hungry in NYC and then a meal for the winner at Del Posto, throughout which Ted will guide the winner through food and wine pairings.

Plenty more famous faces will also be helping those in need this holiday season — you’ve probably already seen the Believe campaign by Macy’s, in which Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, and several more celebrities recite lines from the famous “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial and invite kids around the U.S. to bring their letters to Santa to a local Macy’s, where a letterbox will be set up. For every letter Macy’s gets, they will donate one dollar (up to $1 million) to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The question is, how will you step up? Whether it’s visiting a loved one in a nursing home, finding a more eco-friendly way to celebrate, or donating time or money, we can all make a difference. Let us know what you plan to do in the comments!

Photo courtesy of celebritymound.com

Kristen Seymour keeps us up on the green dish every other Tuesday.  Her oldest child, Yuki, joins us for some guest blog posts this fall.  Kristen always provides the lowdown on green celebrities and other eco-friendly types right here at Tonic News.

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