Cookin’ on the Road—Diamond Lil—a Sustainable and Convenient Restaurant

Take a beaten down, old 1957 Greyhound bus, hundreds of pounds of food and restaurateur Kai Schoenhals and what do you get? Diamond Lil—the refurbished and shaped up moving restaurant. Diamond Lil is a tasty moving eatery that will travel around the region to its guests granting them savory pleasure and convenient locations.

The operation was inspired by the Napa Wine Train, a two engine 3 kitchen fitted train that serves a 25 mile stretch in Napa Valley. They provide convenience, a seasonal menu and a nationally known executive chef, Kelly Macdonald on board.

San Francisco residents Schoenhals and partner Daniel Isberg run a sustainable operation on the road. Although this moving food venture may seem pricey and anything but sustainable, Diamond Lil cuts her own costs and carbon footprint by using left over cooking oil used in her gasoline tank—allowing her to cook her way across the country. The bus, named after a great aunt of Schoenhals is refit entirely with recycled materials, a recyclable herself and not to mention is the house for a warm and delicious menu.

Local Californians that are lucky enough to dine on Diamond Lil can look forward to not only a wonderful menu but a responsible outfit that has considered its customers and the environment.

Green Toys & The Green Glass Company are as Green as a Company Can Get!

Our St. Patrick’s Day COLOR ME GREEN GIVEAWAY was announced this week; so I felt like this would be an appropriate time to spotlight 2 of our favorite “Green Companies” in the Organic Bug family.  Honestly, we don’t play favorites- but in honor of St. Patty’s Day- Green Toys and The Green Glass company is about as green as they come!

Green Toys
Green Toys makes a line of eco-friendly classic toys that are free of phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA).  These unique toys are constructed from recycled milk containers.  Founders Robert von Goeben and Laurie Hyman created this company out of their desire to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic toys while making an effort to improve and preserve the world around us.  Their toys have been nationally recognized by media, and have won awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian.  We love them because they have adopted environmentally sustainable practices into their manufacturing by:

• Doing business locally. Their operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, helping to further reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.
• Packaging their products in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties.
• The toys themselves are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin.

See for yourself in this You Tube video:

The Green Glass Company

What is so special about The Green Glass Company you ask?

It is committed to using recycled materials: Discarded bottles that would have ended up in landfills are transformed into usable and gorgeous pieces of glassware.

Each glass is unique: Each glass from  The Green Glass Company “Copenhagen” Tumbler Set is made from an emerald green Carlsberg beer bottle.  The slight variations of color and shape make each glass a unique character and bring out the magic of the set!

Made in the USA  Baby! While glassware made from The Green Glass Company is collected and enjoyed all over the world- it is made in a glass studio located in the peaceful woodlands of Northern Wisconsin.

The Green Glass Company is committed to preserving our natural resources. Owners Christa Donohue and Brian Roome ensure that every step of the process is done in the most environmentally friendly manner possible.

The quality is superior: Each piece of glassware is produced with great attention to detail. The Green Glass Company uses its own unique process to convert these bottles into reusable drinking glasses. This commitment to high quality has helped to make The Green Glass Company the largest producer of reclaimed glassware in the world.

And, as you may have heard- we will be giving away a Green Glass Company “Copenhagen” Tumbler Set and a Green Toys Recycled Plastic Dump Truck on Wednesday March 17.  Be sure to check the contest rules so you may also enter for a chance to win!

Spotlight: AASHE-Connecting Sustainable Education Nationwide

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE, is really making a big impact on the nation. AASHE is a membership driven–501(c)(3) institution that is leading the way in empowering sustainable colleges and universities by connecting and standardizing sustainability practice on campuses nationwide.

Being apart of the AASHE network grants resources, programs and professional development for those involved. The most important factor that AASHE contributes is its ability to unite colleges and universities that lead in sustainability transformation. By working with campus faculty, students, administrators and staff alike, they provide a professional home for sustainability in higher education.

There are two ways to get involved. As a student, AASHE offers a variety of professional development programs and resources to its members including conferences, webinars, workshops, conference calls and the wide network that it is connected to. As a business, it connects them with their communities and aligns themselves with green leaders by becoming a business partner.

More than anything, AASHE is designed to help higher education practice sustainability as a norm, not as an exception. They achieve this by encouraging collaborations and helping facilitate the generating and achievement of goals for the campus as a whole.

There are many ways of getting involved in AASHE. Whether you are a business looking to become a partner, or a student that is already a member of AASHE,  a student looking to getting their college involved, or a K-12 school—AASHE is attempting to connecting and transform the everyday standards of our educational system as we know it.

If you are interested in inquiring whether your school is or should be involved, please contact AASHE

St. Patrick’s Day COLOR ME GREEN GIVEAWAY, March 17, 2010

Before you head off to drink green organic beer at your local Pub Crawl on St. Patty’s Day, join our shenanigans on Twitter! Our GIVEAWAY has a new twist this time around so pay attention!

Our crafty Organic Bugs want you to get to know us a little better. So, on St. Patrick’s Day I will pose 2 questions (something like~what are some of our favorite products, what specials are we having, what are some gift ideas we love~you get the idea) at 2 different times during the day on Twitter and you can go find the answers on Organic Bug!

On St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17^th, I will tweet the first question on Twitter @OrganicBug at 1pm EST and the second question will follow at 3pm EST.

How to Participate:

1. First make sure to follow me on Twitter @OrganicBug
2. Watch for the 2 contest questions that I will ask on Twitter March 17^th at 1pm and 3pm EST.
3. Visit Organic Bug to find the answer.
4. Tweet the correct answer and the 10^th person to answer correctly WINS*! Include #ecogiveaway as your hashtag. Your tweet will look something like this:

@OrganicBug The answer to question 1 is… #ecogiveaway

And yes, it is possible for the same person to be the winner of both prizes IF you answer both questions correctly and happen to be the 10^th person to do so for each question.

And yes, we will ship your prize to most addresses in the US including Alaska, Hawaii + US Territories, APO/FPO + Canada.

We will notify the winners via Twitter and winners will be posted on our Feed Your Eco Blog!

*Winners have 48 hours to respond to our notification with shipping information otherwise another winner will be chosen. Note that we do not share any information you give us during this or any Giveaway by Organic Bug.

Now that you’re all jazzed up, see what GREEN goodies you can win during our St. Patrick’s Day COLOR ME GREEN GIVEAWAY!

Prize #1: The Green Glass Company is committed to preserving our natural resources so the company developed a process to turn reclaimed bottles into usable glassware! You can win a set of “Copenhagen” Tumblers made from the bottom portion of Carlsberg beer bottles. They are fun, festive, unique and Green in more ways than one! Set of 4 emerald green 8-ounce glasses valued at $33

Prize #2:  Green Toys set out to provide parents with a healthy alternative to traditional plastic toys. And so the company has designed a line of rough ‘n tumble plastic toys made from recycled milk jugs! Green Toys are not only healthy for kids, they put less stress on good ole mother Earth. You can win a recycled plastic Recycling Truck that not only teaches youngsters about recycling~it is recyclable, too! Interactive toy truck valued at $25

So, join the shenanigans on Wednesday, March 17^th! I’ll tweet the first question at 1pm EST and the second question at 3pm EST. Go ahead and mark your calendar; set an alarm for 2 chances to win!

Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.
–Irish Saying

Let the games begin!

Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all…Celebrate International Women’s Day Today!

Today, (March is International Women’s Day- a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.  This event has been observed since in the early 1900’s and each year brings a new theme.

What is the IWD theme for 2010?  Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

Today- I challenge you to take a few moments to learn about the history of International Womens Day and reflect on what it means. Here is a moving video that reminds us there is still much work to.  I hope you share this post with women in your life who you admire and celebrate today!

Rebagz is Changing the World With Style

Each month, we highlight artists, companies and products that truly exemplify what the Organic Bug mission is all about. This month we have chosen to feature Rebagz Eco-Chic Handbags…a line of brightly colored durable totes, packs, handbags and wallets made from woven recycled juice packs, recycled nylon rice sacks, recycled paper and PET plastic.

It is incredible how easily trash can be transformed into an array of eco-chic fashion statements! One of our favorite pieces from the Rebagz collection is the super stylish Carry Anything Anywhere Bag and we want to share a chance to WIN one of these multi-purpose totes with our loyal Organic Bug friends.

To enter for a chance to win this coveted bag  (a $94 value) be sure to visit- How to Win!  Giveaway – Organic Bug – Rebagz Carry Anything Anywhere Bag – Ends 3/14/10

Here are some of the many reasons we love Rebagz! And, if you don’t already own one, you will definitely want one when you see how eco- and human-friendly the company is:

1.  Rebagz handbags are manufactured using fair trade guidelines: The manufacturer in the Philippines is committed to paying employees a fair wage and providing a safe and healthy work environment….in other words, this is a company that puts people first.  By supporting Rebagz, you are contributing to the financial well-being of the women they employ, along with their families and their community at large.

2.  Rebagz handbags are environmentally sustainable: Made using recycled juice packs, rice sacks, paper + PET plastic, each Rebagz design incorporates lots of eco-friendly materials. Even the loop and button closure on the Carry Anything Anywhere Bag is expertly crafted from woven recycled juice packs.

Recycling uses less energy, decreasing oil dependence; reduces landfill, curbing leaching of contaminants into the soil and water supply; and improves air quality through the reduction of toxic incinerator emissions.

3.  Rebagz handbags are well made and functional: The entire collection of Juicy Hand Woven bags are water resistant, easy to clean, and durable!  The Carry Anything Anywhere Bag is so versatile you’ll wonder what you ever did without one. Since it is unlined it can easily be wiped clean inside and out making it useful for just about anything: gardening, the beach, a gym bag, overnight bag, shopping bag, commuter tote, the list goes on & on!

4. There is a fabulous Rebagz Eco-Chic Handbag for every occasion: Beautiful detailing, vibrant, fashionable and functional are just some of the ways to describe these amazing creations. Larger bags are multi-purpose, mid-size bags are the perfect size for bopping around town and mini bags can do double time as wristlets or cosmetics travel bags!

Learn more about the talented Rebagz creator, Marty Stevens-Heebner, on our Rebagz Brands Page and hear Marty in her own words below!

I’m on a Boat…A Solar Boat

You can get a tan, brew tea and power your boat by being on board Raphaël Domjan’s latest creation. The world’s largest solar boat was revealed this past Thursday, created at the Knierim Yacht Club in Kiel in northern Germany; costing $24.4 million to produce. The 31-meter-long and 15-meter-wide craft named PlanetSolar will hit waters next month and start sea trials between June and September. This solar beast is expected to be able to capture 103.4 kW of solar energy to drive its engine which evidently only needs 20kW, to achieve an average speed of eight knots (15kph or 9mph).

The PlanetSolar team is not intending on replacing conventional watercrafts, however they did note that it was boats that allowed the first great explorations of our world. With the first boat dating back more than 10,000 years it is easy to forget how clean such transportation can be. “Today,” the PlanetSolar team suggests, “the boat is the most used means of transport of goods. It represents single-handedly almost 1.4 billions of tons of carbon dioxide (in 2008), that is 6% of the total carbon dioxide emissions and twice more than the air transport.”

To learn more about the boat that will hopefully set standards for future development, click here.

Weatherization Not-a-Happenin’

We’ve included a few blogs on Feed Your Eco explaining how to weatherize your home and the benefits of doing so. We’re not the only ones who understand the importance of this and that’s why $5 billion was allocated to weatherizing homes as part of the 2009 Recovery Act. However, according to a new report from the Energy Department’s inspector general, the program has barely gotten off the ground a year after it started and some of the larger states meet less than 2 percent of their three year goals.

These funds were allocated to help make low-income homes more energy efficient to save money and emissions all while stimulating the job market. “The job creation impact of what was considered to be one of the department’s most ‘shovel ready’ projects has not materialized,” the report said. An example of this takes place in New York where only 280 weatherization projects have been completed out of their 45,400 goal. This goal is projected over three years, but that means that less than 1 percent of the project has been completed, leaving only two more years for full execution.

Since the act included such an increase of funds from other years, state officials are claiming it’s hard to keep up with the increased budgets. “We went from a budget of $13 million for weatherizations to $327 million,” said Gordon Anderson, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. “So we needed to get a serious plan in place to assure that our agency and all our contractors had the adequate capacity to administer the funds.”

Hopefully this plan will happen fast and will be effectively implemented. Weatherizing homes is one of the easiest things we can do to save money and the planet, and of course, increase available jobs.

Music Scene Goes Green

By nature, the touring industry has a negative impact on the environment because of the combined carbon footprint of tours, concerts, videos and albums. We are left to wonder, is there anything really green about the music scene? There wasn’t until Guster’s vocalist/guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, founded Reverb- an environmental organization devoted to greening the music industry. Since its start-up in 2004, Reverb cut more than 67,000 tons of carbon from the music industry and greened 81 tours by creating outreach displays at concerts, partnering up with environmentalist groups, offering bio diesel fuel for vehicles, and encouraging recycling and waste reduction. Taking Reverb one step further, the couple started the Green Music Group, a project created to inspire environmental change. The GMG launched on January 30, 2010 and is founded by a team of musicians, fans, record labels, and music industry leaders who seek to inspire environmental change through powerful music performances that spread awareness of global issues. With the support of founding members (including Dave Mathews Band, Linkin Park, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Bonnie Raitt and Maroon 5), GMG wants to “make big changes by targeting small tasks to use the collective power of the music community to take action and bring about universal environmental change”.

So what does the future look like for GMG and the music industry? We can expect to see new eco-friendly standards for venues, labels and tours, green grants given to up- and-coming artists, environmental challenges aimed at members and prizes donated to groups.

If you want to support positive environmental action within the music industry you can sign up to become a part of the GMG crew. To show their appreciation, you are automatically entered to win an autographed eco-friendly guitar and you will even receive a free song from the launch session. Not a bad gig, eh?

Stay up to date by following the Green Music Group on Twitter!

Become a fan of the Green Music Group on Facebook

Check out this video from the Launch Event!

Organic Bug Spotlight On Healthy Child Healthy World

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

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