The past few years have been a wake-up call for so many people.  Gone are the days of buying tons of expensive holiday gifts for all of your friends and family.  Although it’s nice to receive, we’ve all learned how important it is to give…especially to those who are in need.  In the spirit of giving, I want to share with you an organization that is truly making a difference.  And with your help...they can elevate their mission to a whole new level. 

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.  100% of public donations directly fund sustainable water projects in areas of greatest need.  In our day to day lives, it’s hard to imagine not having clean water; something we as a nation take for granted.  But right now almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.  That’s one in eight of us!!!  80% of all sickness on the planet is caused by unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation.  It kills more people each year than all forms of violence, including war.  Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.  Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.  Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick.  Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school.  These facts are overwhelming, and completely heart-wrenching.  It’s time to pay attention to this devastating situation!  It’s time to do our part.  As little as $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years.  We can’t afford not to give!

Over the years I’ve given to many causes…but really never saw the effects of my donations.  One of my favorite things about charity: water is they are closing the loop.  They are proving each water project by connecting donors here with people they’ve helped in developing nations.  Using GPS technology, photography, video and the Internet, charity: water proves all work done in the field, telling stories of communities changed by clean and safe drinking water.  I don’t know about you, but that would make me feel pretty darn good! 

In its 5^th year, charity: water is hosting their annual charity: ball on Monday, December 13^th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.  And for the 5^th year, Adrian Grenier is hosting this multimedia exhibition and gala evening to benefit the work of charity: water…and organization very dear to his heart.  It’s no secret that Adrian is a champion for environmental and social causes worldwide, and that’s why he continues to be one of our favorite eco-celebs.  But what can a night out on the town really accomplish?  A lot more that most people think.  charity: ball 2009 proved this. 1,200 guests attended, 125 volunteers gave their time and guests donated more than $1.8 million.  By the end of the evening, charity: water had raised enough to serve a million people with clean, safe water.  That’s a lot for just one night, even in New York City!  And guests had a chance to participate in the Waterwalk, where they lugged Jerry Cans full of water across the Waterwalk to get a taste of life in rural Africa.  They wrote notes to be hand-delivered to a community in Ethiopia that will receive a well this year.  The event was a huge success, and this year is shaping up to be another triumphant occasion.  Tickets are $250 and can be purchased here, and 100% of the price of your ticket will benefit the work of charity: water and help them grow.  If you are in the New York area, the charity: ball is one not to be missed.  Guests will team up with celebrities and business to LEARN, GIVE and MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

To learn more about how charity: water builds water wells and how these wells improve the lives of millions of people, visit their website.  It’s not just about having clean water to bathe and drink.  These wells are the catalyst to disease prevention, gender equality, improved food supply, better hygiene, putting kids in school, and building a sustainable future for these developing nations. 

 

all photos via charity: water

 

This is such an inspirational cause, and I urge everyone to get involved.  Please Please Please take a look at the work charity: water is doing.  It will warm your heart and you WILL want to get involved.  Find out how you can help by volunteering or making a donation.  Everybody can afford to give $20.00.  Please reach into your hearts and your wallets and let’s help charity: water continue to make a difference in the lives of millions!   

I’ve been a huge fan of Project Runway since it started 8 seasons ago.  What’s not to love about watching a group of passionate and truly unique fashion designers compete against each other in a high-pressure , yet thrilling setting.  And although these designers never cease to amaze (or disappoint) me…I have always felt the show was lacking in the Eco-Conscience department.  Yes they recycle items and use trash to make clothes…but I’m talking about a different level of sustainability.  Real Eco-Fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of the consumers who wear them and the working conditions of the people who make them.

Project Runway has introduced us to a couple sustainable designers over the years, most notable Leanne Marshall, Season 5 winner.  Leanne has been designing with sustainable textiles for years, and recently produced a 100% Eco-Friendly Spring/Summer 2010 Line using organic cottons and hemp silk.  View the entire Look Book here.  She even has a line of ready-to-wear and custom designed wedding dresses!  Not only are they gorgeous, they are Eco-Friendly!!!
 

Info and image via treehugger 

But who I’m most excited about is this season’s Gretchen Jones, Eco-Designer at MothLove and winner of both weeks 1 & 2!  Bohemian in lifestyle and design, Jones aims to create collections that beg to be worn and fallen in love with... While noted for its luxurious but minimalist aesthetics, MothLove consciously creates modern and sustainable designs. In addition, nearly all Jones' fabrics are environmentally conscious; including organic cottons, silk, bamboo and soy blends, with low impact & natural dye processes.  I’m head over heels in love with everything I’ve seen from Gretchen Jones.  Her clothes make being green seem easy-breezy!  I wish her the best of luck in winning the show…take it home for us Green Girls Gretchen!

 

Image via Bobbin Talk

With my mind in a flurry of Eco-Fashion, I felt I needed to get the perspective of someone who is just starting out.  Thankfully my dear friend Charise Noelle Crawford is a recent graduate of Fashion Careers College and creator and sole designer of "Pommier~ handmade, one~of~a~kind, party dresses for the eco-fabulous."  I was so excited to interview Charise, and I’m certain you’ll enjoy her refreshing attitude and dedicated passion to “Ethical Fashion”.  I know I did!
  

1. Why did you decide to become an Eco-Fashion Designer?

I chose to go into what I call "ethical fashion" because I believe fashion to be one of the most powerful forms of artistic expression in today's society, for the designer and wearer alike. Each garment I design is unique, charming and most importantly, wearable. It is very important to me as a mother, as a human being and co-inhabiter of this planet to create my art responsibly and inspire others to pursue a sustainable and socially conscious lifestyle.
 

2. What simple things can the average fashion designer do be more sustainable?

Sustainable doesn't necessarily mean "organic". While I prefer organic textiles, is it actually more "sustainable" to reuse fabric and notions from retired garments, vintage fabric, sheets, curtains, etc. When purchasing new textiles I research not only the growing, processing and dying practices, but also who is ultimately benefiting from my purchase. The most sustainable practice of all is to make timeless pieces sewn to last for generations.
 

3. Why is it important for the fashion industry to be more environmentally conscious?

Everyone participates in fashion on one level or another, except perhaps nudists, which means there is a lot of clothing being produced constantly. On such an enormous scale, the impact conventional manufacturing practices have on our environment is devastating. The fashion industry has the power and the opportunity to lead people in a new, sustainable and ethical direction. Whether positive or negative, we must consider our impact!
 

4. As an aspiring Eco-Fashion Designer, how do you plan to build a name for yourself?
I am prepared to walk through any door that could possibly open for me. As a designer of one-of-a-kinds and custom pieces, word-of-mouth and participation in local events is going to be the most effective way to get my name out there. In the future, I aspire to have my own boutique where I will continue to hand make all of my designs.
  

Charise in  her own organic, hemp/cotton jersey halter dress with removable (fallen and gathered) peacock feathers.  Designed for Eco-Palooza, sustainable fashion event.

 

If you’re interested in seeing more from Charise, she will be showing her Spring 2011 Collection at this year's Golden Hanger Awards, November 13th, 2010, at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego. It’s a charity event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and a fabulous way for FCC students to showcase their final collections.  And who knows…maybe one day we’ll see Charise on Project Runway!!!
 

So next time you’re shopping for that perfect item, make sure you consider how and where it was produced, because Being Green is always In Style!
 

Learn more about Carlee at Green with Envy Events
 

The personal benefits of a vacation are well known; they can reduce stress, rekindle a relationship, and rejuvenate your body and mind. But your vacation can also benefit the world around you. If you do a little deeper searching, one can find many 'volunteer vacations' across the country and world that offer many opportunities to study the environment, preserve the landscape, or help those in need. The key to a successful volunteer vacation is being realistic about your desires and abilities. Knowing what you want out of the trip will not only make it more enjoyable for you, but it will also eliminate the possibility of you being stuck in a tent for a week dreaming of a warm shower and running water.  Find areas and subject matters that are important to you: do you want to help injuired animals, preserve a favorite park, build a home or study the artic?  Whatever the choice, know that offering your time can be fun and enjoyable, all while making a difference in this world

1. Repair Trails in the Montana Wilderness

2. Study Climate Change in the Artic

3. Help Preserve Cheetahs in Namibia

Having been to Namibia, this one is dear to my heart. While I did not see a cheetah, I did see leopards, another endagered animal. To participate in this project, you won't have to keep up with the speedy cheetahs (which can dash at speeds over 70 miles per hour). You just help save them from local extinction in Namibia. EarthWatch volunteers are based in Eland's Joy, the headquarters of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. This area is the last stronghold of the wild cheetah, so it's the perfect place to conduct wildlife surveys, feed and care for captive cheetahs and spread the word about cheetah conservation to the local people. Learn more about volunteer expeditions at EarthWatch.org.

4. Sail the Sloop Clearwater

The Sloop Clearwater is more than a replica of a Dutch ferry; it's the flagship of the environmental movement on the Hudson River. Forty one years old, the sloop works to educate school children about water quality issues in the Hudson and beyond.  Volunteers can spend a week learning to sail, and helping the crew with everything from cooking meals to hoisting the sail to -- of course, teaching children.Volunteers must be 16 years or older and be prepared for physical activity. The cost is $100, which covers all meals and admittedly cramped accommodations. For information about volunteering on board the sloop, and to download an application, visit clearwater.org.

5. Help Organic Farms Across the Country

Think to give back the next time your 2 weeks of vacation rolls around, our Mother Earth deserves it!

Learn more about Laura at Green with Envy Events

Recently I came across an amazing event in a place that's very dear to my heart. The British Virgin Islands (BVI) in the majestic Caribbean Sea. Having lived in the Virgin Islands, I fully appreciate everything about these magical islands...the beautiful weather, pristine beaches, colorful culture and laid-back lifestyle. So I was overjoyed to learn about the recent swell of progressive energy in the Green movement in the BVI. And at the forefront is Abby O'Neal, founder of the 1st Annual BVI Go Green Festival on June 25 & 26, 2010. She believes that the BVI is small enough at 64 sq miles of total land mass and with a population of just under 30,000 to be the Greenest or most Carbon Neutral Territory on the planet. Her goal is to send a shock wave to the people of the BVI, giving them their very own “An Inconvenient Truth.”

 

The BVI Go Green Festival is a 2 day celebration taking place in the Go Green Village and at Noel Lloyd Park on the gorgeous island of Tortola. The schedule is packed with tons of interesting presentations, including The Growing Green Fair, Local & Organic Food Fair, Seminars & Panel discussions, Speakers, and to close out the Friday schedule...a Reggae and Calypso Concert. Headlining the show are soulful Grammy Winner Joss Stone and the “High Priest of Reggae” (and one of my personal faves) Jah Cure. This will be an unforgettable show...and hopefully the first of many more to come!

And as if this festival wasn't impressive already, they are also committed to making the entire event as sustainable as possible. While many events and tradeshows are notoriously wasteful, BVI Go Green Festival demonstrates an unmatched commitment to having the smallest footprint of any event of its kind ever staged in the BVI. Through the efforts of their organizing team and volunteers and meticulous sorting procedures to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost, they estimate that some 50% of all show waste will not enter mainstream waste disposal in the BVI. Don't you love it when people practice what they preach!

 

Having recently purchased our home, I’ve found the constant maintenance that comes with being a homeowner extremely overwhelming. If something goes wrong, is malfunctioning or gets broken, a phone call to your landlord doesn’t resolve the issue. The problem is now yours, all yours, regardless of whether you have a solution or not!  With that said, it’s also exciting to finally  be able have a living and garden space all my own, without having to get permission for every minor change I want to make.  

One of the things to tackle on our very long To Do List is landscaping our yard. It’s currently a blank canvas; some grass in the back and two trees with a couple of Azalea bushes in the front. Not being of the Green Thumb kind, my husband and I were thrilled to find the RiverSmart Homes Program, being offered by our District Department of the Environment.

This District-wide program offers incentives to homeowners who are interested in reducing storm water runoff from their properties. A representative comes to your home to do a consultation/audit of your property. Working with your lawn’s geographical terrain, they map out and help you determine which of the five elements (shade trees, rain barrels, bayscaping, rain gardens and pervious pavers) are the best to implement into your landscaping to help maximize storm water runoff.

After the audits, they’ll provide you with a report, and if you decide to go ahead with the solutions, they will set you with different non-profits they have collaborated with to do the work. The program provides you with a cost-savings of up to $1,200, but is not free-of-charge. DDOE is asking for homeowners to pay a small percentage of their installation cost (usually around 10 percent of the potential total cost).

• Shade Trees = $50 co-pay (usually cost around $300)

• Rain Barrels = $30 co-pay (usually cost around $300)

• BayScaping (native plants) = $100 co-pay (The cost of the BayScaping varies depending on the size of the area landscaped, but can run up to $1,200)
• Rain Gardens = $75 co-pay (The cost of a rain garden varies depending on the size of the area landscaped, but can run up to $1,200)

• Pervious Pavers = DDOE will pay the difference (up to $1,200) between conventional pavement (concrete) and pervious pavers.

Why would one want to do this? Well, the benefits to both the homeowner and the community are numerous!