My last green post

This is my final post as a weekly blogger on eco consumerism. My class has come to an end. So I thought I would make my last blog about my experience in the class.

Coming into this class, I thought going green was just a silly fad. I've changed my tune though. I still don't like doing my grocery shopping at Whole Foods, but I'm not so taken aback now when I go in there with my sister now. Before this class I wasn't exactly the most wasteful person on the planet, but I was definitely leaving my mark. The best part about doing a blog like this is that I actually learned something. It was kind of like going on a little scavenger hunt for green goods.

I'm not going to lie, I'm still no expert on green goods. And I'm also not going to
pretend like I'm any kind of eco expert. Although, for a friend's birthday gift this weekend I wrapped it in paper from a magazine I already had. That's progress for me, you don't even know. I'm also actively looking for a place to buy an aluminum water bottle if you know anywhere to get one. Excuse me, but I thought it was a little silly that people driving Hummers were also buying reusable grocery bags. Now I realize it's all about doing a part, even a little part. It's hard to change every habit you have but I've realized just doing a little bit, like buying an organic cleaner or reusing your grocery bag is absolutely better than doing nothing.




Do you want to know the way the class really affected me? It's simple really it helped me to understand my sister better and her organic food shopping tendencies. I used to really hate going into Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but this class gave us something to talk about and gave me a source of information. I learned a lot about organic and gluten free foods and just how important they are to people. For me, it's not exactly about going green, it's about being healthy.

I have also come across some of the nicest people doing stories for this class which is really great for a journalism student. So in the end, the main thing is I learned something, which is more than I can say for some classes I have taken in my four years at The University of Arizona. From now on I will do my best to continue going a little greener. I'm still trying not to take green too seriously though. It has to be fun too for me to want to do it. Below is a funny video from funnyordie.com.Can't lose your sense of humor.

Toque de Pasion: Fair Trade Fashion

For my special project for a class I came across one of the coolest boutiques I have ever set foot it. The boutique is called Toque de Pasion and owners Melissa McCormick and Cesar Zegarra opened up on Broadway and Country Club about two years ago.

The shop carries lines that are all completely fair trade. Some of the lines are also made out of organic cotton.

According to their website: "Our primary goal is to bring superior designs and affordably priced fashions, produced by individual artisans & fair trade companies, to our desert metropolitan area and beyond. We prefer to work with textile manufacturers who use progressive environmental & employment practices."

Melissa McCormick, co owner of Toque de Pasion is really passionate about fair trade but promises she does not try to preach to her customers.

The boutique has an extremely exclusive line from Brazil that includes gorgeous gemstone jewelry. Toque de Pasion is the only place in the Western United States where you can find the pieces. The Bakana jewelry line is a favorite of some Hollywood Celebs, including Eva Longoria and has been worn on episodes of Desperate Housewives.

The coolest line that Toque De Pasion carries is it's own line which comes from Cesar's family in Peru. They carry organic cotton tops, skirts and other items.

McCormick said her customers swear by the organic cotton tops saying they breathe better in the Tucson summer heat.

The boutique is not having one of its one of two sales of the year so head over soon for some exclusive and eco friendly goods you can't get anywhere else! I can't wait to go back and do some real shopping.

Green Golf

When you think golf, you don't exactly think the most eco-friendly of sports. It costs a lot of money to keep the greens green and the roughs long and unfriendly.

But now even the sport of golf is doing it's part to go green. There are two products on the market now that are trying to green up the sport.

The first is the eco tee from Indiana company Eco-golf.

In an email from an eco-golf representative, he wrote that their tees are just like traditional ones and are non marking on club heads. They just look a little different, kind of plastic-y. But they are no different than good old wooden tees.

Eco golf manufactures three types of tees, all of which are biodegradable, their eco tee 2 green tee does in as little as 60 days.

This technology came to the States from Austria. The Austrian, biogolf, biodegradable golf tee won the 2008 Volvo Sports Design Award for Accessories.

Watch the Video:


Also on the market is a biodegradable golf ball. On the web, you can find the water soluble golf balls. These really don't make any sense to me. They are marketed as if encouraging the customer to hit golf balls into the ocean. It just seems silly to me. Their website reads that the golf balls only go half the distance when hit with a driver and only go the full distance with an 8 or a 9 iron.

The eco tee makes sense to me, it actually will be beneficial to the environment but the biodegradable golf ball just seems a little too un necessary to me.

Go green and be charitable

Going green is so trendy now. There are books and entire magazine issues devoted to the topic. It's almost like people are forgetting about the simple ways they probably were already saving the environment already. With so much consumerism and a new market for green goods, it's easy to lose sight of the real goals of saving the environment, the greater good.

There are second hand stores all over the city. Including Buffalo Exchange and also places like Plato's Closet in Tucson where you can bring your clothes and make a buck off of them. Goodwill. These are great places to get rid of unwanted clothing.

I'll admit it, I'm kind of a hoarder. Especially when it comes to clothes. I'm always trying to justify keeping a top from high school just because I think I could, I might wear it again. This weekend, however I said no more!

I spent a good hour and a half going through all the clothes in my drawers and critically evaluating if I was ever really going to wear them again. I decided that instead of trying to make a quick buck off a my gently used items I would put them to good use.

There is an organization in Tucson called Casa De Los Ninos. The organization helps children in the Tucson area. The organization also has it's own thrift store located on 1302 E. Prince Rd. I decided to go and donate my things to the local charity outfit.

Not only did I go green because I recycled my clothes but they are going to a good local cause too where I can see the benefits of my donation in the community where I live.

Now.... I just need to find the patience to tackle my closet.

A new way to read

There is a new product out there that could potentially reduce the need for tons of paper every year. The product is called the reader digital book from Sony. I came across this product after one of my co-workers received it as a gift for her birthday. Basically the digital reader allows you to keep roughly 160 books right at your fingertips. It's like an ipod for literature junkies.

My co-worker, Tina Williams said her parents paid about 300 dollars for the device and that she loves how light weight and portable it is. Also Sony has a site where the user can download books, like an itunes type setup.

" I love the immediate gratification because I'm a nerd like that," Williams said about being able to download titles at the click of a mouse.

With the device, Sony allows you to download 100 free classic books, like Huck Finn or Great Expectations, if you purchase the digital reader before September 2008. The credits would be automatically uploaded to your account and must be used before the end of October.

Williams said she is very impressed with the battery life of the device, and it also hold pictures and mp3s. Also, she said it's easy on the eyes because it is not back lit, like an ipod so there is hardly any eye strain.

"It's both eco-friendly and cool," she said.

Amazon makes a similar product called an Amazon Kindle. It runs for $399.99 on their site. While the Sony version is only
$299.99. The Kindle is a good choice if you are not very tech-savvy, because it does not require a computer at all.

The price of books in the Sony store range from 99 cents to about $15.00 according to Williams.

As far as not having that epic library collection, Williams doesn't seem to mind.

"I'm always getting yelled at for having too many books. And it's good for lazy people," she said.


here's a video review about the Kindle:




A Review of the Sony Model:

Going a little green on spring break

This past week I spent some time in Mexico. You know sun, fun. When it comes to sun everyone needs to make sure to use the proper protection. Living in Arizona has really made me a sunscreen freak. So needless to say, skin cancer is not on my agenda. According to the National Skincare Institute there are more than 1 million new cases of non melanoma skin cancer each year.

There are traditional sunscreens from companies like Banana Boat and Coppertone. But I decided to make my spring break a little greener by making a special trip to Whole Foods to get myself a bottle of organic sunscreen. Amy, the beauty specialist at Whole Foods recommended a sunscreen from the company Aubrey Organics. She let me know that this was the only sunscreen she was sure was completely organic. The company has been making organic and natural beauty products for about 30 years according to their website.

I picked up the SPF and packed it in my beach bag. I decided to do a test to see if the ingredients in organic sunscreen would protect my skin just as well as traditional forms.

The directions are no different than regular sunscreen, you have to reapply about every two hours and especially after swimming. I did the best I could to follow the directions, but I mean it was spring break, so sometimes I did not reapply as often as I should have.

Really I noticed no difference in the protection. The formula feels the same and is just as effective. The best part is, is that the price is comparable to traditional sunscreen formulas. At Whole Foods, the sunscreen ran about 8.99, which is not a big difference or really a difference at all from a traditional bottle of sunscreen.

Going green is a little bit at a time, so I try thinking about the little ways I can change my habits, like starting small, and thinking about my purchase of organic sunscreen.

Happy Spring Break, next time the beach calls, lather up with an organic sun protection.

Green at Target

I wrote this story for the site at first, but it wasn't quite formatted right for the publication. I think the information and my experience is still valid though:

Dilemma: You are green minded college student with no abundant amounts of “green” in the bank.
Solution: Figure out where going green is easiest and most accessible.
Fact: It’s easier to go green than ever. In the past, consumers used to have to go to special retailers. According to a 2002 USDA report, organic products are now sold in upwards of 73 percent of conventional grocery stores, making it easier than ever to jump on the green bandwagon.
How easy is it to go green really if you shop major retail? Only a day of running errands at Target—Wal-mart’s cooler cousin—with green on your mind and about 20 bucks in your pocket can tell.
First, it helps to make a list, then find what you need and see if there is a green alternative.
Item 1: Laundry Detergent- walking into the aisle of detergents at Target is overwhelming to many consumers; Purex, Cheer, Tide and each has several different varieties. The greenest detergent available at Target is Arm and Hammer Essentials. The bottle reads it’s 100 percent naturally derived, uses biodegradable plant bases soaps, no petroleum based cleaners, dyes, phosphates or bleaches. The price, at $ 3.39 for a bottle that does 32 loads is comparable to the Purex next to it that does not make any of those environmental claims.
“I use it for my child’s safety,” a mother in the aisle said.
Item 2: Light Bulbs- it’s easy to pick up the economy pack of light bulbs on the cheap at Target, but it’s not green at all. The crazy curly GE Energy Smart Light bulbs were $8.44 for a 2 pack of 60 watt bulbs, but the packaging say they last five years instead of the 1200 hours of the regular GE bulbs at $2.39. Feasibly a college student may not even have to change a bulb before they graduate—unless they change their major a few times—which in the long run saves cash. And plus, they are pretty cool looking and could qualify as art in your student apartment.
Item 3: Toothpaste- Now depending on the type of toothpaste you buy the prices can vary wildly. The only natural option at Target for toothpaste was Tom’s of Maine, at $ 4.29 a tube. It is on the expensive side. Comparably to other toothpastes boasting whitening gels and trendy flavors it’s only about a dollar more.
“I’ve never thought about buying natural toothpaste, I have never even heard of that stuff before,” University of Arizona student, Adriana Amaya said in the toothpaste aisle when asked about using Tom’s. For the record, she decided to go with her old stand-by Crest.
Item 4: Swiffer Sweeper refills- America loves convenience; enter sensation- the Swiffer Sweeper. Can you think of anything more unnecessary than a Swiffer Sweeper? Switch to a regular mop, at Target, the cheapest at $3.99 and you will be saving the planet in no time and have clean floors.
Target total $20.11 pre tax- find some change on the floor while roaming the store and you just went greener in one trip.

Items you can simply eliminate from your list and go green without any cash:

Item: Loofah- these netted germ incubators and the number one way to disseminate body wash for the female population, go if not green, healthy and switch to a wash cloth. You probably already have one that your mom made you buy freshman year.

Item: Trash bags- just reuse your Target bags your merchandise comes in and eliminate the need for small trash bags.

Bottom-line: Going green in a mass retail store, like Target, is easier than you think and can fit into your budget. Just go in with green in mind and reduce your impact on the same budget as before. It’s easy to be green if you want to be.