The Green 35 Under 35 - San Diego News Network

San Diego is on its way to becoming a leader in the clean technology economy, and many of these companies are being started by people under 35. We want to thank our friend Valerie Middleton, of San Diego News Network, for including Green with Envy Events in her article - The Green 35 under 35. We are honored to be mentioned with such an impressive group of individuals! Check out the article here.

Make your holidays Green!

Happy Monday everyone! This cold, rainy weather in San Diego has put me in the holiday spirit. This year, for the first time ever I've decided to send E-cards as our holiday cards (with the exception of a few grandmas who don't have email addresses:). Not only does this eliminate waste...it's a whole lot cheaper, and just as effective. Along with this simple, Eco-friendly solution, there are hundreds of other ways to GREEN your holidays. Here are some of my personal faves:

Happy Hanukkah! Check out these cool menorahs I found- The first one is made from 100%Recycled Glass by Vertige Glass. They also do Christmas Trees! And for you techies out there, check out this battery powered LED Motherboard menorah offered at Fredflare.com. This Eco-menorah brings new meaning to The Festival of Lights!

And for those traditionalists who still like to burn candles...you too can be nice to the earth with with these 100% beeswax, hand dipped, Hanukkah candles from The Jewish Museum. These natural candles are paraffin and toxin free, so they require no petroleum products, and will burn slowly with little smoke or odor. Now that’s bright!

And one of my favorite Hanukkah traditions...chocolate coins, or Gelt. Try these fair-trade chocolates from Divine Chocolate. They are even stamped with fair trade messages. Now you don't need to feel guilty eating gelt.

There are so many ways to Green your Christmas, but I want to focus on one amazing company here in San Diego. Adopt a Christmas Tree, founded by Christine McDannell of Cleanology, offers live potted trees that are delivered by singing, dancing elves.

Once the holidays are over, they will pick up your tree too! We all know it’s a lot of fun to have a tree to decorate your home for the holidays, but it’s also comforting to know that the little tree in your living room will have a long life ahead of it. It won’t end up as mulch or in a landfill, but planted back into the earth immediately after the holidays. With almost a dozen different types and sizes of trees, there's something for everyone. Now your family can share the fragrant smell and festive look of a live tree in your living room–without feeling guilty?

If you're like most people I know, you'll probably go to your fair share of holiday parties this year...which means you'll most likely be celebrating with cocktails and wine. This year, how about choosing wines that are produced responsibly. Whole Foods has created this helpful list of the Top 10 Wines that are not only nice to the earth, but also nice to your wallet.

And now you can ring in the New Year in Organic fashion with these delicious organic champagnes & ciders. First off we have Blanquette de Limoux Brut. Considered the world's first sparkling wine, this vegan and organically sourced wine dates as far back as 1531 and can be yours for $34. Next up, try this biodynamic cider - 03 Eric Bordelet Normandy Sydre Doux. This sparkling cider explodes with ripe, freshly crushed apple notes and is only $13/bottle. And lastly, Reggiano Secco Solo. This $12/bottle biodynamic sparkling red holds an opaque ruby color over an effervescent texture. Find these, and other organic champagnes and ciders at The Daily Green.

So raise a glass to old friends and new beginnings, and make your holidays a sustainable celebration! And if your New Year's resolution includes "Going Green", check out 10 ways to Go Green and Save Green, presented by The Worldwide Institute. I hope you all have a wonderfully Green holiday season! xoxo Carlee

Strong Green Roots

Happy Wednesday everyone. I'm sitting in my office, working away...listening to one of my favorite groups - The Roots!

I want to take a moment to celebrate this ground-breaking hip-hop group not only for their insane musical talent, but for their strong roots in the Environmental movement!!!! The group hosted a Pre-Grammy Jam & Green Carpet Bash this year, inviting fellow artists and friends to jam with them and raise awareness about green issues. As part of that event, they partnered with youth-focused green group Global Inheritance to promote composting by giving away specially designed and autographed compost bins.

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The band members are also animal lovers, working with PETA on a campaign to "Stop the Violence: Go Veg. Even though they hail from Philly, I'm guessing they are not too happy about their newest quarterback...Michael Vick! :)

So today Green with Envy Events is celebrating The Roots! They're one of the best hip hop groups of all time, they're super cool, and they support GREEN! Whats not to LOVE?

Make your Centerpieces...Masterpieces

Hello readers. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with friends, family...and lots of food! While I was sitting at Thanksgiving dinner, staring at my mom's vase filled with beautiful fall leaves from the yard, I began to think about alternative centerpiece ideas. As you probably know, one of the most expensive decor elements of any wedding or party is the centerpieces. In today's economy, we need to come up with creative ways to not only save money, but still have unique and dramatic decor! There are hundreds of ideas out there for alternative centerpiece ideas...and here are a few of my favorites-

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Tin cans! Yes...you all have them but I bet you never thought to put flowers in them? Well, check out these colorful cans used for a Mexican inspired Rehearsal dinner (source).

And for all those tea drinkers...save your tins to create a gorgeous display of flowers like this one from Martha Stewart.

And I absolutely LOVE this sweet and simple centerpiece that requires almost NO EFFORT! Simple peel the labels off, tie some ribbon or string around them, and they're ready for flowers!

I'm not sure what you call this...Moss Garden Butterfly centerpiece? But I love it!!!! This is such a unique idea, and will give your guests a great conversation piece. Learn how to make your own here.

Here is another trend that I am pleasantly surprised to find a lot of...Wheat! You can simply tie a bunch of wheat stalks together with a nice ribbon, and viola...instant centerpiece.

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So next time your throwing a party...think outside the vase. There are so many Do-it-Yourself projects that are easy, fun, affordable and to quote the Guinness commercial - BRILLIANT!!!!!

Till next time...

Carlee

An Earth-Friendly way to Travel - All Aboard....

How about taking your honeymoon or next vacation by train? With so much beauty right here in North America...why deal with congested airports, crammed seating, sick people and airport delays, when you can just hop on a train and be on your way.

Traveling by train is one of the best ways to be green, reduce our carbon emissions, and save resources. It pollutes less than the airplane, and it is better for the environment than driving alone. And not to mention, it's kind of romantic if you ask me!

Throughout the US and Canada, there are so many gorgeous train routes that allow you to slow down and take it all in. Why not watch the leaves change colors right out your window in the northeast...

Or watch the rolling hills of vineyards pass you by in the Napa Valley...

Or breath in the mountain air as you pass by rushing rivers in the Sierras...

And for a real treat, take a train across Canada and witness some of our earth's most majestic scenery.

And with a little help from our friends at Planet Green, here are 3 scenic North American train routes that you should know:

1. The California Zephyr - This route links the Land of Lincoln with the Golden State. It zips through the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada's and across the lonely American plains.

2. The Canadian - This trip, hailed as the ultimate Canadian train experience, will take you from Toronto to Vancouver. See the Canadian prairie, scenic lake-lands and witness the Rocky Mountains. If you've seen the American Rockies and were impressed, you can be impressed by them again in a whole different country!

3. The Copper Canyon Route - Reader's Digest called this route "the most dramatic train ride in the western hemisphere." Start in El Paso and end at Pacific port of Topolobampo. Gaze in awe at the Copper Canyon, a canyon larger and more coppery than the Grand One. Cross the treacherous Sierra Madre, a mountain range so dubious that building a train route through it was considered impossible. They did, however, decide at some point that it wasn't impossible.

And for comprehensive look at train vacations in your area, we like Vacations by Rail.

So for your next vacation...GET ON THE GREEN TRAIN!!!

Kick Gas Festival @ Qualcomm Stadium

Please join Green with Envy Events as we help produce the 2nd Annual Kick Gas Festival, to be held at Qualcomm Stadium this Saturday, October 24th from 11am-9pm.

As the largest Eco-Festival on the West Coast, we will be showcasing innovative alternative fuel, energy and conservation technologies, with an interactive, all solar powered, green and entertaining festival. The 2009 MTS Festival will feature unique, interactivce Zones:

• AUTO ZONE where electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, dragsters, conversions and hybrids will be on display and racing on the Auto Race Track!!!
• SUSTAINABLE LIVING ZONE featuring home, work and lifestyle ideas, demonstrations, vendors and exhibitors educating the next generation on how and why to conserve, recyle and go green.
• A GO VAVI interactive education zone with climbing wall and interactive games
• EARTH-LIST ECO ZONE showcasing eco-fashion show and non-profit organizations
• LOCAL OB FARMER'S MARKET where you'll be able to find produce from local farmers, attend panel discussions regarding the food you eat, and a local IRON CHEF cook-off!
• FESTIVAL BEER GARDEN featuring beer from local brewing companies
• 4 Solar Powered Stages featuring national artist Matisyahu, Vokab Company and a number of local San Diego bands
• SKATE PARK provided by Sector 9, featuring local OB Surf and Skate demos
• ECO ART WALK featuring local sustainable artists
• Much more!

Tickets are $10 pre-sales for all day entertainment and $15 at the door! You can visit http://www.kickgasfestival.com/ to purchase them. Hope to see you there!

The Green with Envy Girls

Recycling Oddities: Can that really be recycled?

I find it amusing that, no matter what I ask her to put in the trashbin, my 5 year old niece will always ask, before throwing anything away, "Auntie, can we recycle this?". While I am grateful that at such a young age, she already has the social conscious that is lacking in many adults, it has, on many occasions, led me to think...wait, can we recycle that? So, I did some research, and came across some unusual things that can be recycled or repurposed for a good cause. Of course, cloth diapers have always been recyclable, but few American's use them anymore. However, since 1999, a British company called Knowaste, has been pioneering the recyling of disposable diapers. Which is a good thing, because the average baby goes through about 6,000 disposable diapers before they are potty trained. What ever happened to going au naturale?

Did you know that Americans throw away over 15 Million bicycles a year?? For many people of the world, a bicycle is basic transportation--not recreation--but still a luxury they can't afford. Providing bicycles for those in Third World Countries can change lives for the better. So, I totally commend Bikes for the World, a non-profit organization that is striving to keep these bicycles out of the landfills and place them in the hands of people who really need them.

When a Prince's kiss can no longer wake us from that deep sleep, why not try a recycled coffin to spend eternity in? I know, no one likes to think about the inevitable D word, but it's gonna happen to us all. So, go out with a statement and buy not only a less expensive coffin, but also a more eco-friendly one, many of which are made from 100% recycled materials, like the ones offered by Woven Wicker Coffins.

Okay, so I can't really sink my teeth into this one (ha,ha), but I remember my grandpa's old dentures, and they were not a pretty sight. However, every year there are 3.5 million sets of dentures manufactured in the world, and they all contain some gold or silver. Most unwanted dentures are thrown away, but a non-profit (based out of Japan) was created to recycle the metals found in used dentures, and to date, it has raised over $250,000 in proceeds to donate to UNICEF and other children's organizations.

I have to give Kudos to my friend, M.A., for this one....Just when you thought you'd heard the weirdest of all recyclable items, here's one that, to some of you, may not be that weird. The folks at Recycle My Sex Toy, are in the business of doing just what the name implies. Apparently, their mother never told them, "Don't play with that thing. You don't know where it's been."

So, the next time you think you should throw it away, doing five minutes of reserach online might give you a better alternative to disposing of that item, whatever it may be!! Have a great weekend everyone. Hugs, Laura.