tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86402563997774218762012-02-16T01:41:49.455-06:00A learning place for those wanting to create a more sustainable life and business.Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-71943767050457916562008-11-01T21:40:00.001-05:002008-11-01T21:42:42.495-05:00

The Enviro Cafe for Sustainability blog has moved!You can find us at http://envirocafe.wordpress.com/

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-44395354452272206622008-09-01T21:52:00.002-05:002008-09-01T22:39:06.761-05:00

Yes, it's late Monday night and I'm working on my weekly blog. So, I'm trolling my email and different web sites, trying to find something enlightening to share with you.I found a little something about the EPA launching a web portal of green resources specifically for retailers, but I can't find anything on EPA's web site about it.I did find a little irony, though. Under Industry Partnerships,

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-57552378664446255512008-08-19T07:25:00.003-05:002008-08-24T11:01:53.823-05:00

I loved the Editor's Letter in the September 2008 issue of Fast Company magazine.A reader had written to complain about the volume of green-related coverage in the magazine and the reply from the editor is validation of the green movement for the sake of the environment, not business greed: "…there may not ultimately be enough resources on the planet to meet everyone's needs -- unless drastic

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-12549154646394599712008-08-11T08:52:00.003-05:002008-08-11T09:17:27.005-05:00

Have you seen the photos of Team USA bicyclists, arriving in Beijing wearing black face masks? When I first saw them, I thought, "Good heavens! Why in the world are the Olympics being held in such a polluted place?" (Did China really think that they could shut down half the factories and take half the cars off the road in mid-July and the air would be clear by the opening ceremonies?!(But today..

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-58964530818455618222008-08-05T07:22:00.004-05:002008-08-05T07:44:25.109-05:00

I can't believe summer's almost over, already! Thank goodness for a couple of projects that are keeping me in front of the computer for a few more weeks...where it's cool...and my kitten sleeps on my lap.The Interfaith Stewards project with the City of Irving wrapped up in June. Now I'm working on pulling together all the materials Fran Witte and I presented from the last year into one notebook

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-53340782704662861692008-07-29T07:02:00.003-05:002008-07-29T07:20:41.420-05:00

In case you missed it, yesterday a possible contender in the search engine field entered the race for search domination. Developed by former Google engineers, Cuil (pronounced "cool") presents search results in a whole new way.But my new favorite search engine is Green Maven. It focuses on "green, conscious and sustainable websites." Not only is it a search engine, it's also a "green zine" with

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-76291065634111249392008-07-22T07:23:00.003-05:002008-07-22T07:49:43.468-05:00

It was just a matter of time, and I think we all knew it would happen sooner or later. According to an article in the Columbia Journalism Review – "Green Fatigue" and "Eco Anxiety" – the general public's eyes are beginning to glaze over when they hear "green" lifestyles.How do we move beyond the overkill that has become sustainability education?It's true that everywhere you turn, the green

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-66886124473905549682008-07-15T06:49:00.004-05:002008-07-15T07:15:44.357-05:00

I can't wait until my two new gadgets arrive tomorrow!In a continuous effort to reduce my energy consumption, I have purchased a Solio solar charger for my phone and bluetooth earpiece. During the day, I'm going to set it in the window to charge. Then at night, I'll charge my devices without using any electricity.Yeah, I know that it's a minimal amount of electricity, but it adds up, right?And

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-75446732772791916412008-07-08T07:14:00.005-05:002008-07-08T07:37:37.924-05:00

The stay-cation. A newly minted word which exemplifies our current...um...situation. I started to write "crisis," remembering the energy crisis in the early 1970s. I remember long lines at the gas station and being able to buy gas on even or odd days depending on your license plate number.I often wonder why, if prices are so high because oil production is too low, we aren't instituting

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-57772474530014251982008-07-01T07:47:00.002-05:002008-07-01T08:01:54.769-05:00

An "Eco Pulse" study recently came to some conclusions that don't surprise me at all.Nearly half of the respondents to the survey don't "get" green. It's still this fuzzy, nebulous concept that they have decided is too hard and/or too expensive.What can the environmental education crowd do to clear the air?In addition, now that oil has hit $143/barrel (as of Monday, June 30), more and more folks

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-75301852927133184452008-06-24T07:14:00.003-05:002008-06-24T07:39:27.431-05:00

I like the new "dead zone" commercials for Verizon Wireless. I do not like the annual "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico that – according to an Associated Press article by Seth Borenstein – will be the size of Maryland this year.It's more than 10,000 square miles of just water. Nothing else. Nada. No fish, no shrimp, no oysters…you get the idea.Caused by fertilizers washed down the Mississippi

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-55204981463062305202008-06-17T07:24:00.003-05:002008-06-17T07:34:39.592-05:00

Remember when, lo not so long ago, when oil cost about $50 a barrel? $100 seemed outlandish. But here we are, at $140 a barrell...and no end in sight.So, what are you doing to save money?• buying a more fuel-efficient car• carpooling/vanpooling• taking mass transit• telecommuting• driving less by combining tripsOr, you can really take drastic measures and relocate. That's what I did and I can't

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-85715907859884473432008-06-03T07:31:00.003-05:002008-06-03T07:46:35.006-05:00

A little off-topic maybe, but very timely. My daughter and I are heading to the city's animal shelter this week to pick out two kittens.Why is that important? With all the news about foreclosures and families being forced from their homes, there's another victim of the housing market -- the family pet.If you're caught up in the foreclosure catastrophe and can no longer care for your pet, please

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-47706159412720217562008-05-26T22:14:00.002-05:002008-05-26T22:20:30.221-05:00

Well, Blue Marble Media has successfully relocated to larger offices in North Richland Hills! Whew! It was not easy, but we're back up and running full tilt.I came across an interesting tidbit in the paper the other day -- the SmartShopper. According to the article, "Users activate voice-recognition technology by pressing the record button…and then speaking the grocery item wanted or even an

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-4411490784819014002008-04-22T06:52:00.003-05:002008-04-22T07:11:01.680-05:00

It's been amazing to watch the "green" movement take on a life of its own in the past few years. Where it used to be like pulling teeth to get in front of groups to talk about recycling, now the phone is ringing off the hook. Now that gas, food and electricity costs are all skyrocketing, people want to know how to keep their heads above water.Food costs have increased 17%. Electricity 21% (in

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-732816115597405072008-04-01T12:33:00.004-05:002008-04-01T13:01:20.232-05:00

I'm not sure whether to blame the airlines for being so good at losing luggage, or to applaud the entrepreneurial spirit.According to an Associated Press article, when you take a trip hither and yon, you should ship your luggage directly to the hotel instead of taking a chance on the airlines losing it.There are now two companies that specialize in getting your bags to your destination and home

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-82719951125942646542008-03-25T06:47:00.002-05:002008-03-25T06:55:07.284-05:00

On March 12, the EPA strengthened the national ozone regulations. In North Central Texas, that means trouble. Since 1998, state officials have been aware that our air quality, quite literally, stinks. What have they done? Ummm...nothing. They prepared a couple SIPs (state implementation plans) but they were so weak and ineffective that the EPA sent them back.So now we're under even tighter

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-11858187608940112008-03-11T06:37:00.002-05:002008-03-11T06:54:25.990-05:00

Here in North Texas, our air quality is so bad that the EPA made the DFW area a non-attainment zone in 1997. They told the state, "clean up the air by 2007 or else." Although the state received an extension to 2010, things are not looking good. Not good at all.Two years before we lose federal highway funding, the state still has yet to submit a decent plan to clean up the air. They've submitted a

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-88632036053466989232008-02-17T11:34:00.002-06:002008-02-17T11:47:39.207-06:00

An article on CNNMoney.com caught my eye this morning. Disappearing bees threaten ice cream sellers. It caught my eye because it never occurred to me that bees are responsible for many natural ingredients that go into making ice cream.I've been kinda-sorta following the issue of the disappearing bee population. For those of you who say, "Good riddance! Let's be free of those pesky bees!"

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-24942561473654815232008-02-12T08:08:00.000-06:002008-02-12T08:16:52.090-06:00

On January 9, the City of Dallas unveiled its new Green Dallas Web site. It is dedicated to information on the standard green initiatives: air quality, green buildings, energy efficiency, recycling; you know the drill.The topic that caught my eye was "land management." Hmmm...this is the same city that pushed through a ginormous toll road initiative that has the potential to destroy the

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-37300696857580831002008-02-05T06:56:00.000-06:002008-02-05T07:02:52.587-06:00

I'm currently working on a workbook to help families save money, energy, resources and live a more sustainable lifestyle.The workbook includes the standard conservation topics such as water, energy, landscaping, composting, recycling, etc. It also includes checklists and benchmarking tools that really put a family's efforts into perspective.Is there a topic that you would like covered in the

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-52705353125191182252008-01-28T21:43:00.000-06:002008-01-28T22:13:55.920-06:00

This just in...Whole Foods has announced that by April 22, 2008, customers will no longer have the choice of taking home their organic, pesticide-free veggies in a villainous plastic bag.Customers may bring in their own bags, purchase a "Better Bag" – made from recycled plastic bottles– for 99¢, or use one of Whole Foods' recycled, and recyclable, paper bags.Learn more about their initiative

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-21302477546796648542008-01-21T20:36:00.000-06:002008-01-21T20:47:33.634-06:00

With 1 in 4 autos a pickup, transportation accounted for 28 percent of emissions.Texas is the number one carbon polluter in the country. Great...According to an Associated Press article by April Castro, "State GOP leaders have refused to make emissions reduction a priority, and Republican Governor Rick Perry has expressed doubt as to whether global warming is a man-made problem." Huh? Do these

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-51400129421685850462008-01-16T10:13:00.000-06:002008-01-16T10:36:35.591-06:00

Just two years ago I never imagined that the carbon offset industry would have grown to such an extent that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would begin holding hearings on the validity of their claims.Well, on January 8, it came true. The FTC held the first of several hearings on "green marketing." You can view discussions here.Louise Story at the New York Times wrote that the FTC has not

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-50531313000523020232008-01-03T11:55:00.000-06:002008-01-03T12:04:41.092-06:00

That's 3,000 pounds of CO2.In the December 2007 issue of National Geographic's Green Guide to Go, P.W. McRandle offers monthly activities that -- when finished at the end of 2008 -- will have kept you from emitting 3,035 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.Print it out on recycled paper and post it on your Energy Star® efficient refrigerator.They're all easy to do…so what's stopping you?

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-3142855848543133372008-01-02T10:24:00.000-06:002008-01-02T10:54:11.645-06:00

In December, the Laredo City Council approved an ordinance that bans the use of single-use plastic bags. The ban will go into effect gradually over the next six months. A similar ban at large grocery stores went into effect in San Francisco in 2007.As of December 19, 2007, Whole Foods Markets in Austin no longer offers disposable plastic bags at checkout. "Instead, shshoppers will have a choice

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-88276334707872829832008-01-01T16:32:00.000-06:002008-01-01T16:40:01.469-06:00

It's going to be a great year for sustainability.In an article posted on ABCnews.com, two trends note the "eco-friendly lifestyle."First, reusable water bottles will become more important since it's been pointed out that Americans who love water-on-the-go don't typically recycle their plastic bottles. Hopefully this trend will keep more PETE bottles out of U.S. landfills.Second, home composting

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-20961558203436404122007-11-17T16:39:00.000-06:002007-11-17T16:55:04.157-06:00

In November, Blue Marble Media presented the Water Conservation module to participants of the Interfaith Stewards project.The fact that really got their attention was that although our planet is covered with water, only 1% of it is fit for human use – agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community and personal needs.Add to that the fact that right now there is the same amount of water on

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-55526135644883466692007-08-15T16:12:00.000-05:002007-08-15T16:15:21.413-05:00

Environmentalists already know that chemicals in household cleaning supplies are not safe to humans. So it really comes as no surprise that a story on ABC News' web site today states that common flame retardants in furniture are causing hyperthyroidism in cats.Read the article.

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-64115344899650772442007-08-09T13:11:00.000-05:002007-08-09T13:52:24.966-05:00

In the New York Times article "Greening Up by Cutting Down on Plastic Bags," New Haven, CT, has considered a proposal that bans nonbiodegradable plastic bags, similar to San Francisco's.The problem – which was thankfully pointed out in the article - is that even if biodegradable bags are placed in a landfill, they don't decompose. They just take up residence next to that pesky petroleum-based

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640256399777421876.post-50972177501355592732007-07-26T11:06:00.000-05:002007-07-26T11:11:55.719-05:00

Welcome to Blue Marble Media's Enviro Cafe!Join in the discussion about how to create a lifestyle that lowers your impact on the environment – leaving a smaller footprint on our planet.Creating a sustainable business model is also high on our list of priorities and Blue Marble Media is researching innovations every day. And we're going to share them with you, right here!Grab a cup of your

Lori @ the Enviro Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15352982091045364726noreply@blogger.com0