Where Are All the Eco Couches?

When Mark and I sold our house last month, the buyers purchased almost all of our furniture, including our sofa. We were thrilled with the transaction because it meant we could finally buy an eco couch.

Or so we thought.

Go to Google.com and do a search for “eco couch” or “organic cotton couch” or “non-toxic couch” or “green couch” or “environmentally friendly couch” and you won’t find very much (and certainly nothing affordable).

We all know that conventional couches aren’t terribly good for our health, what with toxic glues holding the frame together, non-organic fillers, and flame-retardant fabrics. It’s a good thing organic denim jeans and a bamboo tee comes between us and our couch!

Here's the good news: I love a challenge.

Inspired by a search result that revealed Crate&Barrel has made a green commitment, Mark and I headed over to a Crate&Barrel furniture store. I approached a sales woman and she walked us through the store, pointing out the “eco” sofas (read about their “eco-friendly construction”) but when I asked if they had an organic cotton fabric available, she said no. Disappointed, we started to leave . . . and just as we were almost out the door, the sales woman appeared, holding a book of organic cotton fabric swatches.

Yes!

So as I type this blog, I’m sitting on my eco couch. Mission: Accomplished.

Question of the blog: What eco items are you having trouble finding?

Got Hope?

Last night, just before midnight eastern time, I watched Barack Obama walk onto the stage in Chicago as the president-elect. Rather unexpectedly, I burst into (joyful) tears. In that instant, I felt not just immense hope for my country and for myself, but a relieving hope for my child and his or her future.

Until then, I hadn’t realized just how worried I was that John McCain would win and just how scared I was to bring a child into that world.

And I mean “that world” in both the figurative and literal sense. Instead of McCain’s commitment to continue to be a seemingly reason-free aggressive force on the international scene and to strip the planet of its resources with no thought to the consequences, Obama is looking to bring people together (both in this country and across the globe) and to help solve the environmental crisis.

In fact, during Obama’s speech, when he mentioned the challenges facing the United States, the first thing he mentioned was the two wars, the second thing he mentioned was the environment (!), and the third was the economy. Obama gets it and, as a result, we all get a healthy dose of optimism.

Question of the blog: Has your hope for positive environmental changes improved with the election results?

Just What Does a Pregnant Vegan Do at a Wine & Cheese Party?

Okay, so it’s Election Day (a most historic and important day) but rather than encourage you to get out there and vote, I’m going to offer you a little election distraction.

You can thank me later.

Back in September, I shared with you that Mark and I had sold our house and made an offer on another house. Well, the offer was accepted and the move is now complete. Whew.

I’ve been silent for weeks as the massive undertaking (pack, pack, pack and then unpack, unpack, unpack) completely took over my life. We’re beyond happy to be in a green space that’s just the right size for us—with just enough room to grow—across the street from a dog-friendly park and with really wonderful neighbors.

But that’s just a small part of my news: I’m also expecting a baby on April 22, 2009 . . . which just happens to be Earth Day. For a passionate environmentalist, the idea that my baby’s due date is Earth Day is a heart-warming thought. We're thrilled!

Our new life is based in the charming seaside community of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For six years, Mark and I have wanted to live downtown so we can walk to our favorite restaurants, the movie theater, the health food store, etc. (and Mark still has a quick commute while I continue to work from home as a full-time freelance writer).

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a client in a coffee shop about a 10-minute walk from my house. Walking to a meeting is a liberating and highly enjoyable activity. I smiled the entire walk. On the way home, I popped into a local gallery, seduced by the lovely painting in the window (I wanted to buy it for the baby’s room but it had already been purchased).

While there, I learned that six of Portsmouth’s galleries host a “Gallery Stroll” the first Friday evening of every month. Mark and I will absolutely go this Friday! The gallery employee was telling me all about the event. “Oh, beyond the art, you’ll really enjoy the cheese and wine,” she said. I just smiled . . . after all, what does a pregnant vegan do at a wine & cheese party?

Question of the blog: Okay back to the election: As we wait to hear if McCain or Obama will lead us, are you feeling anxious or excited?

Just How Low Can George W. Bush Go?

I just read an enlightening article about President Bush’s upcoming “midnight regulations” (swift policy changes made at the end of a term) as he rushes to extend his harmful environmental legacy with oh-so-honorable decisions like:

• Getting wolves off the Endangered Species List;
• Allowing power plants to operate near national parks;
• Loosening regulations for factory farm waste; and
• Making it easier for mountaintop coal-mining operations.

What a great human being!

I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m a free-thinking, unconfined, objective Independent. And my opinion of George W. Bush is that he has been the worst president in our nation’s history. Not only has he stripped U.S. citizens of many of our basic rights, but he’s led our country into not just economic crisis, but a crisis of faith in government (he’s also done nothing to advance health care, education, or environmental efforts; if you argue he’s made the country safer, I’d have to disagree with you as many experts say we’re more vulnerable now than eight years ago).

A crisis of faith in government might pale in comparison to a burst housing market and high unemployment, but it is quite serious. Tomorrow, U.S. citizens influence the direction of our nation’s future as we vote for the next president. As an Independent, I’ve listened to both McCain and Obama and—to me—the choice is clear.

McCain’s campaign is running on a foundation of fear and lies, and his actual campaign is a mess (my question: If McCain can’t run a campaign, how can he run the country?). McCain and his running mate have also sunk to lows so deep that I wonder how they can sleep at night. What do they stand for other than knocking down their opponent? I wish they would run on their strengths.

Obama's campaign, on the other hand, is running on a foundation of hope and of actual ideas for the future. When Obama talks about the environment, he knows his stuff and—if he stays true to his message and his word—will be a great steward for Mother Nature (versus the “Drill, Baby, Drill” attitude of his opponent).

To me, November 5th will be a day of fear or hope. Let’s just hope that whichever candidate wins will be able to rectify all of Bush’s “midnight regulations” and bring honor back to the White House.

Question of the blog: How can we stop “midnight regulations”? After all, the president is supposed to enact the will of the people, not the will of big business!

Is a Green Move Possible?

When Mark and I put our home on the market a few months ago, we didn’t necessarily expect it to sell. Imagine our surprise when we accepted an offer last week. One of the few contingencies of the sale is that we move out by October 8th—yikes!

Obviously, Mark and I are very green. Mark drives a hybrid 3 miles to work and I work from home. We take short showers (and use a low-flow showerhead). We recycle. We compost. We use cloth bags and buy local. But, even for us, a green move is a challenge.

We found a new home we love (cross your fingers our offer is accepted) that’s significantly smaller than our current home. That means we’re not just faced with packing and moving, but we’re faced with getting rid of a lot of stuff. As we’re sorting our possessions, we place things in four main piles: (1) keep, (2) give to family/friends, (3) donate, and (4) recycle. Unfortunately, we needed to create a fifth pile: trash.

There are some things that simply don’t fit in any of our four main piles. Luckily, our trash pile is very, very small, but every time I add something to it, I feel a pang of green guilt. Why I bring this up is that if very green people still end up with stuff in a “trash” pile, I shutter to think about what happens when non-eco people move.

Question of the blog: What are your tips for ensuring an authentically green move?

Wanna Know the Not-So-Sweet Surprise?

Have you seen the ads promoting—of all things—high fructose corn syrup? At first, I found it intensely amusing that the makers of this prolific "poison" have the need to defend their product as a sweet surprise. And then I got upset.

In the commercials I’ve seen, the actors who question the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are portrayed as denser than all those arteries clogged by years of eating processed “foods” high in HFCS. When asked why HFCS is bad, these paid actors couldn't come up with one single reason. Well, here are just three I can quickly come up with:

1. Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes (just a few of the reasons current generations aren’t expected to live as long as their parents)

2. Focus on Quantity Not Quality (“foods” high in HFCS—and there are many, from soda to crackers—are cheap because this main ingredient has no nutritional value)

3. Environmental Destruction (corn is not only one of the most genetically modified crops, but it uses something like 162 million pounds of chemical pesticides and produces early 49 billion pounds of greenhouse gasses per year)

Please don’t be brain- and belly-washed! Look at labels and, whenever possible, avoid high fructose corn syrup. HFCS helps processed “foods” have a longer shelf life (as opposed to eating fresh, organic, and local fruits and vegetables which are full of nutrients our bodies crave). I just read that a woman who promotes healthy eating travels the country with a fast food hamburger she bought two years ago . . . as she unwraps it, each audience gasps at the still-very-recognizable bun and burger. Appetizing?

It’s a fact that many overweight and obese people are actually malnourished. To me, the not-so-sweet surprise is that HFCS is partly to blame. When cheap, calorie-rich substitutes routinely pass as food, there’s a problem. Luckily, we have many, many alternatives.

By the way, I wrote to the folks at the Corn Refiners Association but—sweet surprise—they haven’t responded!

Question of the blog: Do you currently check labels for high fructose corn syrup?

Where Were You Seven Years Ago Today?

I was working at home on the bright blue morning of September 11, 2001. I had just gotten off the phone with Mark when I turned on the television to catch up on the morning's news before starting my day. The first plane had just hit one of the two World Trade Centers and the television anchors were reporting that it was most likely an accident. I stood in front of the television, transfixed; moments later, I saw a streak in the corner of the screen and then the second plane hit . . . and everything changed.

I didn’t know anyone on any of the four planes, or in New York, Pennsylvania, or Washington D.C. but, like all Americans, I grieved and still grieve for the thousands who gave their lives that day and for the many, many loved ones who will forever have a hole in their hearts. They ask that we never forget, and I hope we never do.

Earlier this year, Mark and I traveled to New York City. We walked to the site of the former World Trade Centers and as I looked out and down—knowing I should have been looking out and up—I started to cry. For me, it was the same as my experience at Pearl Harbor: horror and pain mixed with hope and pride.

Barack Obama is calling for a return to the post-9/11 sense of community and participation. I remember those days—when it was comforting to be with others, looking people in the eye, being close, talking, sharing, listening. I liked that America. As a divisive election nears, let’s try to remember that we’re more alike than we are unalike, that our political affiliation, sex, religious belief, cultural background, and even our shade of green doesn't matter as much as the fact that we are all citizens of the world.

Question of the blog: Where were you seven years ago today?