Archive for April, 2011

New York Gives Homeowners Free Rain Barrels

Apr 27

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“New York City’s Department of Environment Protection (DEP) is giving away 55-gallon rain barrels to homeowners – 1,000 barrels this year. The program began in spring 2008 when the DEP distributed 250 barrels to homeowners in Queens. In 2009, 750 barrels were distributed to homeowners. The program was initiated by the Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan. On July 20, 2005 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a City Council bill which required the DEP to create a protection plan for the Jamaica Bay watershed.”

New York Gives Homeowners Free Rain Barrels via Gina-Marie Cheeseman – Triple Pundit

Tags: conserve, DEP, environment, environment protection, government, Green, Green Festival, H2O, New York, NYC, Queens, rain, rain barrel, water, watershed

Zoe Weil interviews Alexis Baden-Meyer

Apr 27

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

Tags: consumer, diet, food, food source, GE-crops, GMO, Green, Green Festival, Health, Non-GMO, organic, organic consumers association, treehugger

Whole Foods or Whole Hypocrisy?

Apr 27

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“In an interview at the Green Festival in San Francisco on April 9, Alexis Baden-Mayer, OCA Campaign Director, explained the strategy behind the Millions Against Monsanto Truth-in-Labeling Campaign.

“Over 90% of Americans want GE-tainted foods labeled. Why? So that we can avoid buying these foods. This is a major reason why millions of us are buying certified organic products, which preclude the use of GE ingredients, as well as toxic chemicals and animal drugs. Since the politicians in Washington apparently prefer to listen to Monsanto rather than their constituents, we need to put our efforts where we currently have the most power, in our local communities, especially at the retail grocery store level, where 50 million of us are regularly buying certified organic and so-called ‘natural’ foods.

“What most green consumers don’t understand yet, is that most of the so-called “natural” processed foods and animal products (which make up 2/3 of the sales of Whole Foods Market) that we are still buying are GMO-contaminated. Either they contain GMO ingredients like soy, corn, canola, cottonseed oil or sugar beet sweetener, or else the animals have been force-fed fed a steady diet of GMO grains and drugs.”

Whole Foods or Whole Hypocrisy? via Ronnie Cummins – Counter Punch / Organic Consumers Association

Tags: agriculture, certified, community, contaminated, farming, food, GE, GMO, Green, Green Festival, grocery, local, Monsanto, Non-GMO, organic, organic consumers association, source, toxic, whole foods

Out on the Farm 'The Fabulous Beekman Boys' may be gay gentlemen farmers, but they're also farmers with a purpose

Apr 26

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“It started simply, as these things go.

Manhattanites Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge felt the lure of a weekend place in the country, a place to relax from their hectic careers in the big city. When they bought Beekman Mansion in upstate New York, they planned some simple weekend farming: a few chickens, a few vegetables.

It didn’t stay simple.”

Out on the Farm ‘The Fabulous Beekman Boys’ may be gay gentlemen farmers, but they’re also farmers with a purpose via Sean Bugg - Metro Weekly

Tags: agriculture, beekman 1802, Chicago, Fabulous Beekman Boys, farm, farming, Green, Green Festival, martha stewart, New York, organic, planet green, San Francisco, seeds, tv, vegetable, williams sonoma

Feed Me Green Fest

Apr 26

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“Last weekend I had a blast exploring my favorite event of the year, The San Francisco Green Festival! Each Green Festival event features more than 125 speakers and 300 Green Marketplace exhibitors, as well as live music, hands-on workshops, family activities, local vegetarian cuisine and organic beer and wine. This year’s speakers included The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Amy Goodman, Dr. Sharif Abdullah and many more.

I decided a simple write up wouldn’t do. I needed to show the action as it was happening. How better to do that then with twitter and my new beloved picture app Instagram? Here’s my instagram feed from the weekend highlighting all the green conscious fun that unraveled.”

Read More: Feed Me Green Fest via Amber Zuckswert – Epic Self

Tags: Amy Goodman, body, care, consumer, eco-conscious, eco-friendly, education, event, expo, Fabulous Beekman Boys, Green, Green Business, Green Festival, green living, Health, market, organic, products, San Francisco, shopping, sustainable, weekend

Research Reveals Increased Consumer Demand for Fair Trade Certified-Labeled Products

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News, Press Releases | Comments off

Researchers from Harvard, the London School of Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Release Study on the Value of Ethical Labeling

OAKLAND, Calif., Apr. 25 Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, reports new findings which confirm that the prominent appearance of the Fair Trade Certified™ label increases sales among coffee-buying consumers.

To investigate the topic of consumer demand for Fair Trade products, researchers Jens Hainmueller of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michael J. Hiscox of Harvard University, and Sandra Sequeira of the London School of Economics, conducted a six-month research study in partnership with a prominent national grocery retailer. As reported this weekend in the Wall Street Journal, the team examined purchasing behavior among actual consumers at 26 stores and key findings show that:

The Fair Trade Certified label alone has a large positive impact on sales.
Sales of the two most popular bulk coffees sold in each of the 26 test stores increased by up to 13 percent when labeled as Fair Trade Certified.
The study also revealed that a substantial segment of consumers are willing to pay up to eight percent more for a product bearing the Fair Trade Certified label.

The findings are consistent with a Globescan study conducted in 2010, which revealed that 75 percent of consumers said Fair Trade certification makes them feel “very positive or positive” about products; 30 percent said Fair Trade is “likely to increase their purchase interest;” and over half said “independent third-party certification is the best way to verify” a product’s social and environmental claims.

“Overall the findings suggest that there is substantial consumer support for Fair Trade,” said Michael J. Hiscox of Harvard University. “The Fair Trade label by itself had a large positive effect on sales, indicating that a substantial number of coffee buyers place a positive value on Fair Trade certification. In addition, a sizeable segment of coffee buyers were willing to pay a premium for coffee if the premium was directly associated with support for Fair Trade. The tests suggest that there are plenty of consumers ready to vote with their shopping dollars to support Fair Trade when it is offered as an option by retailers.”

The study can be referenced online at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1801942.

Fair Trade USA (previously TransFair USA), a nonprofit organization, is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified goods were paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, protect the environment, and receive community development funds to empower and uplift their communities. Fair Trade USA educates consumers, brings new manufacturers and retailers into the Fair Trade system, and provides farming communities with tools, training and resources to thrive as international businesspeople. Visitwww.FairTradeUSA.org for more information.

The Research team consists of Michael J. Hiscox, the Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University; Sandra Sequeira, Lecturer in Development Economics at the London School of Economics; and Jens Hainmueller, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Research Reveals Increased Consumer Demand for Fair Trade Certified-Labeled Products via PRNewswire – CSRWire

Tags: certified, Chicago, chocolate, coffee, ethical, ethical labeling, fair trade, fair trade certified, Fair Trade USA, Green, Green Festival, Los Angeles, manufacturing, New York, product, sales, San Francisco, Seattle

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“This is the fifth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling.

Libya. Bahrain. Iraq. Afghanistan. Canada.Fukushima. North Dakota. Fukushima. North Dakota. The Gulf Coast. Pennsylvania.

Each of these stories stands alone as an urgent parable about our increasingly fragile reliance on affordable, plentiful energy.

Take them together, and the myth of abundant fuel that our economy relies on falls to pieces all at once.

What if there were some source of energy that could replace a substantial part of our current consumption?

One that didn’t rely on coal, or on corn, or on fast-track investment in renewables? One with negligible direct costs, that paid us back, equitably and many times over the more we used it?

I mean the bicycle, of course.”

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis via Elly Blue – Grist

Tags: bicycle, bike, economy, Energy, Green, Green Festival, renewable, Seattle

GREEN FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY MAY 21-22

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News, Press Releases | Comments off

The nation’s largest green consumer living event: Now in Seattle’s Qwest Event Center

Seattle Green Festival May 21-22 at Qwest Event Center

SEATTLE – The premier sustainability event in the nation celebrates 10 years, one million attendees at a new location, Qwest Event Center, May 21-22. This one-of-a-kind weekend experience offers opportunities for community members to meet their favorite authors, actors and community leaders; shop more than 300 eco-friendly exhibitors; participate in educational workshops; enjoy live music and local vegetarian cuisine; and sample organic chocolates, wine and beer.

Ten stages and pavilions host more than 125 inspirational and educational speakers, including Amy Goodman, Jeffrey Smith, John Perkins, Zoe Weil, Dr. David Korten, Dr. Sharif Abdullah and Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

The Green Marketplace showcases more than 300 green and socially-responsible businesses and organizations. Attendees browse everything from non-toxic home products to organic clothing to fair trade treats and décor. Green Festival gives back GF Bucks to individuals who purchase tickets online or at the door. GF Bucks are the local Green Festival currency and can be used the same-as-cash to shop in the Green Marketplace. Discount admission available online until May 20: http://tickets.greenfestivals.org/events/139716.

“Last fall, Green Festival stimulated the green economy by giving back $44,000 to local, regional and national sustainable businesses through the new ‘GF Bucks’ admissions policy,” says Global Exchange and Green Festival Founder, Dr. Kevin Danaher.

Volunteer or donate to various local nonprofits in exchange for complimentary Green Festival admission. Engage with Sierra Club Seattle, Washington State 350, Sound Circle Center, Sustainable Seattle, Solar Washington, International Bicycle Fund, Alleycat Acres, Washington Health Foundation, Community Alliance for Global Justice, Seattle International Film Festival, El Centro de la Raza, Sustainable Wallingford, Transition Seattle, Real Change, feet first, SCALLOPS, Sightline Institute, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, The Art Affect, Green America, Global Exchange and more to receive free Green Festival tickets. Also, Green America and Global Exchange members always receive free admission to Green Festival.

A joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, two leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmental and social justice for more than 27 years, Green Festival inspires and promotes the connection between change and sustainable progress for people, communities and businesses. Green Festivals empowers people to live healthier lives—socially, economically and environmentally.

“Whether you go to shop, learn, try new organic foods or experience art and music, Green Festival has it all, with the goal to motivate every person to think, participate and make more planet-friendly, sustainable choices in their every day lives,” says Green America and Green Festival Founder, Denise Hamler.

Thank you to Corporate Innovators Bon Ami and Ford for their commitment to sustainability. Receive complimentary tickets when you visit your Seattle-area Ford Dealer. Test drive one of Ford’s new green hybrid and electric vehicles right at the Green Festival.

Thank you to Green Festival partners: Hyatt at Olive 8, Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, Herbal Companion, Natural Home, Entercom, AM1090 and KOMO.

Engage with Green Festivals online at www.GreenFestivals.org, www.Facebook.com/GreenFestival and www.Twitter.com/GreenFestival for the latest news about the Seattle Green Festival and additional Green Festivals in 2011. Children under 18 and all volunteers receive free admission. To volunteer, email: volunteer@greenfestivals.org.

###

About Green America

Green America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practicing tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems. Its Green Business Network is the largest national network of businesses screened for their social and environmental responsibility. www.greenamericatoday.org

About Global Exchange

Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Since its founding in 1988, Global Exchange has successfully increased public awareness of root causes of injustice while building international partnerships and mobilizing for change. www.globalexchange.org

About Seven-Star, Inc.

Seven-Star, Inc. is the nation’s premier green full-service event company focusing exclusively on green events. Since 1999, Seven-Star has provided turn-key green event services for environmentally Responsible and socially Respectful (eR/sR) festivals, trade and consumer expositions, conferences and concerts. From the greening of the 2007 International Live Earth events, to the 2008 Democratic National Convention events, to producing the nation’s largest consumer Green Festivals, Seven-Star has defined itself as the company for eR/sR event production. Seven-Star is the first event company to have won the EPA’s Gold Waste Wise Award for Excellence in recognition for their proprietary system of event waste diversion, which has consistently achieved greater than 95%.www.sevenstarevents.com

Tags: alternative, Beer, careers, community, cuisine, eco-fashion, eco-friendly, economy, education, Electric vehicles, environment, event, fair trade, farming, Ford, garden, Global Exchange, Green, Green America, Green Business, Green Festival, green living, home, jobs, kids, nonprofit, organic, renewable energy, Seattle, shopping, social justice, social responsibility, solar, sustainable, Vegan, vegetarian, weekend, wind, wine

Investors in Organic Farms Cultivate Healthy Profits & Healthy Food

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News, Press Releases | Comments off

Chicago, IL, April 21, 2011 – While most investors may not think of organic farmland when rethinking their retirement portfolio, this strategy has the extra benefit of improving the health of our environment as well as diversifying one’s investment returns. Concerned investors looking for more financial stability and sustainable growth now have more opportunities to participate directly in the emerging businesses of organic farmers.

Illinois-based Working Farms Capital is offering private equity and debt alternatives on certified or transitional organic farms under lease to legacy farmers. Unlike most conventional and annually renewing leases, Working Farms Capital structures long term leases designed to retain existing farm tenants and their intimate knowledge of the land. By obtaining lease terms spanning multiple crop years, farmers are better able to implement their business plans. Increasingly, the business of farming is more diversified. Recently a 225 acre farm was acquired to develop wind energy alternatives. The combination of renewable energy and sustainable agriculture represents a growing trend in land use. Working Farms Capital is at the forefront of this development and is expanding operations in the Midwest.

The typical farm lessee is a family farmer whose primary source of income is from the farm. Usually the farm ranges from 100 to 500 acres in size – considered a mid-size farm in the Midwest. Farmers run their own business utilizing rotations of row and cover crops, small grains, vegetables and pastured livestock. Owners receive a base rent with a variable upside based on overall farm profitability. The organic crops are sold to food processors and wholesalers with such varied end uses as blue and white corn chips, tofu, soymilk, organic flour, oatmeal, cereals, roasted soy nuts, milk etc. Most of the production is for human consumption. New owners are also varied and include individuals diversifying their IRA’s, educational endowment funds, pension funds, environmentally focused enterprises and mission driven private wealth offices or institutions.

According to David Miller, founder of Working Farms Capital, the investment theme is simple, “We’re offering investors a unique growth opportunity supported by an appreciating and renewable real asset. Focusing on soil health and renewable energy will naturally foster higher revenues and enhance the long term value of these farms.”

#####

Working Farms Capital was incorporated Illinois in 2007 to enable new capital for the transition of conventional farmland to organic practices. To receive more details, contact Dave Miller (dmiller@workingfarmscapital.com) More information available at www.workingfarmscapital.com

Tags: agriculture, capital, Chicago, environment, farm, Green, Green Festival, illinois, investment, IRA, land, lease, organic, organic farm

This Earth Day get to a green festival!

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“There’s been a lot of talk about “shared sacrifice” as American lawmakers try to button down the spending that many blame for the nation’s problems.

Personally, I don’t understand why the discussion seems to be entirely about entitlement programs, with no talk about the defense spending. I am perpetually perplexed about our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan, which seems to be as much of a moving target as the terrorists we’re chasing, while the money flies out of the Treasury as if a giant vacuum were sucking off the conveyor belt (Want a visual? Check out CostofWar.com’s ticker.)

I get it that many government programs could stand some tweaking and scrutinizing. But Congress seems to be taking a hedge clippers to the lawn ornamentation, while a tornado bears down on the horizon.

Why would we give the EPA’s budget a buzz cut while we stand on the brink of climate disaster?

When it comes to things like this, I have to conclude, as I sometimes do in my household populated by teenagers, that we’ve landed in “upside-down world”, where our priorities have been flipped – by special interests, the heedless drive for profits, myopia, short-term thinking – and so we pursue our own selfish goals at any cost. At least that’s how it works at my house. And at the House of Representatives.

While we’re in upside-down world, we’re failing to find the path of common sense.

I’d like to suggest a way back. Go to a green festival this week. It’s Earth Day (April 22) and there’s almost certainly something going on near you.

There, I promise, you’ll find a wealth of common sense. It’s intrinsic. It’s practically the definition of sustainability. Some think green living is about more…groan… shared sacrifice. But don’t believe these naysayers. It is about choosing a promising and clean path to a future that conserves energy and resources, ultimately making our lives easier, not more difficult.

OK, I’ll say it. Give Green a Chance.”

READ MORE: This Earth Day get to a green festival! via Barbara Kessler – ABC Green Right Now

Tags: Chicago, clean, climate, conserve, earth day, Energy, EPA, event, government, Green, Green Festival, home, organic, renewable, San Francisco, Seattle, solutions, sustainable

Archive for April, 2011

New York Gives Homeowners Free Rain Barrels

Zoe Weil interviews Alexis Baden-Meyer

Whole Foods or Whole Hypocrisy?

Out on the Farm 'The Fabulous Beekman Boys' may be gay gentlemen farmers, but they're also farmers with a purpose

Feed Me Green Fest

Research Reveals Increased Consumer Demand for Fair Trade Certified-Labeled Products

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis

Investors in Organic Farms Cultivate Healthy Profits & Healthy Food

This Earth Day get to a green festival!

Latest Tweets

Categories

Archives

Tags